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Tell Me Something Tuesday is a weekly discussion post on Rainy Day Ramblings, where the blog's owner Heidi discusses a wide range of topics from books to blogging. Weigh in and join the conversation by adding your thoughts in the comments. If you want to do your own post, grab the question and answer it on your blog.
Here is what is on deck this week:
WHAT ARE THINGS THAT ANNOY YOU RIGHT NOW IN THE BOOK MARKET?
🤔 Every one of them? 😂
LOL, OK, maybe that was a little extreme. But what can I say - I'm a rebel at heart (I named my blog Offbeat YA for a reason...), plus, frankly, there are a bunch of book-selling strategies that I don't get AT ALL. They probably still work, because otherwise, the trends will show signs of deterioration and ultimately vanish into thin air - but for how much longer? Also, the book market is becoming more and more lazy in ways that are not let's-go-the-same-route-that-has-been-working-for-ages related. Here goes my rant...
THE COPYCAT ATTITUDE
This is the absolute worst. I get it, it's not easy to come up with fresh ideas, but even when some author do, the powers-that-be try to force their hand at doing something that's been done before and worked. And it doesn't stop at the book itself. I SWEAR IF I SEE ANOTHER COVER WITH A GIANT CROWN ON IT OR AN EQUALLY GIANT LETTERING ON A NONDESCRIPT IMAGE, I'LL SCREAM. Also, the titles. Ugh. A Thing of This Material and That Other Material? Girl(s)/Child/Daughter of Something and Something Else? What about something that doesn't evoke a thousand other books? Oh, right, but smart people in the biz are capitalising on those titles. I'm probably the only one who gets repelled from them instead...(...please, tell me that I'm wrong 😟).
THE LACK OF GUTS
Which is, basically, why the above trend never dies. Big publishers are afraid as hell to take chances. Small ones try sometimes (Curiosity Quills, I'm looking at you), but more often than not, they lack the financial means to create buzz around their most unique products, which is why their books don't sell enough, which is why it's less likely that they're going to take another chance that soon.
THE "ANYTHING GOES" TENDENCY
For ages, indie/small pub books have been accused of being (among other things) under-produced. Now, I don't know about you - but lately, I've been reading more and more novels from big(ger) presses with blatant typos that SCREAM from the pages. And I'm not even a native speaker, for crying out loud. Have editors become lazy? Are they so underpaid that they stopped caring? Are there too few of them for too many books?
THE INT BLOGGERS SHUNNING
Disclaimer: I've never gotten a physical ARC (except in this very specific case) and never entertained the idea of getting one. Small blogger, overseas shipping costs, blah-blah, I get it. But lately, all the bloggers outside the US have been, more or less, negated access to ANY kind of ARC - even the digital ones. Goodreads, Netgalley, you name it - on all our usual sites, they've become unavailable, or access to them has been ridiculously restricted. And of course, those sites blame their change of policy on the publishers. Now, if that's the case, listen to this: there are so many of us outside the United States - or the whole North America - who write in (almost) excellent English and have excellent blogs. So many of us who are passionate about what we're doing. So many of us who blog consistently. So many of us who have a solid follower trail. Do we deserve to be punished? overlooked? marginalised? what's the reasoning in denying us a DIGITAL book, that comes at no cost whatsoever?
These are all the things I can come up with off the top of my head, but I'm sure there are many more. What did I miss? Let me know in the comments! 🙂
Well, that's it for now. And if you're interested in participating, here is the TMST prompt list for May:
Well, that's it for now. And if you're interested in participating, here is the TMST prompt list for May:
- May 8th: Do you really read excerpts when featured on blogs?
- May 15th: Are most of your review books for publishers or are you reviewing books of your choice?
- May 22nd: Are you more inclined/less inclined to read books that are compared to other popular books or authors?
- May 29th: Debut authors/New to me authors. What books have you read lately by new authors that you want to read more from?
My next TMST will be on May 22nd, since I can't fit all the TMST rounds in my schedule. As you can see, though, lots of thought-provoking prompts coming! And even if I won't participate in all the rounds, I'll do my best to visit in case you do.
Now tell me something...what are things that annoy you right now in the book market? what book-selling strategies end up turning you off a novel?
I hate what's happening with the international bloggers.
ReplyDeleteA lot of what you said is what I have in my post. Just the sameness kills everything.
There are times that covers are so similar that I forget if I've even read the book or not. And then I just move on because blah lol
Tell Me Something Tuesday
I don't know why publishers can't see what's right in front of them. Maybe it's just that most people still buy copytcat books nevertheless because...I don't know? there's a compulsion? LOL. And then they get burned out. But it sounds more and more like readers are fed up with same old...
DeleteI had no idea it was so hard for international bloggers to get arcs. I naively assumed that you would have access to digital arcs, because how would that be an extra cost on the publisher? Isn't it just like buying an ebook on Amazon?
