It’s just past midnight here which means Friday is over and I’m getting my post up quite late. Apologies—it’s been a very long day! I hope everyone has had a good week and has an amazing weekend!
✨ Welcome back to another week of LTB! ✨
Let’s Talk Bookish is a weekly meme created by Rukky @Eternity Books and co-hosted by Aria @Book Nook Bits and myself! In this discussion meme, participants get to talk about certain topics, share opinions, and spread the love by visiting each other’s posts! Learn more about LTB, past topics and future topics HERE.
This week’s topic is:
Do Blog Tours Build Community?
Prompts: Do you participate in blog tours? What do you like or dislike about them? Do you trust reviews that are written for blog tours? When you participate in blog tours, do you connect with other bloggers involved? Do you think blog tours build community?
Do you participate in blog tours?
I can’t remember exactly what year I discovered blog tours, but I think it’s safe to say that I’ve been participating in them for almost as long as I’ve had this blog. I’ve been here for the exciting start and quiet end (and even a scandalous end) of several tour companies, and despite slowing down considerably on participation in the past year, I still enjoy partaking in them.
I most frequently sign up for tours hosted by TBR & Beyond Tours, but I’ve previously also done tours with Rachel’s Random Resources, Rockstar Book Tours, Xpresso Tours, The Write Reads Tours, and several others, including many that are no longer active. Just name dropping a few in case you want to try out participating in some blog tours!
What do you like or dislike about them?
This is probably going to make me sound terrible but one of the things I love most about blog tours is getting access to ARCs that are way outside the realm of ARC possibility for me as an international reader. Do I sometimes want to read a highly anticipated release early instead of feeling FOMO all the time as I watch others read it? I gotta admit: yes, I really do! 😂
I also love discovering new books that never would’ve made it on my radar, especially when they end up being books I enjoy a lot. Blog tours and the different types of review format options they propose have also sparked that creativity I often feel too lazy to indulge in, and I usually end up having a lot of fun with it. I mean, I didn’t think I’d love doing book looks or creating digital journal spreads, but I did! I know that I can easily apply that to my regular book reviews if I wanted to, but I think being part of a blog tour gives me that extra motivation to do something special!
The only thing I can think about disliking when it comes to blog tours is the overwhelming pressure that’s easy to feel when it comes to getting a book read or my post up in good time. This tends to happen when I overload my plate and I end up not having time to read and process each book properly, but that’s a product of my own inability to resist temptation rather than the blog tour’s fault!
Do you trust reviews that are written for blog tours?
I mean, speaking from personal experience as someone who writes honest reviews for blog tour books, I say yes. It’s the same principle I apply to every book review I write, whether they’re ARCs or not—I won’t lie about my feelings or feel pressure to say I like something when I don’t (or because others do). Luckily, the blog tour organizers that I’ve had experiences with have all been very understanding and accommodating when it comes to changing my reviews into spotlights when I’ve rated a book lower than 3-stars. It’s happened often and I’m never made to feel bad or guilty, nor have I been penalized for it either (i.e. by not getting on future blog tours with this organizer).
I just remember that not all books are meant for everyone and it’s entirely possible that someone will rate a book 5-stars when I rate it 2-stars and vice versa. It’s not fair for me to say that their review is dishonest because maybe they really did enjoy it that much, so I choose to believe that their reviews are written in good faith and trust that they’re being honest.
When you participate in blog tours, do you connect with other bloggers involved?
Surprisingly, and unfortunately, this hasn’t been my experience with blog tours so far. I’ve mostly stopped engaging with other bloggers on tour because in past experience, I put in a lot of effort into visiting other posts and commenting, without really getting the same energy in return. After a while, I stopped doing it because it takes a lot of time and effort and it didn’t lead anywhere. As a result, I’ve had very little connection with other bloggers in blog tours, although most of the tour engagements I have these days is through Instagram where it’s easy to like and amplify posts by sharing them on stories.
Do you think blog tours build community?
I think long answer short it’s yes and no. I’d naturally assume that blog tours would build community but based on my own experience, I would find myself leaning towards “no”. However, I think it’s also dependent on the blogger and how much they actively engage with others on tour, but at the end of the day one-way engagement doesn’t make a community!
Don’t forget to check out the other bloggers who joined the discussion this week! 👇🏽
LaRonda @ Flying Paperbacks
Leslie @ Books Are the New Black
Elle @ Unwrapping Words
Lin @ Lin’s Perspective
Yolanda @ Past Midnight
Emma @ Pages of Emma
Leyre @ Read You Leyre
Raji @ Worlds Unlike Our Own
Julie @ Bookflowerpath
If I’ve missed your post this week, don’t hesitate to let me know in the comments, and I’ll add you to this week’s list of community posts ASAP!
