Changes afoot

[lightreads]

Contemplating some changes around here. Like many people, I have increasing problems with Goodreads and their policies regarding review content. To say nothing of their, uh, complete disinterest in accessibility, shall we say. I'm in their top 1% of reviewers globally, which sounds great until I start thinking about just how many advertising dollars I've made for them over the years. I mean, if I wholeheartedly loved them, no biggie, but I'm making an effort to be more conscious of where my financial footprint is these days, and well, *shakes head*. Plus, because of aforesaid Goodreads issues, most of my community there has scattered to other services.

So considering some changes. I initially used Goodreads because so many people like seeing a book cover with a review, and that was an easy way to do it. Easier than Amazon Affiliate, which I also used briefly, and could go back to. There's also Booklikes, which seems to be the preferred Goodreads alternative these days.

Amazon Affiliate links raise other issues. I have competing impulses about making money off these reviews, even if it's just a few cents here and there. On the one hand, it feels unnecessary and sort of . . . squirmy. On the other, I do put in a fair amount of work here, and people do find it useful. And the truth of the internet is that if you have an audience, even a small one, you're making money for someone, and if you want any control over that, you've got to take it yourself. Plus, I kind of interrogate that squirminess I mentioned – is it that usual notion of cottage industry guilt where we are taught to devalue ourselves and our work because we aren't part of the traditional creation/consumption model, blah capitalism blah? Dunno.

Poll #16359

Open to: Registered Users, detailed results viewable to: All, participants: 39

View Respondents

How strongly do you prefer to see a book cover with each review?

View Answers
Mean: 3.74 Median: 4 Std. Dev 2.10

1 1		9 (23.1%)
2		5 (12.8%)
3		5 (12.8%)
4		2 (5.1%)
5		8 (20.5%)
6		6 (15.4%)
7		4 (10.3%)
8		0 (0.0%)
9		0 (0.0%)
10 10		0 (0.0%)

How strongly do you prefer to have some sort of rating or scale included with reviews?

View Answers
Mean: 6.36 Median: 7 Std. Dev 2.31

1 1		3 (7.7%)
2		0 (0.0%)
3		2 (5.1%)
4		1 (2.6%)
5		9 (23.1%)
6		1 (2.6%)
7		7 (17.9%)
8		10 (25.6%)
9		5 (12.8%)
10 10		1 (2.6%)

Would you use Amazon Affiliate links?

View Answers

Sure, useful!
8 (20.5%)

No, I hate it when bookbloggers do that
0 (0.0%)

No, it's just not how I get books
25 (64.1%)

Not sure.
6 (15.4%)

Comments

[readerjane]

I will follow your reviews wherever they go.

I'm here for the content. :-D

[firecat]

Thanks for the heads-up, I haven't been active on Goodreads for a while but was thinking about becoming active again. I'll check out Booklikes.

[writerlibrarian]

I like your content a lot. I used to put the cover over at photobucket and insert them on my journal. Cover no cover isn't really an issue in my case.

[cyprinella]

Only reason I'm not completely neutral on the cover issue is that I do find them useful for spotting review posts when I'm skimming my flist.

[eruthros]

Ditto! If I know it's a review already I don't care one way or the other about the cover.