(c) Michelle Dragalin 2016

My viewpoint is this: I like to read books and find new authors.  I will read a book, interview an author and post it on my blog.  However, I don’t think that I should have to pay for the book especially since I think of myself as part of the marketing plan.

IN addition, to posting the review on my blog, I do try to post the review on Amazon and Goodreads.  Sometimes, Barnes & Nobles and another bookseller.  I often send the link to the publisher and I post the review on Netgalley.  A site where I get most of my books.

Recently I found out how much it costs a publisher to post on Netgalley and send books.  I felt bad, because I realize that I don’t always live up to my end of the bargain and post a review.   I felt really bad after I read an email from a publisher who shared the costs of posting on a Netgalley and other sites.  I know marketing is expensive and I know that I that would like to get paid in some manner for the work that i do.  I really feel the book does pay for the cost of my time and writing. 

I once asked a bunch of book reviewers on Linkedin.com what their views on the subject to getting paid or not for a book review.  Most reviewers indicated that they didn’t get paid and did  it because they liked the book.  Some actually got a fee for reviewing the book, anything from $10 up to $100.  There were one or two authors who were really upset that a book reviewer would even consider charging for a book review, because as she put it we were already eating into their marketing costs by receiving a book for free.  The least we could do was review the book.  THAT COMMENT I did not like!!!  As a I said earlier, I understand the expensive and most authors don’t make an independent living from writing books unless they are best sellers and/or they have several of them out there!

Myself, I appreciate it when an author follows me when I submit a review.  So to pay or not to pay for a review?  Well, it is really up the individual book reviewer, myself if someone wants to give me a few bucks, great.  However, most of the time I just like to read!!

Finally, I remember two movie reviewers Gene Siskel & Roger Ebert, I loved watching their reviews.  I was very jealous that they got paid to watch movies.  I mean, how cool!  IN an interview they said that they just followed an old adage, do something you love and figure out to get paid for it. 

So, that is one of my goals this year.  Figure out how to review books and get paid for it!! Don’t worry, no charges for book reviews.  I love to read to much.