33 Responses to “Too much of a good thing?”

1. Oh, I love to blog-hop! I check out my fave authors’ blogs daily. Reading their blogs does not impact how I view their books. I judge whether I like a book on the merits of the book itself. I can separate how I feel about an author’s personal life and how I feel about their writing.

   by Cheryl S. on July 8th, 2006 at 6:34 am
   
   

2. I enjoy reading what authors have to say on their blogs and message boards. What an author has to say doesn’t stop me from buying their books. If I like reading their books then I’m not going to stop buying them because they said something some people didn’t like.

   by Maureen on July 8th, 2006 at 6:51 am
   
   

3. I think that the message boards and blogs are a great way to interact with your favorite authors. I already loved the yahoo loops, but the newest addition are even better. But these things to change my view toward their books.

   by Danny on July 8th, 2006 at 7:05 am
   
   

4. The more interaction the better. I love getting to know authors. What I don’t like is when you have to sign up for someone’s newsletter or group to enter their contest. I have to say I visit many blogs. But they do take up a lot of time. And, the large amount of mail I get keeps me from doing things I want to do. I mean how are we supposed to have any time to chat with authors or enter contests if we’re too busy with mail? Also, some authors have cool stuff on their sites. But, after signing blogs, reading all the group posts, and newsletters, I want off the computer. It can take hours to read everything.

   by Melissa on July 8th, 2006 at 8:42 am
   
   

5. I too like to blob hop & enter contest. I have come across several new authors I didn’t know about before. I have won in some blogs as well as some contest. I have added them to my list. I now buy their books.

   by Tammy G. on July 8th, 2006 at 8:55 am
   
   

6. I love reading writer’s blogs and it’s become a serious part of my morning routine. I’ve discovered new writers from the blogs and don’t necessarily require that all the blogs be about the writing to enjoy them. I am however, not the biggest fan of message boards only because I’ve seen the flame wars that happen if there isn’t a tight leash put on them. But I think a well laid out and all enclusive website is a must these days. I admit to having to buy much of my reading material via the web so I enjoy when a writer puts an excerpt or two of their books on the site.

   by Cynthia T. on July 8th, 2006 at 9:17 am
   
   

7. IMO, there’s a fine line authors have to walk when publishing a blog.

   It is the author’s space–their virtual living room, if you will–but it can, and often is, read by many people who will never make their presence known, neither to agree nor disagree with a specific post. It seems to me that it’s tempting to forget the silent audience and start catering to those (few or many) who comment regularly.

   Add to it that blogs have to be entertaining in themselves if they are to atract new readership for the author’s published work. To do this, they must reflect the author’s writing voice at least to a degree. Blogs must also be updated regularly, which is time consuming.

   Personally, I like interacting with favorite authors, and I very much enjoy the opportunity authors blogs and message boards provide to interact with their fans. After a few years, I have come to realize that if I enjoy an author’s message board/blog presence, it’s likely I’ll enjoy his/her writing voice, and vice versa.

   by azteclady on July 8th, 2006 at 9:41 am
   
   

8. I love author blogs. There has not been an instance in which a blog has stopped me from buying a book. On the other hand, many authors post excerpts on their blogs which have interested me enough to pre-order the book or put it on my to buy list. I think blogs are a great way for authors and readers to interact, and can be advantageous for both.

   by Zara on July 8th, 2006 at 9:52 am
   
   

9. I enjoy reading the blogs of my favorite authors and of course I like contests, too. And I agree with Zara. Blogs haven’t stopped me from buying a book, either. Quite the opposite!

   by Minna on July 8th, 2006 at 10:33 am
   
   

10. I agree with everything Melissa said. As much as I enjoy getting to know the authors, it takes a lot of time to read all their blogs, vist their sites, read their newsletters and enter their contests. I find that I’m spend less time reading their books because of this.

    by Carol on July 8th, 2006 at 10:42 am
    
    

11. I’m going to vote along with everyone else here - I also love to blog hop and visit message boards. I like it when they are kept up on a regular basis, too. I enjoy reading posts about writing, yet I also enjoy the personal moments the author has decided to share. I’ve been fortunate to meet quite a few great authors because of my bloghopping.

    As a reader I also realize that authors write, so I can understand when an author can’t be online all day long and may not post too often. It’s a time-consuming habit, fun as it is, so I’d rather hear that my fave author is actually getting some writing done. I’m sure you really have to discipline yourself cuz this blog stuff is addictive. LOL. My tbr pile has grown, and I’ve had to discpline myself. Besides, when you’re at a computer at work all day, you don’t want to be on one after work too much. I can’t “play” online too much - my employer has locked us out of blogs and a lot of websites - so my time online has to be time well spent. I think it is.

    by Stacy ~ on July 8th, 2006 at 11:09 am
    
    

12. I do love to blog hop and learn more about the authors. The mornings that I use to spend reading books are now spent online reading these blogs. So I do read less because of them. I’ve never crossed a book off my TBB list as a result of reading a comment that I don’t like from an author.

    by KimW on July 8th, 2006 at 11:29 am
    
    

13. I love getting to know authors and don’t believe that there could be too much interaction between them and their readers. I enjoy reading blogs, belonging to reader/fan groups for authors/romance, and meeting authors through chats. I think chatting with or getting to know an author through a blog might make me more likely to try their work if I haven’t before. It gives me a little insight into the author and the book. I enjoy learning about the books before I make a purchase decision. I don’t think all of this affects me negatively…except maybe I read a little less than I previously did because I am busy reading blogs, checking e-mails, and chatting….but I enjoy it.

