Friday, August 17, 2018

Discussion: Am I Too Early?


This Week’s Topic: Am I Too Early?


I was going through my feed, and I saw a review post. Obviously, that is not so unusual, but it was a for a book that comes out April 30, 2019. Now, I am well aware, that BookExpo and BookCon were back in June, and a whole lotta 2019 ARCs are out there. We bloggers are always enthusiastic about our new books. We take pictures of them, tweet about them, share our Stacking the Shelves posts - new books are awesome! But, that book doesn't come out for EIGHT MONTHS. So, this made me wonder - is there such a thing as reviewing a book too early?

I have about 15 2019 ARCs, many of which are calling my name, but I resist reading them, because 2019 is still sort of far away. I believe in planting the seeds, as I mentioned above, via other types of posts, but I resist posting my reviews too far in advance. Why, you ask?

  1. If you read the fine print in a lot of the ARCs or in the letter accompanying it, many of the publishers ask that you not post reviews too far ahead of publication. I have seen some even ask for reviewers to wait until publication. Crazy! I try to post within one month of the release date, either before or after. 
  2. I worry that if I talk about it too far ahead of schedule, people will forget about it. You may find it annoying, but you know it's sort of impressive when EVERYONE seems to be talking about a book at the same time. 
  3. I feel like I am screaming into a void, when I jump the gun on a review. I don't get as much interaction, because so few people are buzzing about said book. 
  4. What if I hate it? I don't want to be the one, who kills this book before it is even released. 

I am curious: how soon is too soon to review a book? Is there such a thing as too soon?

Now it's your turn!

Is it ever too soon to review a book? 
Let us know in the comments!

60 comments:

  1. I think 8 months ahead of schedule is too much! A few weeks ago I was given a review book by the author for an October release and I checked with him about when I was to publish it. He was ok with an instant review. I guess I'd go with publishers guidelines or like you said, a month either way is ok.

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    1. I know my co-bloggers used to do a "save the date" post when they read an ARC reallllly early, but they never posted a full review until closer to publication. Yes, publishers vary. Some send letters with guidelines, others do not, but I wonder more about impact, I suppose. I suppose it could be helpful, if the book is already up for pre-order.

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  2. All very valid reasons for not being too early! A review 8 months ahead of pub date seems a bit...extreme LOL. And sort of counterproductive. One month is reasonable.

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    1. I was really surprised, considering how many big releases are yet to come, and I KNOW these bloggers have many other books, because they post them all the time.

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  3. I review books as close to the publication date as I can. If I read a book early then I write my post up and schedule it to post within one week of the book's publication. Publishers do not want to see reviews that early and I completely agree that it is pretty impressive to see everyone talking about a book as the publication date nears. 8 months is crazy! I wouldn't even remember that review by the time I am making a decision on whether I want to read a book.

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    1. I would do the same thing. If I cannot wait, I would read it and review it, but wait to publish. The same blogger just put out a review for a Feb book. I guess they just want a jump on the discussion. IDK.

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  4. I don’t review ARCs, but nothing is too early for me. If I see an interesting book, I add it to my TBR list. I don’t care if it sits on the list for a year until it comes out. Actually, I just checked the list, and I have a few books that I added in 2015. Those books are all out now, but I haven’t found cheap copies of them yet. I’m still interested in reading them.

    Aj @ Read All The Things!

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    1. I add books to my TBR forever in advance, but I don't think I would publish a review really far ahead of publication. I would read it (if I had the time), but wait to publish. I watch older books on my TBR for sales as well. I am winding down on my ARCs and determined to get to a 50/50 ratio next year of new releases to older releases.

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  5. I definitely think there’s such a thing as “too soon” when it comes to reviews. Just this morning I came across an ARC review for a book that releases in late September. To me, even that seems early. It’s over a month out... I am not going to remember that lone review in six weeks time. And reviewing about books eight months in advance? That’s just crazy. How is that even helping the publisher? I mean, advance buzz is one thing but at eight months out I can’t imagine anyone getting too psyched and starting a groundswell of buzz. I *try* to stick with the publisher’s wishes which is usually reviewing the week of release. I feel like that’s the best way to support and promote the book. I’d rather post a review and have readers know that they can get the book NOW or that it’s going to be available is just two days or something. Reviewing too early just seems to defeat the purpose.

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    1. When I compare September to next year, it seems a lot more reasonable, though. I think I am more curious about their motivation. Why so early? Maybe I sometimes take for granted that I read a ton, and have plenty of reviews to post, even if I read a book waaaaaay before its release. This may not be the case for other bloggers, but still, 8 months. You can make a person in 8 months.

