Change is a’coming…

When I left for vacation last month, I had big big plans to use the very long 36 hours of travel time to and from my destination to catch up on my backlog of reviews for books I’ve read in the last couple of months. Not only did I not open my Kindle while away, but I didn’t write ONE review.  Did I miss it…NOPE! Did I feel guilty about that…yes, I did! You remember that feeling you got when your mom told you to do something and you procrastinated until she asked you about it and all you could say was…

what-had-happened-was-o

I got back from my 10 day vacation with not only the backlog of reviews I had when I left, but 15 new review requests. Oh, and I got an email from an author calling me a THIEF  because I hadn’t yet posted a review for the book she shared with me earlier this year…for FREE (as she made sure to remind me).

shit got real

If you’ve been around a while, you’ve probably noticed already that I don’t post as often as I used to.  I’m going to take a moment to clarify something for those who may not have known — I have a full time job that does not involve blogging. Book blogging is a HOBBY for me. Lately, I’ve been too physically and mentally drained to read, much less write thoughtful reviews; thus, My Reading Nook feels like a burden not the pastime I used to love. My TBR pile is full of books I’ve yet to read or review from authors. If your book falls into that category, I do sincerely apologize for my delinquency.

Back to that aforementioned email…and the other emails that I’ve received from authors that have called me out of my name, whether it’s because they didn’t like the review I posted or for not posting a review when they wanted me to. I thought long and hard on why I do this and if I want to continue this (most times) thankless pastime. My decision…

done

I’m DONE accepting review requests for a while — maybe forever. I’m not sure yet. I want to get back to reviewing without obligation to anyone, without censoring myself, without any obligation to review in a certain timeframe or feeling guilty if I post a review that an author doesn’t like.

All that said, if I’ve agreed to review your book, I will uphold that promise. I’m not promising the post’ll be up by tomorrow, but I will get to it.  Otherwise, I will not be taking review requests for the foreseeable future.

Don’t forget you can find me on my other social media channels too:

 Twitter | Instagram | Facebook | Goodreads  

Xoxo,

Coco 💋 💋 💋

8 thoughts on “Change is a’coming…”

  1. We must all be suffering from the same disease: Blogger Burnout and plain ol’ this shit is getting ridiculous…I just came back from a month-long hiatus, and yeah, things are going to be a whole lot different…I look forward to the changes tho!

    Liked by 1 person

    1. There’s definitely something going around. Authors are feeling extra special brand new to come for bloggers these days. Before I lose my religion and really cuss someone out, this is for the best.

      Liked by 1 person

  2. I’m very sorry bloggers have been made to feel this way. Whether you were on time or not doesn’t give any author the right to behave in a disrespectful manner toward you.

    Secondly, an honest review based on the merit of the book does not mean the author has to like the review. As long as you aren’t using your review as a weapon to bully someone, authors should have no issue with an honest review.

    Again, I’m so sorry. Bad behavior should not be tolerated.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Thank you, LaQuette!! 😘 Above all I remain respectful in my reviews whether I enjoy a book or not. I ask for the same treatment, that’s all. I don’t mind an author asking “where that review at??” if I promised a specific date, but calling me names…nah. I’m going to bow out gracefully before someone makes me lose my religion!

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  3. People being out and out ugly is not cool. I’m sorry that another good blogger is burned out and frustrated to the point of pulling back. Blogging takes up lots of time and to be treated disrespectfully by authors is not acceptable. I hope the changes you make will help bring back your joy of blogging!

    Liked by 2 people

  4. What in the world is in the water? People are straight crazy lately with this review request mess. If you don’t want someone to be honest, don’t ask for a review. Coco, do you. Enjoy your reading time. Reading should never be a chore.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Thank you Harper! The better part of the authors that I’ve interacted with, like yourself, are AMAZING but I’ve been left with a bad taste in my mouth by those who think I (or bloggers in general) owe them something in exchange for a free book. I’d rather buy the books I want to read any day than put up with that! 🙂

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