Let’s talk about anything bookish!
I wrote a post about authors responding to reviews – positive or negative – and I am at that point where my views have partially changed!
Not drastically, mind you! Just about tagging authors in ANY review of their books. See, I follow a lot of authors on Twitter, not just for news about their books but their thoughts, among other things. A lot of the authors are actually pretty funny on Twitter or very informative.
Which brings me to the current topic – should we EVEN tag authors in positive reviews now? My thoughts on this have changed. In fact, I have stopped tagging authors when I review their books on my blog unless specifically asked to – like reviewing Advance Reader Copies (ARCs) or when I am participating in a blog tour for a book. With both, I have been specifically requested to tag them, so I do.
However, I have stopped tagging them in reviews of books that I just picked up on my own and not because I am participating in a book/blog tour.
And the reason is this – a few authors have spoken out about it on twitter about requesting bloggers just not to tag them. While I understand the reasons why a reader/blogger would tag an author, I also understand the reasons why not to.
I also saw a few book bloggers speak out about this and said they do not tag authors at all now – regardless of the review being positive. And again, I think about what reviews are for – they are for the readers and not the authors.
I will still be ecstatic when an author responds or retweets to reviews I did of their books even though I didn’t go out of my way to tag them. I know some authors who do this, and I am absolutely grateful for that.
I will still tag them on short reviews that I do on Instagram, though. My reason for this is simple – I almost always just write in a couple of sentences and a rating review for it and not really go in depth and discuss pros and cons of the book. I also think that Instagram is just a different platform as opposed to Twitter or your blog.
Do you tag authors in book reviews?
What are your thoughts about tagging authors in reviews? What about tagging authors on Instagram?
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Oh wow! I don’t tag authors in negative reviews, but I do tag them on Facebook if it is a positive review. The only thing that goes to Twitter is if Goodreads sends it there. So there were authors who didn’t want to be tagged at all? What was their reasoning for that? Just because reviews for for readers? Or was that your thought?
Lisa Mandina (Lisa Loves Literature) recently posted…Blog Tour Review with Author Interview and Giveaway: That Second Chance by Meghan Quinn
I’m not 100% sure what their reasoning is, but I have seen a few comments that they just don’t want to read reviews. I think it’s because some readers still tag them when they write negative reviews.
I don’t tag any authors on the blog (and only partially because I don’t know how) because I don’t know if an author wants to see my review, so I won’t force them to see it. On Instagram on the other hand, I tag authors whenever it’s a positive review or if it’s just a pretty picture of a TBR book or whatnot. I figure no author minds seeing a beautiful picture of their book!
Malka @ Paper Procrastinators recently posted…My Struggle with Reviewing
I agree! I tag authors and publishers when posting on IG! I will only tag a publisher when it’s a negative review that I post on IG. I don’t tag authors when it’s a negative review.
I think my tagging has changed over the years too, I only tag if I feel really inspired to. Like it’s a book I adore and want them to know. I feel like that’s once a year though.
I know what you mean! I do forget to tag sometimes and now, I just don’t bother unless reviewing for a blog tour and the tour company requested it.
I love this discussion! My views have changed as well. Like you, I now only tag authors in books when I’m required to do so, like if it’s expected of me or I’m participating in a blog tour. But even with books I get from NetGalley, I don’t tag the authors. Most of my reviews are positive, but I always have a little bit in my review with some “cons,” and I feel uncomfortable tagging authors and knowing they’ll see my complaints. I think I’m pretty constructive in my criticism, but I also don’t want to push the review on an author.
Genni @ Ready, Set, Read! recently posted…An Update | On Reading, Blogging, and My Life!
I absolutely agree! I hardly write negative reviews, but I have written negative reviews. I also feel awkward and wrong tagging authors.
I like to tag an author, when I loved a book to let them know it made me happy and I had a wonderful experience reading their work. True, reviews aren’t for authors, but if it’s a positive review, it could be something that brightens their day and a way for me to show my appreciation.
This is a good point. I also thought the same way, but I just want to avoid the drama now and I don’t want authors to get tagged on reviews they may think is a negative review.
I only tag them if it’s a pretty glowing review. And I know some authors who never want tonread reviews, so I’m starting to question if I should even do that too. Then again, some authors love it, and do retweet. So it’s hard to know.
Trish @ Between My Lines recently posted…Book Review: The Country Girls by Edna O’Brien
I don’t tend to tag authors in reviews, good or bad. To be fair, I often forget to share my book reviews on social media in the first place, but when I do I don’t usually bother. I can see why people tag authors in positive reviews, but I guess a lot of authors maybe get overwhelmed by the number of things they get tagged in?
Laura recently posted…15 Ways To Use Notebooks
I very rarely tag authors in reviews, mainly b/c my reviews are kicked to Twitter from other places like Netgalley or Librarything. Never really thought about doing so on Instagram, or even about posting reviews there.