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  6. When I first started blogging, I didn't know any better, I got advanced reader copies at the bookstore where I work, so posted reviews as soon as I read it, no matter how far in advance. But now I know that publishers want you to wait till within a month. So I try to do that, although with my scheduling, it has been within a week because I'm getting such a backlist of ARCs. I agree that it is too early sometimes. I'll remember I want to read it, but not when it comes out, and it helps to know when it is coming out.

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    1. I think I was surprised the first time I saw a timeframe included with an ARC. In the beginning, we got all our ARCs from BookExpo, and you get a LOT of the next year's titles at that event, but I now stick to about a month before, and I find it's more successful for interaction too.

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  7. I usually ask, but it's nice to hear that a month is a good guideline.
    sherry @ fundinmental

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    1. I don't think a month is the rule, but I stick to it, because I have seen it given for many of the ARCs I have received.

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  8. Lowkey I didn't know that April 2019 books were out there like that! I usually feel like I'm too late when it comes to the hype. I tend to read books one month before it comes out (at most) and post the review one or two weeks before it comes out. I HAVE been tempted to read The Wicked King (January 2019) because EVERYONE is talking about it!

    I always figure that publishers wants reviews about a month out, but I guess they also need that advanced hype too?

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    1. They must have had 2019 titles at ALA, no? BookExpo always has a bunch of the next year's titles, and sometimes it's hard to resist, but iI say - read it, review it, BUT don't post your review until closer to publication. You go and read The Wicked King if you need to know. There are quite a few books I would be reading (especially series) if I had them in my hot, little hands. Part of me thinks the 1 month thing is more about not building NEGATIVE hype. We hype books with Stacking the Shelves and Can't Wait Wednesday posts, by adding them to our GR TBR or sharing the covers, but once we read it and share our thoughts, it could make or break the book.

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  9. I think eight months is a little too early. I know that most publisher request that you publish around a month before release. I will forget a book that is reviewed eight months in advance.

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    1. That's what I am thinking. Do a save the date or Can't Wait Wednesday, if you really want to get some hype going. Do a bookstagram post and feature it on Stacking the Shelves, but a full on review 8 months prior to publication seems a little too early to me.

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  10. Definitely too early. I say go ahead and read it and write a review while it’s fresh in your mind but don’t post it till at least a few weeks before its release. I don’t do a lot of review books and never anything popular but sometimes I see a review about one that looks so good and I get all excited and then see I still have months before it’s released. That’s so maddening.

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    1. Exactly. Read, review, wait. But, I totally feel you from the other side too. Sounds so good, but now we have to wait for eternity to read it. By the time it's released, the title will be festering on my TBR, and may not have been thought about since the day I read that review.

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  11. Yeah, 8 months is way too early! There aren't going to be many ARCs floating around for a book with a release date that far away, I'm assuming, so other people aren't going to be able to get their hands on it for awhile, so while promotion is good, I think it might backfire a little in this case.

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    1. After BookExpo you do see certain titles popping up everywhere, but most bloggers seem to wait to review them, because, you know, we have 800 other books to review. My thinking is to hype it another way, save the review for closer to the release date.

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  12. Woah, that's way too early to review a book. I don't mind hearing about books for next year, because it's good buzz and I can add to my to-read list on Goodreads or whatever, but chances are I'm going to forget about the book if you review it that early. Plus, like you said, most publishers don't want you posting reviews that early...sometimes books can change quite a bit too or the release date is pushed back more, etc.!

    -Lauren
    www.shootingstarsmag.net

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    1. I think it's an amazing thing, that the blogger has room in their TBR to read that far ahead, but I feel like if you do read that far ahead, save the review. Another good point. What if the pub date changes? or the book undergoes big changes? I read Passenger shortly after I received it at BEA only to find out, that Bracken did a HUGE rewrite, but I refused to re-read the book.

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  13. Oh WAYYY too early. For most of the reasons you have said. No one else has read the thing so you;d be talking to yourself. Absolutely no one would remember the review 8 months later. Seems like a throwaway. Especially since if the person was *that* desperate to read it, and didn't want to forget it, they could just write the review and not post it until closer to the date. I generally don't post them before about 2 weeks out. Otherwise I feel like no one really cares, or has even read iT!

