Sometimes I get frustrated that whenever I see “free books” mentioned among reviewers, authors and readers.
I’m sorry, but it seriously drives me batty. When a book is given to a reader or a reviewer with good cred/rep, it’s an investment on a publisher or author’s part. An investment in a hope that it’ll either kick off a word-of-mouth spree or a review (good or bad). It’s publicity that has already been paid in form of those “free” books.
It’s not a bad thing at all. I just don’t understand why on earth would a reviewer receive an ARC and think, “Oh! Free book!” and then spend a couple of hours reading the book and then write a review. It’s an informal exchange of services. A book for her review, which is in turn a chance to attract readers who in turn may buy copies of said books. In the meanwhile – because the reviewer’s review was well-written, the readers will check in more oft, which in turn attracts more authors or pubs to send ARCs to that reviewer who will then spend time and effort reading those books and writing reviews.
And perhaps, the reviewer will arrange a book giveaway – paid out of their pocket (investment) or given by authors/pubs (investment). And maybe at the same time, increased traffic would mean better advertising rates for said reviewer’s site. It’s a circular of services and investments. This way, everyone’s a winner. There’s nothing “free” about this arrangement. Nor is it bad. It’s just the way it is for some.
If I don’t see this term – “free” books (in context of reviewing) – again when I die, it’s still too fucking soon.
Edit: I wonder if my ire has to do with the term giving me a complex because of the guilt? If it’s really free, I wouldn’t not feel so shitty about not being swift or consistent with my reviews. 
Hm. Must explore this.
I think “free” in terms of not having to pay for it (and in many cases these are books I’d never have bought in the first place). But yes, I also think of it as a form of compensation for unpaid writing/blogging. And I get the guilt thing also, but usually that forces me to articulate my criticisms a little better. (‘It’s a load of shite!’ doesn’t really help anyone except me.)
That’s one way of seeing it. So do people think “Free books” when they borrow books from libraries or friends?
True. Yeah, with purchased books, it’s just me gabbing away, but with ARCs, I feel I have to take care of what I say. It’s silly, really, isn’t it?
For me? Yes. If I love it enough, I might buy it from the UBS. Rarely, I’ll buy it new. If I liked it but not enough to keep, I’ll gift a new copy to a friend. I do believe that authors need to earn a living!
I feel the same. When I buy a book, it’s like my review is purely a reaction. I review for myself. When I read an ARC, my review is partly a conversation with the person who gave it to me. BUT I’m trying to overcome that, mostly because it makes me verbose.
“When I read an ARC, my review is partly a conversation with the person who gave it to me.”
YES! That’s it, exactly. I didn’t know what was the problem until you said it. Yay! Now I’ll work through my issues to overcome the mental barrier/block.
Excellent post!
I don’t understand this tendency to refer to an ARC as free book, or a gift. Gifts don’t usually come with expectations.
Even if an author or publisher has no guarantee of a positive review, there is at the very least a strong hope that the person receiving the ARC will review the book. And if they do not follow through, they are unlikely to receive further ARCs from the same author/publisher.
This, to me, is an exchange of services, not a gift.