Let’s Talk Bookish is a weekly meme that was originally created and hosted by Rukky @ Eternity Books starting in August 2019, and was then cohosted with Dani @ Literary Lion from May 2020 to March 2022. Book Nook Bits has hosted since April 2022, with Dini at Dini Panda Reads as co-host from February 2025.
Let’s Talk Bookish 28th November:
Bookish Etiquette
(Laurie @ Laurie Is Reading)
Prompts: There’s always a lot of bookish discourse ongoing on social media. People talk about selling ARCs (Advanced Reader Copies), tagging authors and publishers in reviews, only posting positive reviews— we’ve seen it all! Do you think there’s something such as “bookish etiquette”? Why or why not? What do you think are some dos and don’ts as readers and/or reviewers? Do you agree with all the discourse, or do you stay far away from all the drama?
I think there is etiquette, but I think it’s the kind of thing that should always apply anyway – just don’t be a dick. Everyone has some sort of opinion over books and reviewing and how people should do certain things, but so much of it is just noise, and ultimately doesn’t matter. It’s important that reviews are for readers – they’re not a chance for an author to get criticism or improve (they have plenty of other avenues for that). Largely, authors should stay away from reviews – it’s better for their mental health! At the least, authors should enlist someone they trust to check reviews for them and maybe share the positive ones, or keep them handy when the author needs a boost.
Selling ARCs is something I think there’s a lot of murkiness around. You absolutely should not sell ARCs prior to publication, but beyond that there isn’t really clear information – no, you shouldn’t sell physicals for a ridiculous amount. Ultimately, you’ve received it as a gift, and selling it for a profit is wrong. I’m not entirely sure if you can, however, donate ARCs to a charity shop, or put them somewhere like Vinted where you might sell it for a couple of quid. Personally, I wouldn’t think there’s anything wrong with that if the book has been out for a fair while, but don’t take my word for it as I truly don’t know (and have a whole load of arcs here I no longer need and quite frankly don’t quite know what to do with!).
Tagging authors I think is unfair, whether the review is positive or not. If they want to read it, I’m sure they’re capable of searching for their own name, but shoving it in front of their face is, to me, a bit rude. I’m sure some authors are fine with being tagged, but even in positive reviews there might be some criticism that the author just doesn’t need to see. And I’ve seen people get upset before because authors haven’t responded to tags, and I think it’s unfair to expect a response from them. Authors have found me fine when I’ve posted that I’ve reviewed a book, and replied, without me tagging them. It also means if it is negative, they can just ignore and move on. And why would you tag someone in a negative review? That’s just mean! But largely, I don’t agree with tagging authors at all, as I think it forces them to engage in a way they might not be comfortable with. And, again, reviews are for readers – they’re not for authors, so don’t write them for authors or expect them to read it!
If you read this blog you know I don’t agree with only posting positive reviews – it’s a form of false positivity, and I don’t see the value in it. I do this to share my opinions, to talk about books, and I do it for free. Well, at cost, actually, as most bloggers do! I don’t owe anyone anything, but I owe it to myself to be honest about the books I both like and dislike. And there’s nothing wrong with negative reviews – I might say I disliked a book because I found the character to be entitled and selfish, and someone else might like those qualities in a character, and pick up the book to see how it’s handled. I might love a book plenty others hated. I’m not going to sugar-coat things. If others only want to post positive reviews, that’s absolutely fine, but we’re all doing this out of love, so I’m not in a position to dictate that to anyone else.
So yeah – the main do’s and don’ts I think are covered above. Just treat other people with respect, understand others have different tastes to you, stop with the combativeness/smugness etc, and realise the beauty of books is there is something for everyone! There is bookish etiquette and it feels like it’s getting lost – it’s frustrating seeing the same discourse constantly coming up! Other people do things differently and that’s great.
I just think a general attitude of live and let live is a good one to live by. You dislike something someone else likes? Does it matter if they know your opinion or not? If someone positively reviews a book I disliked, I’m not going to comment on their post or review to say I hated it and think it’s trash. I can express my own opinions on my own site/page/whatever. For writers, I’ve seen it happen before where someone asks for a recommendation and even if their book doesn’t fit, a writer will post their own book. One good aspect about social media – amongst all the bad – is being able to spread joy and boost others. So, why not do that? Instead of responding to someone with negativity, post on your own page a book you have enjoyed! I just don’t think there’s a need to be nasty, and I think there’s a lack of consideration when posting online, especially as we all know you can’t read tone within text.
And remember – a lot of stuff online is just noise. It doesn’t have an impact until people start sharing it and amplifying it, and most the time I think people latch onto discourse even when they disagree with it. Some stuff does need to be responded to, but you don’t always have to have a ‘take’.
Unwrapping Words 