Do you participate in blog tours and if you don’t, are you curious to try joining? If you participate, do you connect with other bloggers or is your experience similar to mine? Do you think blog tours build community?
dinipandareads 
I did a few blog tours in the past, years ago, but I feel too much pressure reading to a schedule and having to post a certain day, etc., so now I’m not too interested. I do think I liked tours better when the authors themselves contributed more original content. It feels like today the two options are only reviews or book spotlights, and then you might see the same book spotlight on six different blogs if you’re actually following the tour and looking at multiple posts. I don’t feel blog tour posts get as many views as other posts, and I wonder if that’s part of the reason these days.
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That’s fair! I do agree that the type of content being posted on tours is usually pretty “generic” with some creative twists through things like journal spreads but in addition to a regular review. When I sign up for blog tours, I think I do see the option to have author interviews, etc. but I guess people don’t choose that option as much anymore? But that’s also only for the companies that I know of. I also agree that blog tour posts tend to get less views than even regular reviews, but I’ve found that’s always been the case for me even from the very beginning! 😂
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Agree with your thoughts, Dini – and on a super interesting topic! I very rarely take part in blog tours anymore as I’d really struggle to get my review up on time 😅 I’ve discovered some great reads through blog tours which I am very grateful for. It can sometimes feel uncomfortable to rate a blog tour book 3 stars or lower but I’ve always been honest.
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I relate to that! I used to do way too many because I would want to read all the books but then I’d struggle to get it all done and that pressure was just awful 😅 But I have also discovered some great books, especially indies, that I wouldn’t have heard of or thought to pick up otherwise, so I’m very glad to have participated in all the ones I have over the years.
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A few years ago, I had someone reach out to me about joinging a blog tour. I didn’t join because things were a bit hectic for me. But also because I didn’t (still don’t) understand what makes them different than any other ARC and review.
Pam @ Read! Bake! Create!
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To be fair, if you already can get the ARC, it’s not much different posting an ARC review 😂 The difference with blog tours is that you have a set date to post and you usually end up getting graphics from the company or publisher that you can include in your post. For me, the main draw is getting access to ARCs that I normally wouldn’t get because they’re from big publishing houses. I do think that they *can* create community for the bloggers on tour and I think that’s a big draw for people. I personally haven’t experienced that but I’m seeing a lot of people do!
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I stopped doing blog tours in 2020, but no shame, I did it for the ARCs. My experience is similar to yours where I didn’t feel like I connected with other bloggers on the tour, even when we did a collaborative post. But, I did enjoy being part of hyping a book I loved.
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Haha I totally get the ‘Oooh I want this book so yes I will join’! We’re only human after all! The pressure is the reason I have only joined one tour on my blog – I already do them on another platform and I don’t want too much on my plate as I also review other arcs!
I have found it’s a lot harder to build community here on blogs (though I will say that once you make connections, they seem to be super strong and amazing!), which is why I tend to prefer doing publisher tours and things over on IG. I know my posts get seen there and I feel like the publisher will get more value from me on that platform.
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[…] Let’s Talk Bookish: Do Blog Tours Build Community? […]
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That’s a very powerful experience that you’ve shared with us about building community and feeling one sided to connect with others. Thank you for sharing that. I related to that, even if it doesn’t apply necessarily to blog tours and I don’t think I’ve seen it openly talked about before
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Yeah, I don’t really think they build as much community as I would hope. I just feel like another cog in the schedule, really. I hate saying that, but some tours really make it feel that way. All the rules and such. I have really stepped back from them. I just don’t have the time either. I know it helps you gain access to ARC’s and that’s a HUGE bonus for tours and I would do the same! I appreciate that you always right honest reviews though. ❤
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I also participate in TBR and beyond, and Xpresso and Random Things Tours. I have not heard of the other ones. I am sorry to hear you did not have a positive experience with other bloggers on tours. This is really not the vibe one would expect from fellow book lovers… But again, like you said, it really depends on the blogger, and definitely, one-way engagement does not make much of anything… I always try to get back to every single person who has made the effort to stop by my blog and leave a like or a comment. I might not be able to do it right away, but whenever I have the chance, I do, and this is what I love about it. This way, we not only engage but we create bonds and relationships, and if this is not a community, I don’t know what else is. Hope to see you again on the book tour, like with The Dragon’s Apprentice:)
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Here are my thoughts, Dini. I participate in a lot of blog tours. I am very picky about the books I accept for tours, so that I will rate them high enough. I started participating, so i would get an ARC, so you’re not alone. I also like the pressure of having a date to post by, that way I make sure I get the book read. I am a huge procrastinator otherwise. That is the reason I have books on my NG shelf from 2015. 😲 I have added many blogs to my list that I try to visit after blog tours. Often it is because I find out we like similar books so I like to see what they’re reading.
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