ReplyDeleteI've seen a lot of books with similar covers lately, and sometimes I miss that it's a different book. I'll think, "Oh, I've seen that..." and move on. It's only later that I realize it was something completely different.
I've started noticing more and more typos in my finished copies of books, too.
<3
Lindsi @ Do You Dog-ear?
INT bloggers were safe and sound till a few months ago...then, I don't exactly know what caused the shift, but not only GR started aiming most of its giveaways to US bloggers (and THAT I can understand, what with their being physical copies and the insane shipping cost), but even NG became stricter with its e-copies (INT bloggers can't request books anymore - just "wish" for them...that is, they became second in line). Doesn't make a lot of sense, does it? Here's a post that explains the situation better.
DeleteLOL, covers are so bland lately. It's like no one thinks they're worth their best effort anymore. Or they've run out of ideas...but for real - nondescript covers and big lettering?!?
It's another reason I love reading comics! They always have so many unique and interesting covers. And the inside illustrations are incredible! :)
DeleteI really don't understand why NG made it so you could only "wish" for them. Is there a NG equivalent somewhere else, or is the one in the US the only one? I feel like I should be more knowledgeable on this since it effects/affects (I never know!) a lot of my blogger friends!
I'm not into comics, but I see your point. I think that, when it comes to books, publishers are often plain lazy - creativity in terms of covers can be limitless, but they'd rather have cover artists beat the usual path...
DeleteI don't use NG myself (because I want to own books, not to just read them...even if it means taking chances on books that may not be my cuppa eventually. Yes, I'm greedy LOL), so I don't know. The way I blog, this INT blogger shunning is not something that affects me in particular...but as a whole trend, is annoying AND unfair.
To the best of my knowledge, we haven't been cut out, but our access has been somehow restricted...which doesn't make sense anyway...
ReplyDeleteQuote: "when I started many of the International blogs were some of the biggest blogs out there".
For real? I didn't know.
It's definitely not just you! I have big issues with copycat and/or inaccurate titles and covers. I talked about this in my rant...I mean, discussion (haha) post this week: https://clockworkbibliotheca.blogspot.com/2018/05/tmst-things-that-annoy-you.html
ReplyDeleteI'm new to your blog, so don't be surprised if I start commenting on old posts! I love how you put that in the description on the bottom.
Thank you! It doesn't happen often, so OF COURSE it makes my day when it does 😊.
DeleteOff to read your rant 😉 - and I'll comment ASAP!
THE INT BLOGGERS SHUNNING IS SO SO REAL!!! There ARE publishing houses that take us into consideration, mind you, I'm not saying there aren't, but others certainly can do better. The thing that bothers me most though is the copycat attitude you talked about! It goes from titles to covers to the very content of books and it's getting old fast. I swear I can't understand why some of the most AMAZING books have such BORING titles of the SAME template used a gazillion times before. And book covers- what's with ravens/crows anyway? Or crowns, swords, graffiti...the list goes on.
ReplyDeleteYep, some publishers take int bloggers into consideration - for instance, I see you get amazing bookmail from time to time. But the general attitude is...snobby? I don't know. I understand the physical copy issue, but at least they could make an effort with e-copies...
DeleteHaha, ravens and crows - I missed that! And swords, of course. I was blinded by all those the crowns 😂. Maybe some publishers hope we will buy a new book mistaking it for a previously released hit!
I agree, it's completely unfair to leave out international bloggers. Some of the biggest ones I follow aren't based in America. And if they're not getting ARC's, is that going to make it more difficult to get the books once they're published too? It seems like they'd be missing out on some major markets.
ReplyDeleteOne of the things that irritates me are books that get swept up by blogs and are way overhyped before they're ever even published. It's at least as much a blogging issue as a marketing one, but like... have they even read it yet? Are they just reblogging pictures because they're pretty? Caraval had exactly this problem for me. I was hearing about it for months before it even came out. Its marketing must have been pretty phenomenal.
This INT blogger thing makes no sense. At least if we're talking about e-copies, since physical ones are SO expensive to mail (more than 38 $ from the US to Italy?!?!?).
DeleteYou made an excellent point. I actually wrote a post way back about overhyped books, but I guess it didn't occur to me while writing this post. Some books are, like, inflated so much, bloggers are brought to think they're the next best thing and don't want to miss reading them - not to mention, spotlighting them months before they come out. Also, some probably feel like they would be left behind if they didn't...
"A Thing of This Material and That Other Material" lol yes. I'm so tired of the copycat titles.
ReplyDeleteIt does bother me that so many people are so quick to dismiss self pub and indie book because they claim they're poorly edited, but I have read plenty of indie books that were flawless and also read plenty of big pub books that were poorly edited, either with typos or with head-hopping, random unnecessary POVs, etc.
It is really crappy that intl bloggers can't even hardly get eARCs anymore :-/
One day we should team up and do an indie-appreciation series of posts! I think you're the only blogger I know (well, almost) who wholeheartedly supports them.
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