Do Book Bloggers Make a Difference?

The question is asked, and too-often precariously answered, Do book bloggers make a difference? Can they beckon new readers to a book? Do they have the force of persuasion? To the litany of the old questions has now been added the complication of this new: How will book bloggers operate in the wake new Federal Trade Commission guidelines, effective December 1, 2009, that are designed to require them to disclose not just their material connection to the "advertiser" that provided the ARC or book in question (the publisher, for instance), but to return that product to its original source once the review has been posted. (For a full reporting on the issue, visit this site.)

Picture book bloggers, who read books and post reviews for the uncoined privilege of participating in the greater cultural exchange, now paying for that privilege via stamps and post-office lines. Here is what one of the most genre-crossing, mind-stirring, consciousness-raising bloggers has to say about that. What will happen to the book blogging industry that has, I would argue, stepped into the void left ragged by the vanishing of traditional review media, the curtailing of book tours, the squeeze on promotional dollars? What will happen to the authors who, yes, have had their fortunes shifted by the virtual embrace of readers whom they have never met?

I am one of those authors -- unadvertised, untoured, rarely pedestaled at industry events -- and I remain an author, I am convinced, because of the book bloggers who have found their way to the work that I do and have made it matter to others; I'm hardly the only beneficiary of such outright generosity. More than that, though, I have been challenged to think harder and to dig deeper because of the book bloggers whose posts I read -- because of the books that they bring to my attention, because of the debates into which I am drawn. Let's stop asking, then, if book bloggers can make a difference. Let's start figuring out how they can operate -- with integrity and commitment, without fear of being fined -- in the coming era of new FTC guidelines.

 

Comments

[BookSexy]

01:08 PM on 10/17/2009

Great post. I've been reading up a lot on this issue, but have avoided commenting because of some unanswered questions I've had. I read the same article, and was under the impression that returning the books was not a requirement of the new FTC guidelines, but a suggestion of how to deal with them by the FTC representative being interviewed to avoid the "compensation" problem?

While I am not happy with the guidelines either - my issue with them is mainly that they have not been thought out properly and were created by someone(s) who seems to have a limited understanding of how the internet (specifically, blogging) functions. They were not made to specifically target book bloggers and so I don't believe that the FTC considered their repercussions on this group. What I found most disturbing (and offensive) about the interview is that a differentiation is being made between book bloggers and traditional media outlets who review books - and the insinuation is that we have less integrity than, say, the New York Times or the Wall Street Journal. Despite the fact that we do this for free and, quite honestly, out of love for books.

I wonder if the sad fact is not that the FTC refuses to understand this - but that it just can't.

[Celeste Ng]

01:55 PM on 10/16/2009

Great post. You're right; the question shouldn't be "Do they make a difference?" but "How can we make sure they can continue to make a difference?" Book blogs act very differently from more traditional print reviews because of their very form: there are many more of them, so they can bring attention to great titles that might otherwise get overlooked; they can ask questions more directly and provide a forum for discussion. Yet ultimately, they share the same basic goals as those traditional reviews--to highlight notable work, to challenge our assumptions, and to enrich our thinking. So let's hope we can work out a system that allows them to operate within the FTC guidlines--or that the guidelines stop drawing arbitrary distinctions between book blogs and print reviews.

[LeatriceBodine]

05:51 PM on 10/14/2009

Terrific post! The book bloggers are mighty, authentic and a force for good. I'm sure the publishing industry will very quickly get a system in place (e.g. prepaid shipping envelopes for easy return of reviewed books, etc.) that will make it simple for bloggers to continue to voice their reviews while staying within the new FTC bounds.

I've seen first-hand the rippling effect of the book bloggers on Ms. Kephart's wonderful books and others - and it is not to be underestimated. On the contrary, these specialized bloggers offer a wealth of opportunity for authors who are willing to give the time and personal attention to cultivate it.