Book Blogger Confessions is a new bi-weekly meme hosted by Tiger @ All Consuming Books and Karen @ For What it's Worth Reviews.
Making money off your blog: There was a recent controversy about bloggers charging authors for reviews (You can read about it here) which leads to this week's question:
Almost all of us blog as a hobby in our spare time, usually for free but is there anything wrong with making money off your blog?
Should bloggers charge for reviews?
What about advertising on a blog?
When a blogger does allow book related advertising does it turn you off? Make you wonder about the honesty of their reviews?
Do you have a problem with purchase links (Amazon for example) that earn a blogger a small commission if a person purchases a book through that link?
I suppose it depends on how you are making money off your blog. Some ways I am more comfortable with than others. Like with affiliate links, I am ok with this because the money a person gets through the affiliates link doesn’t cost the buyer any extra, so it’s a win/win for both blogger and buyer. Advertisements is a sort of grey area with me, now the blogger is receiving payment directly to advertise an author’s/publisher’s books and other things so they aren’t just a book blog but are now leaning towards becoming a marketing site. However, advertising alone isn’t too much of concern for me but if a blogger also reviews a book they are advertising then I can’t trust their review because how can they give a negative review to a book they are being paid to promote? This also applies to being paid for reviews, I don’t think book bloggers should charge for reviews, how can their followers trust what they are saying when they have been paid for their opinion?
Well said. I agree about the part of being paid for reviews...are they considered book blogs or marketing blogs?
ReplyDeleteI really have to know the blogger to trust them when they have book ads all over their blog.
ReplyDeleteI do know a few honest ones that advertise. As long as I'm sure they are honest it doesn't bother me even though personally I never click on the ads.