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    1. Truth! Even most bloggers will not have read a release 8 months ahead of time. I think I am 3 weeks ahead of publication right now reading-wise, but by the time the reviews publish, it will be more like 1-2 weeks prior. I had read a book by accident earlier this year. The cover looked like the Feb release I was supposed to read, and by the time I realized it was the wrong book, I was really into it, so I finished. It was lonely on GR, because I read it 6 months ahead of time. BTW: That review is still unwritten #ISuck

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  14. Ooh I DEFINITELY post reviews around the month surrounding the release. It sucks to be the only one talking about said book! If you liked it, it'd be pretty tough to generate buzz about it with your own, lone review. If you didn't like it, like you said, you'd be spoiling other reviewers from wanting to read it. D:

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    1. It really is lonely being the only one talking about a book, and I rarely see bloggers reading too far in advance. Some people are awesome, and may be two months ahead. I know I try to get tour books out of the way quickly, but the reviews do not post that early. I am glad you mentioned the negative part. When there are so few reviews, your negative review has a lot more impact, and I know I am easily deterred from books by negative reviews.

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  15. I'd say 8 months in advance is definitely too early. My goodness lol. I mean, I rarely review the books everyone is buzzing about anyway, but like you said, it's more helpful to the book to have a whole bunch of reviews closer to release, and it's what the pubs often ask for. Although the somewhat early reviews are helpful to me when I'm trying to decide whether I want an ARC or not, so they're not all bad. But I try to post within 2 weeks of release, though I usually wait until after release if my review is negative.

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    1. Amy just brought up that point, but I feel like it's good and bad. When there are only a handful of early reviews, one or two negative reviews pack a big punch. There are books, which I originally pushed down my TBR because of early reviews, and I ended up loving them and regretting waiting so long to read them. You are a nice reviewer to wait. I like that policy.

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  16. Most publishers want new books reviewed within a few weeks of their publications. I try to do that, but honestly, I usually end up reviewing them late—not early—because it takes me so long to get to them! Oops.

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    1. I had way too many review books back in the spring. I decided to pause the ones I did not get to and start reading the next month's books. Now I am slightly ahead of publication and will circle back for the others, because the winter has so few releases.

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  17. There is such a thing as posting as a review too soon. Specially when the book is going to be released in 8 months! Though I would probably still read the arc early if I had it and really wanted to read it, but I'd schedule the review for a week or two before the book released or on the day of. It wouldn't be a hassle for me because the only way I've found that I function on my blog is by working everything months in advance anyways :)

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    1. From previous comments, it looks like most of us would do that, which to me, makes sense. The only posts I plan out a little bit in advance are tour books. I always get those read early, but otherwise, I do all my posts for the week on the weekend.

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  18. I've thought about this so much! I find that (surprisingly to me) most ARC reviews don't do as well as backlist reviews anyway, but it seems that people prefer reviews posted a week or two early at the most. At least based on feedback I've received! It's so hard to know for sure! I also have a few 2019s that I'm trying really hard to avoid! XD

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    1. I have noticed engagement is better around release time, and yes, backlist is more fun, for more or less the same reason - people have read or have heard of the book. I think I have like 20 2019 books so far, but I am reading September releases right now. I won't even be looking at my 2019 books until mid/end November. Too many other books to read.

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  19. Hello Sam! I used to post super early reviews but now I try to adhere to pub guidelines as much as possible. But I appreciate reviewers who post reviews early because that way I get to gauge if I want to request a certain book or not. :)

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    1. Seeing what early reviewers think could be good and bad. I find the really early pool is small, and I have to admit, I have let those early reviews change my mind about reading a book. Then, as more reviews rolled out, I was convinced to read the book, and I ended up liking it. Like a good and bad thing.

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  20. I used to post maybe month before publication years ago - which if I recall correctly - they wanted you to do but now I do the week of.

    For most of the reasons you said but also I had a lot of followers that didn't have access to arc's start to feel left out of things. It can be fun to get early feedback on a book but if it seems like everyone gets this cool benefit except you it can be a turnoff too.

    I have my ALA arc's organized by date and read about a month before but if I do read early - I might write a short 2 sentence review on Goodreads or talk it upon Instagram or Twitter if I think it's something that people should pre-order and be excited abut but I'll save the full review for closer to the release date.

    Karen @ For What It's Worth

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    1. I think I am coming in 1-2 weeks now, but I sort of like it closer to publication. That is exactly what I do. When I finish a book, I write a quick blurb, and then I update after I publish my reviews.

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  21. Well Sam I also read the editing houses policy on publishing our reviews. I can't resist reading the books but what I do is write the review and plan it accordingly to the schedule ;-) Sophie @bewareofthereader

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    1. I have a review that has been sitting in my drafts for a month now. I just like to get tour books out of the way, but the book comes out the end of September, so even if I was not on a tour, it would still be in my drafts. I am with you, read ahead, but save the review for later.

