I bet that got your attention! The other day I wrote this post after receiving a couple packages full of free books from two different publishers. My husband joked that the Fed Ex guy probably assumed I was a writer getting my rejection letters. A couple of bloggers have since asked how I got my all too anxious hands on this jackpot and I figured it was worth a post.
Back in May of 2007, this blog was run as a kind of virtual on-line book club (aka Planet Books). Each month participants would vote on the book they wanted to read. At the time one of the books we were voting on was Veil of Roses by Laura Fitzgerald. I then received an e-mail from Laura, who had somehow stumbled on my blog (probably via Google). Laura wanted to participate in the book discussion, regardless whether or not her book was selected. This was really the first time I had ever received an e-mail from a published author and I was thrilled.
Fast forward a few months - I changed the format of my blog from a virtual book club blog to the standard book review blog, since I had just adopted my second daughter from China and I didn’t think I could keep up with the book club format. I was fast approaching my one year blogging anniversary and really wanted to do something special. I contacted Laura and asked if she would be able to grant me an interview about her book and also if she could sign a copy of Veil of Roses and send it out to a randomly picked winner of my giveaway I planned to host. She was extremely gracious and not only gave me an interview and sent the winner a signed copy of her book, but also sent me a signed copy.
Afterwards, I started getting e-mails (sometimes from publishers, often times from authors) asking me to review their books. My time is very limited with two young children at home, so if a book isn’t one that I am really interested in, then I just politely turn them down. If the book sounds like something I would normally read, send them my way!
So how do you go about getting books from authors/publishers?
Keep blogging - Publishers and authors know the value of “word of mouth” and now use the internet and book blogs as a marketing tool for their books. Check out this New York Times article which talks about author promotions online or this interesting article, describing the decline of book tours and the more cost effective virtual encounters. As stated in the first article, the marketing manager of Collins, an imprint of HarperCollins states “If I had to choose, I’d rather have an author promote themselves online.” Publishers are now paying attention to book blogs and are more than willing to promote their books through the internet. Those three historical novels I received recently were sent by a publishing group who contacted me directly, stating that they would like to send me a few books, no strings attached. You know they are thinking “Hmm, send a book review blogger a couple of books in a genre they really enjoy and chances are that they will read and review at least one - free publicity!” So, the more you write about books, the better chance of getting some.
Stop by and comment at other book blogs - You can increase your blog visibility by simply visiting and commenting on other blogs. The more popular your blog becomes, the easier it is for a publisher or author to stumble upon it. Often times I check out the sidebar of a book blog to see what blogs they link to, then search around from there. Also, when I sign up for a challenge, I like to click around at the other participants blogs. It’s a great way to not only increase your blog traffic, but find more great blogs to follow.
Visit author websites - I will be posting a book review and author interview in a few days, this one directly linked to a post I wrote back in the fall. After I finished the post, I left a comment on the author’s blog. She right away offered to send me a copy of her newly published book, which I have read and enjoyed thoroughly. I have since asked her if she would be willing to grant me an interview via e-mail and she very graciously obliged, which leads to the third thing you need to do…
Ask and you shall may receive - Recently I visited another author’s website (which I found listed on the book jacket) and noticed that she had a section where you could invite her to call into your book club meeting. Since my monthly neighborhood book club had just picked her book for our January read, I e-mailed her. I have now scheduled the author to call into our February meeting. In the meantime, I mentioned to her that I have a blog and asked if she would grant me an interview and send me a copy of her book for a giveaway. She was really accommodating and now I have a another author interview set up for my blog and I received a copy of the book from her publisher.
I know that I am not the only book blogger to receive books from authors and publishers. If you have gotten lucky to get some free books, how has it come about? Inquiring minds want to know! 
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