Yes, I’ve been doing this all of a month so let’s get that out of the way right now. Go ahead. Tell me I have no right and I’m out of my league. Its fine. Here’s the thing though. I’ve got a voice; a platform and I’m going to throw down like Thor. Read it, discuss it or step aside. This is one of the most important things I’ve learned over the past month about my ability to run a successful, productive and enjoyable book review blog.
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One of the reasons I started this blog is because of the shear number of books I can go through in a week. It blows my boyfriend’s mind on a regular basis how quickly (without losing depth, enjoyment or analysis of the story) I can devour a book I love.
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Something changed when I received ARCs. It took me a hot minute to figure out what it was and then it dawned on me when I received my first hard cop ARC- Fresh Ink. They were all electronic. I have diagnosed, medicated (I am not ashamed of this, for there is nothing to be ashamed of) Attention deficit disorder.
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Daniel Pink has made direct connections in his research between what the internet has done to the wiring of a normal brain. Much research has come out to what staring at computer screens, reading everything versus traditional books does to the wiring and ability to build stamina, and resist distraction. It is twice as hard for the ADD brain.
Should this keep me from being able to do what others get to do because it is more difficult, slow, less enjoyable and almost sucks out the love of reading to have to deal with staring at a computer screen which makes my head dully ache after just an hour or two where I could literally read a book for five or 6 hours at a time? Where reading a book calms my anxiety issues and helps my ADD, staring at a computer can make it worse. Should I be punished by publishers who (Other than Ms. Miller at Penguin/Random House Books) refuse to give the print option at Edelweiss (recently announced) or hard copies to only the most elite bloggers, or give away winners?
I guarantee that if I’d been provided hard copy or print options for the ARCs granted to me- I would be through more than half of them by now. EASILY. Doubt me? Try me.
I can provide a copy of my diagnosis, Adderall prescription. Again, I have no issue doing either. Would they like the ARCs returned to them? I would do that as well. I am not trying to dupe anyone. I would just like to have the same playing field I would provide a student when differentiating in the classroom. I don’t think that is too much to ask.
What do you think? Weigh in. Bloggers. Authors. Publishers. Publicists. If you’d like to know what E-ARCs I’ve been approved for to see if you can provide hard copies, I’m happy to let you know. If you’d like a picture of a prescription, please let me know. I can provide that as well.
Thank you sweetie 🙂 That means a lot. I don’t know what publishers are going to do with me but this can be that means a lot to hear a voice of support 🙂 ❤❤
I’m sure that isn’t helping you sleep at all. I take two mgs of Klonipin to sleep a night and that was before blogging. I promise you making tv an incentive is not helping. The bluelight will make it worse. I have to put the night light on my computer even during the day when I read to try and offset the issue. And I definitely try not to watch tv. I just close my eyes and listen to a book I’ve already read or quiet music. I’ve been listening to to Six of Crows and Crooked Kingdom at such an alarming rate I’ve taking to walking up to people and saying.. What biz? lol.
It makes sense and I don’t know what country you are in… it just doesn’t seem to be any rhyme or reason in America. Ms. Miller from Crown was just super sweet and had no issue sending me four ARCs (3 of them being super huge deals, as far as I know and one that I just happened to want). Then another publisher is a big company but the books I was asking for were not big titles at all and they acted like jerks. I just asked another company and I’ll see what they see. I can’t seem to get a straight answer out of Edelweiss about this download/print feature and how to request this access from publisher. Ok let me rephrase that- I can’t seem to get ANY answer from Edelweiss on how to request that feature. So I’m not sure what to make of it?
ADD blogger here! ???? I definitely feel the difficulty when reading e-arcs. I think it’s because we know that there’s so many other things to do when on a phone or tablet or laptop that we don’t pay enough attention to the e-arcs as we should.
I read e-arcs because I know the publishers or authors won’t send physical arcs to me. But I get by – by taking a lot of breaks.
Yup! That is a very big part of it. I also feel the eye strain and the drain on my nerves. I can’t “detach” fully like I can with a book which really helps me relax and calm down – that helps with my nerves, my anxiety and insomnia. But yeah you hit on the head too… I don’t know if I’m willing to just give up and let them say no. If we email them and together say we need your support in this and they keep saying no- at one point (as long as we are being legitimate and not trying to take advantage) are they discriminating?
I find it helps if I have some incentive – read a few chapters, then watch an episode, but even that doesn’t help some days. E-arcs might also be the reason why I’m sleeping late ????
I think I might wait until I’m a bigger blogger and actually post quite frequently and then e-mail my country’s publishers to see what they say. Not that I think they’ll say no (as I know a blogger friend of mine whose blog following count is near mine receives physical arcs from our publishers) but I’ll feel better waiting until I’m bigger – if it makes sense?
I’ve never struggled with ADD, so I’ve never thought about how frustrating that must be. I hope the publishers will realize they need to provide a more accessible way for their readers who can’t read eARCs. Posts like this is what changes things! I’m proud of you for making it!!!
Thank you hun I do hope it does some good. Even if it just starts the conversation. We will see if it does. Book riot is another. I want to tweet this blog to them. I’m glad they are able to get all the deals they tweet out but they are always ebook deals… It is a shame they can’t get hard back deals sometimes.