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  22. I agree with your thoughts on this, Sam! I publish my reviews within a month of release. As much as I rely on reading early reviews to get new recommendations, I personally feel uncomfortable posting them so early. Even if I *read* a book super early (which totally happens), I don't publish the review until the window the publishing house specifies.

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    1. I am starting to not read the really early reviews, because they have put me off a bunch of books, which I ended up liking. When you go into a book too early, there are only a handful of reviews, and a lot of times, I don't know any of the reviewers, but I still let them get in my head.

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  23. I agree with you, I think that it's a little bit over-reaching to be posting a review for a book 8 months before it's going to be released. What if there are some drastic changes to it between the time you've read/reviewed it and the time it's actually released and you miss talking about them, because you reviewed it so early on? This is just one of the things that I talk about and I'm like you, I'll usually try and wait at least a month before or after I've read to post the review for it. Sometimes, I might even stretch it out to two before or after, but that's before I contact the publisher and clear it with them first to get their input on it. And I really like it when there's all kinds of buzz about the same book by many different people at once, because no two people are going to have the same opinion about it and it's only going to serve to help me out in deciding if I want to read it or not. So, yeah...great post! :)

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    1. The change thing happened to me with Passenger. My daughter got it for me at BEA, and I read it immediately, then I heard Bracken made HUGE changes. I didn't reread it though. I just rolled with it. I also like being part of the buzz, and that really ramps up, like you said, 2-3 months prior to release.

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  24. I think a month before or after is pretty reasonable. 8 months definitely seems extreme.

    Nicole @ Feed Your Fiction Addiction

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  25. For all of the reasons you mentioned, I try to post as close to the publication date as I can. I might do it a few weeks before, but usually no earlier than that.

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    1. A few weeks seems appropriate. You are in synch with a lot of other reviewers, review outlets, and pre-orders.

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  26. I have a few 2019 ARCs and I've finished a few as well. I think it depends on what you like? I prefer to review closer to the release date so I write my review in advance and then schedule the post in advance. I've done this a few times, not often, though :)

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    1. No crime in early reading, but have you posted reviews? That's really what I am wondering. Sometimes you can't wait, so you read the book way in advance, you write the review while it's still fresh in your mind, but I would still wait to post my review.

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  27. I , personally, don't like to post my reviews very early at all. I mean, the general public won't be able to read the book any time soon and they may well forget about it and if it's a book I really wanted others to be excited about, then that's a big bummer if it's just forgotten. Even if they add it to Goodreads, the excitement could go down and the book could get lost in their to-read list. I usually post my review on the actual release day. That way, if someone is excited by my review, they can just go out an purchase it right then and there!

    --Sam @ Sharing Inspired Kreations

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    1. I have seen many blogs posting on release day, which is kind of cool too, as it's like a blitz then.

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  28. Reviewing a book almost a year before release is most definitely too soon. If you read it early great, talk about it in other posts. Generate a bit of hype, but do not full on review, folks will forget about it. I don't often get books that far in advance so this isn't a major issue for me. Reading and reviewing books in general is currently an issue for me, my Netgalley ratio needs a whole heap of work. If I get a review up on release day I feel hella pleased with myself but I don't like reviewing too far before release because folks can't get it and I want to talk about it with them, not tease them with a book they can't have.

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    1. My thoughts exactly. Hold the review for a later date, but talk about it in other ways. I am really proud of my NG ratio right now, which seems really safe, since all my requests are lingering forEVER! I am about 2 weeks ahead right now, and shooting for the month of release. I got in a whole heap of trouble earlier in the year, and just decided to skip those books for now, and try to get them reviewed by the end of the year, but keep up with the newer releases that I have.

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  29. I agree! I haven't figured out when the exact timing is good for posting reviews. I think sometimes I'm way behind, but I'm with you - I like to do it closer to the release date. But I do see books that are so far in advanced, and then I question everything. Wonderful post, Sam! :)

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    1. I struggle with those really early reviews. Sometimes, I suspect they are just the author's friends, but then there will only be a handful of reviews, none from my people, and I become ambivalent about the book. It's dangerous for me.

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  30. Hahahaha I don't have this problem because although I receive ARCs I am always late with reviews or just on time and never early because it's a struggle... but I don't mind reading crazy early reviews because I just add the book to my Goodreads TBR and wait it out! Sometimes I get too excited about a book and then it's a shame because then I have to wait and my excitement fades. I just hope all those reviews are genuine.

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    1. The only thing that seems to diminish my excitement for a book are those early reviews. Because there are so few, I tend to give each one a lot more weight than I would if there were so much more.

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