I also started reading blogs and started my own blog to connect with others. My friends eyes just start to glaze over when I talk about romance books or pretty much any books that I read.

Now I have to go check out Broken Wing.

The difference for me is that I had no one in my real life to talk to about romance books. Now I know that about 14 people come and visit me at my blog and that’s 14 people who know what kind of books I like and if they would like the same book also.

For me, reader reviews helps me spend my money wisely as opposed to the old ‘hit or miss’ kind of buying I did before the internet. Blurbs are unreliable as we all found out the hard way and author quotes can be horribly mis-leading.

So reader blogs might not ‘make’ a book but it does help readers on the net to decide on where to spend our limited funds.

CindyS

I don’t know that one blog or blogger can “make” a book, just like I don’t know that one reader (excluding Oprah) can make a book. But I do think that bloggers have a lot of influence/power. I know I’ve tried several authors based on reviews I’ve seen on sites like TGTBTU, DA, etc.

How much power do bloggers have? I don’t know. But there’s nothing better than people saying good things about your book because they just love it. That’s what every author wants — for people to enjoy her work enough to recommend it to others.

I have also experienced a wave of support with regard to my own debut novel, “Fire at Midnight,” and my sales numbers reflect it. I sincerely thank the bloggers who have read and reviewed “Fire at Midnight” and have recommended it to others. I realize that many of you have huge TBR piles, but we debut authors really appreciate your support! You have more power than you might realize, because word-of-mouth translates to sales and that can often mean the difference between whether or not a new author is offered a subsequent book contract.

As a new writer who has gained traction on the internet (through sales on Amazon Kindle) I can say it works, but the blogger must be genuine (not just plugging something for a friend or getting paid under the table) for the book to have a “long tail”.

“Broken Wing” got a flash-boost from the blogging publicity, but does it have legs? It is not a bestseller today (only 6 months later) — one look at the sales rankings for this book on Amazon (and Amazon Kindle) tells the story.

And let’s not discount the bazillion readers who are not online. Yes, these people do exist. They aren’t like leprechauns

So while I’m not sure Kristie “made” the book per se – I firmly believe she jump-started word of mouth. Which for me, is really where the Internet and blogs can excel. Instead of talking to the people in your neighborhood at the bookstore about books, you can throw it up on the World Wide Web and the whole blessed world can see it. If authors and publishers can harness that? Think of the possibilities.

But yeah – it’s got to be genuine. It worked in this instance because Kristie is a genuine person. I don’t think it will work across the board, indiscriminately, with any blogger pulled out of a hat.

I also agree that bloggers don’t “make” books, but I do think we influence sales and trends. The proof, as always, is in the sales. Even a reader who doesn’t frequent blogs may do a search on a book they are the fence about and get a review or round of reviews on a book that will influence their purchase of the book. I can’t be the only person who does that.

I don’t think it’s wise for publishers to ignore the impact romance reader bloggers can have. I know there are many examples where I’ve purchased a book because of the enthusiasm I’ve felt while reading a post on another blog – a book it never would have occurred to me to try otherwise. I read their review and think ‘If they loved the book that much, I just HAVE to get a copy too!’
And if I’m impacted by that, how many other readers are too? I also read the interview at AAR and thought the interviewee really missed the boat on the impact that we readers who blog can have. When I first started blogging, there weren’t that many of us around, but there are new ‘baby bloggers’ popping up all the time – so many I’m finding it harder and harder to keep up with them all! :- {
But as more and more of us come on line and start up blogs, I think we will have more and more of an influence. Review sites are great – I visit a number of them, but blogs have something more personal to them. Because many of us aren’t ‘professional’ (what I mean by that I’m not really sure) we can infuse our reviews with our own enthusiasm rather then trying to be more objective because we are blogging for ourselves – to share what we’ve loved – or in some cases not loved *g*.

Wow – I have gone on haven’t I? But I so agree with you on a number of your points – -
“I think as the online romance community continues to grow, and new social media platforms come to the forefront, there will be more opportunity to observe what impact bloggers and readers have on the publishing industry at large. Reader bloggers can be a valuable promotional tool for authors and publishers if utilized the right way.”