    by Jennifer Y. on July 8th, 2006 at 12:04 pm
    
    

14. I enjoy reading author blogs and joining their member groups. I also like to participate in chats when I have the time. I enjoy learning about new authors and hearing more about books. It makes it easier when deciding about new books and authors to try. I agree that it can all be time consuming but also can be fun when you have the time.

    by Cherie Japp on July 8th, 2006 at 12:10 pm
    
    

15. I prefer authors who interact with the readers:o, yet maintain a certain level of professionalism while doing so. :DI like learning about the author and their writing through conversations with them.
    I love interacting with other readers on the groups/boards and learning of other authors and books through them.
    What I do not like is authors bashing authors or authors bashing readers and/or reviewers. That type of behavior should be kept to a minimum and only displayed amongst other authors, I think… :|Keep it on a level where other readers and/or reviewers whom said author isn’t targeting doesn’t get offended.

    by Anne on July 8th, 2006 at 12:46 pm
    
    

16. I visit reader blogs more than author blogs, but I have several favorite author blogs. An author would have to do something pretty eggregious before I would hold it against her by not buying her books. I can think of only one or two cases where that’s happened.

    by Alyssa on July 8th, 2006 at 2:23 pm
    
    

17. Author blogs give me new insight into how they think and what is important to them.:)

    by Joyce on July 8th, 2006 at 2:30 pm
    
    

18. I enjoy interacting with my favorite authors and other readers. The contests are added benefit. I have never come across an author bashing an other author, in my experiences they have been very supportive of other authors and promoted their books.

    by Susan on July 8th, 2006 at 2:40 pm
    
    

19. I like to know as much about an author as they are willing to share; this can
    happen on a blog, a chat or their website. I love the contests and giveaways so no, I don’t expect them to be quiet after that. Learning about the author(s) doesn’t
    change my mind about their work.

    by Robyn on July 8th, 2006 at 3:58 pm
    
    

20. I really enjoy the author blogs. It helps me understand whe whys and hows of how an author created her books. I buy books by how the author writes, not by what I know about the author.

    by Estella Kissell on July 8th, 2006 at 4:10 pm
    
    

21. I enjoy visiting author blog’s and their websites. I usually don’t have a lot of time to visit too many blogs, but there are a few I check on a weekly basis. I do like to learn about the authors and their lives, inspirations. There has been a time or two when I’ve wondered if I hadn’t learned too much information or if an author has vented too much. Overall, It’s a great way to learn more about an author’s life and work.

    by Sandra M on July 8th, 2006 at 5:30 pm
    
    

22. Hi, Just got back from a trip with hubby and friends from a book store; Picked up lots of goodies. Authors opinions dont influence me either way - if I like their books, I buy them.

    It is nice hearing a bit about their lives and love them having contests. Some of the authors I visit regularly and I almost feel like they have become friends.

    by Pat on July 8th, 2006 at 5:44 pm
    
    

23. I do like learning about author’s lives and their interests and writing backgrounds.
    The contest some offer are a wonderful bonus. I dont think there is anything an author could say that would make NOT buy their book if I liked their work.

    by Helen Mac on July 8th, 2006 at 5:47 pm
    
    

24. i like learning about my favorite authors and how they got into writing and publishing. it is great learning new things. it is never too much. keep them coming and keep blogging

    by kim h on July 8th, 2006 at 10:06 pm
    
    

25. I love to blog hop. I have a rotation of authors that I check daily. I love that I can read their processes and frustrations. And I love when they allow comments, so can gush over them and get responses, it makes me want to buy their books even more. The contests are great for me because the budget does not allow for new books all that often, so I have a huge list of books I want but cannot afford and the contests give me a chance to get them. And sometimes I find new to me authors that way too.

    by Kris on July 8th, 2006 at 10:11 pm
    
    

26. It does not matter to me what an author says, if I like the work, I will buy the books.

    by Patty B. on July 8th, 2006 at 10:21 pm
    
    

27. Blogs, messsage boards or newsletters won’t stop me from buying books I like. No one can force you to read a blog, etc.

    It is nice to learn a little about what makes an author tick and how they get into their craft.

    by Maria T. on July 8th, 2006 at 10:28 pm
    
    

28. I really enjoy the blogs, newsletters, and updates that author’s have. It helps to keep up-to-date with future projects, currect projects, and other fun events.

    by Kathleen on July 9th, 2006 at 10:05 am
    
    

29. Where I live there are not that many author signings at my bookstores so my chance to get to know an author is by their blogs and websites.

    by Patricia J on July 9th, 2006 at 10:07 am
    
    

30. It is nice to read a blog or have a chat with an author. It makes them more real.

    by Helen L. on July 9th, 2006 at 12:44 pm
    
    

31. I agree pretty much with all the ladies here. It is nice to find out about authors; but no one makes you read the blogs if you do not want to. If I like the way an author writes, I will buy the book even if they say something I dont agree with.

    by Joanne V. on July 9th, 2006 at 2:00 pm
    
    

32. A blog is good way to find out about authors’ lives.

    by Karen T. on July 9th, 2006 at 9:36 pm
    
    

33. wtg kris

    by KIM H on July 11th, 2006 at 11:57 am