I agree with this 100%. I don't really take review requests. I mostly get my books from publisher lists, the library or I purchase myself. There are some authors who know me and know I read their works that will offer me review copies and I usually take them. If it is a new-to-me author, I might look at their work, but I'm don't take most of them. My TBR list already so large, I'm trying not to add more. Part of me feels bad about turning down most authors who are trying to get their foot through the door, but I already read a ton of indie authors and I can't read them all. I have to be very picky or I will get overwhelmed. Great post.
One of the happy side effects of exclusively reviewing audiobooks is that a lot of requests can be auto rejected because they aren't audio. I do feel bad saying no, but I have had better luck in stuff I pick myself. I try to give plenty of indie stuff that I've found on my own a chance.
Unfortunately, even writing all of these out you will still get someone who finds you via Amazon (I'm actually surprised at how many I get that way) who don't even know that this site exists.
I've also had people quote something from my Policy page and still ignore other parts. So it'll always be a battle. But yours is very clear!
I actually just took my email off Amazon this week, since some research told me that it might be where the requests were coming from. I left the web address though. I am considering removing my email from everything and doing an online contact form, we'll see.
The real reason I wrote this post is so that I can be "helpful" and send the link to anyone who sends me a spam request.
Even publicly posting an email on Amazon or other U.S. sites doesn't mean it's legal for anyone to harvest it (unless you also include a statement granting permission to harvest for free or commercial/paid mailing lists) or to send you unsolicited commercial email (including requests for reviews on commercial products, although, again, you can add a statement that authors interested in submitting their works for review may contact you).
None of which seems to stop email harvesters. Even on Amazon itself, there is book after book being sold that's basically nothing but harvested emails authors can use to contact reviewers.
And very few authors comply with the federal U.S. unsolicited commercial email laws that require a statement like "you are receiving this because you subscribed to my ..." "you are receiving this because you placed your email on the xyz mailing list I obtained..." "you are receiving this because your blog said I could contact you via this email..." -- failure to include the how-I-got-permission-to-use-this-email-for-commercial-communications comment means you can report as spam (I actually won't bother because usually it's just an innocent omission in a perfectly normal, polite request but if do something annoying I will plus if I start seeing too many emails I will ask them where/how they got mine in case I was put on a mailing list without my consent).
Personally, unless from a favorite author I already read, I don't do review requests. The implied deadline hanging over my head and the pressure of knowing someone is waiting gets to me -- and back when I tried that was all me and absolutely nothing to do with perfectly pleasant authors who were not pressuring or bothering me about it.
Oh WOW this email on Amazon thing that Brian talked about above me I had NO IDEA about- I have to check my settings for sure!
I think one of the biggest ones is NAME. I got an email 2 days ago saying "Dear Olivia, I love your blog!" Well that's great for whoever the hell Olivia is, but it isn't helping me
Um, I think half of my comment got cut off! ANyway, what I had said was that I DO appreciate how hard it is for authors to put themselves out there, and most of them ARE super good about it, but there are always those who ruin it for the bunch. But yeah, I changed my policy to say that I could only respond to accepted requests, but I STILL feel bad for not responding. It is a tough situation, and your tips are awesome!!
Thanks. I do want to remain open to indie authors, so that's why I switched to a form. I too feel bad about not responding to some, but it is better than being rude (which I sometimes want to do).
Melanie @ Hot Listens & Rabid Reads
I've also had people quote something from my Policy page and still ignore other parts. So it'll always be a battle. But yours is very clear!
The real reason I wrote this post is so that I can be "helpful" and send the link to anyone who sends me a spam request.
None of which seems to stop email harvesters. Even on Amazon itself, there is book after book being sold that's basically nothing but harvested emails authors can use to contact reviewers.
And very few authors comply with the federal U.S. unsolicited commercial email laws that require a statement like "you are receiving this because you subscribed to my ..." "you are receiving this because you placed your email on the xyz mailing list I obtained..." "you are receiving this because your blog said I could contact you via this email..." -- failure to include the how-I-got-permission-to-use-this-email-for-commercial-communications comment means you can report as spam (I actually won't bother because usually it's just an innocent omission in a perfectly normal, polite request but if do something annoying I will plus if I start seeing too many emails I will ask them where/how they got mine in case I was put on a mailing list without my consent).
Personally, unless from a favorite author I already read, I don't do review requests. The implied deadline hanging over my head and the pressure of knowing someone is waiting gets to me -- and back when I tried that was all me and absolutely nothing to do with perfectly pleasant authors who were not pressuring or bothering me about it.
I think one of the biggest ones is NAME. I got an email 2 days ago saying "Dear Olivia, I love your blog!" Well that's great for whoever the hell Olivia is, but it isn't helping me
That's almost funny if it weren't so sad.