My feelings exactly!
And

“The moment reader bloggers try to morph themselves into publicity machines is when we fail. It won’t be genuine anymore and it will be really blatantly obvious to people reading our blogs. We all got into this game because we love books, we love reading, and we love the romance genre with an unflinching loyalty.”

(gaahh – I wish I could figure out how to do italics)
I love this statement and it’s so true. It’s the honest feeling I pick up from bloggers that makes me pick up a books and give it a read.

Well, I do have to say that if Kristie hadn’t told me about “Broken Wing”, I likely would have never picked it up.

The thing is, I don’t blog to make books. I blog because I love reading and I want to share that love with others. When I read a book, and subsequently review it, I’m not doing so with the thought that I’ll ‘make’ the book (or ‘break’ it, for that matter). I simply read to be entertained, to be transported to another world. And if a book as succeeded (or failed), I want to share that with others who will also be transported.

I started blogging to hear my own voice and to talk about books I love. I couldn’t sell water to a dying man in a desert and I know it. Luckily I also know when someone has ‘sold out’. I have enough media bombarding me with advertising that finding it in my blogging rounds is a sure way to get me to skip on through.

Great post!

CindyS

I’m a writer and sometimes put reviews up on my blog but only of book I love that really touch me. It’s just my nature. I don’t want to put down other writers that’s not my blog and I don’t want to be fake so I give my opinion on books that I like.

I’m quite sure that I’ve never “made” a book per se, but I know for a fact that I’ve helped sell readers on trying a book they never would have considered before.

I was on the original email loop when Kristie sent the first gushing email about Broken Wing. In turn, I requested an ARC from the publisher for the site that I review for. I read and loved the book and reviewed it for them. More readers gave the book a shot. I never, ever would have picked up the book if Kristie hadn’t been so passionate about it.

Like you, I blog because I get to give my opinion about a variety of topics (mostly romance related) in my very own forum where I don’t have to worry about how I say something or to whom. The hours I spend writing the blog and researching topics and reading for review are spent gladly. I’ve never stopped feeling that thrill when someone comes back to me after I’ve recommended a book to say how much they enjoyed it.

For the record, Kristie is still talking to me.

As more book blogs hit the web, I think it’s been easy for some of us to lose sight of “why” we started doing all this in the first place. I’ll admit I have a bit of a fangirl moment when an author comments on my blog – but I did NOT start blogging to cozy up to publishers and authors. I did NOT start blogging because I wanted tons of “traffic.” I started blogging 6 years ago because I love books, wanted to talk to other people “out there” about books, and because I wanted a forum where I could blather on incessantly. I do not consider myself a writer. I do not consider blogging a “job.” The minute I think either I want you to smother me with a pillow

I blog because I like it. I blog because it’s fun. And if I can turn some readers on to books that I’ve read and loved? The more the merrier.

The big factor, I think and something I think is often lost when people talk about blogs, books, marketing, what works, what doesn’t, ‘reader blogs’, reviews and on and one…. is the simple fact that this was honest.

This was fact. KristieJ read a book and loved it. I recall getting an email from her and asking if she could do a guest review. If we would do a spotlight, if we could brainstorm some ideas to get the word out… because she WANTED people to read this book.

I did and still do feel that way about Devil in Winter. It isn’t so much that you do or don’t love it but we want you to READ it.

That is what reader blogs are about. Talking about books. So her going out and ringing the bell about BW isn’t something a publisher could have done. Sending a book to a reviewer and asking them to read it. Can cause that reaction.

Sending a book to a reviewer with the feeling of you better review this well or you won’t get anything else from us – isn’t going to.

Will a bad review help make a book? I STILL say yes because there are so many different likes out there. And of course there are still a ton of people out there are plugged in and will never hear of any of us. They are Walmart/Target/NameYourStore here shoppers who toss in books that ‘look’ good by the cover. I know LE GASP.

Can a Blogger Make a Book? I vote yes. And you don’t even have to agree with me but I would love to hear what you think .

All kidding aside, this post should be required reading for bloggers and authors alike–bloggers, so they remember their roots and stay true to them. Authors so they understand how and why readers’ blogs can be such an effective promotion opportunity, so long as it’s a genuine response and not a forced one.

Thank you, Wendy!