Your first “review request” ⭐️
As a book blogger, we always remember what book was our first that we received from an author.
Sure websites like Netgalley, Eldewiss and Booksiren is nice; but there’s nothing quite like the excitement we get when an author take the time to reach out to you and offer a copy of their very own work for us to give a proper unbiased review. Of course it has to be done properly though, we like when the author really take the time to atleast address us as our name and take conscience of what our favorite type of book is.
It’s also so gratifying in a way! When you start blogging, it’s like one of our main “goals” we wanna persue.. to be so “good” at this book blogging thing that author starts to get in touch with us.
And thus that’s what I want us to converse today!
My first review request I’ve got was a total surprise..
It was back in April 2018; while I was bloghopping I had found Amanda @ Chocolate Pages’ blogtour for “The Corner Shop in Cockleberry Bay”. That book had a dachshund on the cover, so you bet that’s what attracted me! ahah. Not only was Amanda’s review so professional, it seemed like that book had the little dachshund as a “co-star” in it! I had never read anything like that before, and you can bet your shorts I wanted to read that! I wanted to see if Nicola had done the dachshund breed justice, you know.. 😉
So I left a comment on her post and I went to bed. Now the next morning, my two own dachshunds had woke me up around 7 to eat.. you know, normal stuff. For some reason I opened up my phone and seen I had a twitter notification; I kid you not, it was Nicola May casually asking me if I wanted to kindly read her book and do a review, as it had a dachshund in it and as my blog name is “Books and dachshund”.. I was like, the obvious choice here, ahah.
I completely lost my mind! I still remember it clear as day, I jumped out of my bed screaming- Showing mom the book and telling her how the author proposed little old me to read and review it!! I was so exstatic I couldn’t go back to sleep for a while after that ahah .
As one of my few read in english, I had struggled a bit to read it, but it was a glorious book and I really loved it ! I still think about it very frequently to this day, im positive i’m gonna have to reread it soon.
Now it’s your turn!
- What was the first review request you got? Did you enjoyed it?
- Would you reread it to this day ?
- If you haven’t received any yet.. what is the first book you requested on Netgalley/Eldeweiss/Book Siren? Did you got accepted?
It is funny you mention this. I just recieved my first request from a small publishing company to review a book in a series coming in the fall so they are sending. And Entangled publishing sent me an email I dont quite understand because I dont review romance and I had to beg for smoke and key lol.
Oh wow, that’s odd !
I know, right! I haven’t heard back from Entangled yet. I am curious to see the response though.
YES it feels so good to get review requests! … I say, having only ever gotten one and not liked the book 😅 I DNF’d it around 30% of the way through, and the author was kind of rude when I told her that and gave her some feedback based on what I did read, so although I was initially considering giving it a second chance when I got less busy, I don’t think I will now 😕
but I’m so glad your first review request was such a positive experience!! it’s always so amazing to discover new books that you love, and the fact that it perfectly matched your blog “brand”/name is just perfect 💕
I’m so sorry that happened to you ! I’ve got some of thoses aswell.. One I thought would be SO good and in the end… three chapters in I was like well, im sorry I cant. this is awful. NOT what I had in mind when I accepted.
These stories make me glad it came from the publisher and not directly from the author lol.
yes! xD some authors are so good, but oh my some others..
yup, it’s always disappointing not to like the review copy … but I’d rather be honest, and use that time to read books I actually enjoy!
100% agree!
What a fun topic to chat about! It’s great that you enjoyed your first book via a review request – I enjoyed my first, too. It was The Watchmaker’s Doctor by G.M.T. Schuilling (a novella), and the story completely took me by surprise. Definitely a great first request experience! ☺
Oh, I never heard of that one, makes me curious — Happy to hear you had a good experience too!
I haven’t received any yet and I haven’t requested any on Netgalley/Eldeweiss/Book Siren either. I just don’t like the idea of not being interested in a book and feeling compelled to read it.
Yeeah, that’s the bad part.
Though when one do interrest you, it’s really nice!
im sad bc i dont remember mine 🙁
this was a really sweet post tho
AWw thank you !
I can’t remember my first book review request/approval…I think it was on Netgalley though? This was a cute post 🙂
Thank you 🙂
Honestly never was asked to do a review for a book from any author.
Would love the opportunity really.
Aww, I hope you receive one soon ! Can be an awesome journey
no one reached out to me via request yet and i’m glad to know your experiences! ✨
sadly, i couldn’t remember the first book i requested in NetGalley but i think i got accepted. for Edelweiss+, i don’t remember at all. /hides/
Aww im happy to know you enjoyed to read my experience !
yeah, quite alot of people cannot remember 😅 It took me quite alot of time before I got accepted, honestly! ahaha
No physical requests granted here yet, but! When I went on Edelweiss one of the first books I requested was through Harper Collins; Serving the Servant about one of my favorite people ever, Kurt Cobain, and I got approved!! (It was a fluke, I have yet to be approved again on that site lol)
Oh wow ! lucky you got THE one you really wanted however!
So true! That’s the way I try and see it 🙂
Received 2 requests on the same day a few weeks ago, and these were my first requests. I was super nervous about responding! I’m just about to post the first review of my first request in the next few days and I’m so excited about it!
yay!!
It happened to me too, but Ithink I got like three in the span of 24hours xD I was like what in hell is happening??
Nowadays if it doesn’t interest me I just delete the email and don’t respond.. only to thoses that interest me!
I am not quite sure…but I think Sisters of the Winter Wood was the first book I requested on Netgalley and the first physical copy I got. This is a sweet post btw!
Thanks <3
wasn't my first review request, but heavenward remains the first and only physical book I've gotten from an author!
I can’t remember by exact first book review request, but I think the first two I accepted were both eARCs: The Boy with Words (which I loved) and The Dream Protocol (which the author then sent me a physical copy). Nevernight by Jay Kristoff was one of the first books I got through Negalley.
Oh, haven’t heard of that first two!
I got my first review request when I started blogging back in 2017. Unfortunately I can‘t remember the title because I didn‘t enjoy the book that much and even DNFed it. But I remember how excited and nervous I was about my very first request. I didn‘t know how to react, what to answer, how to review etc,.. Everything was so new to me and I‘m glad that I‘m still around in the book blogging world because I got some amazing opportunities since then! 🙂
Yep, I so relate to that! Thoses like netgalley are still technically e-arcs.. but it feels SO different when it’s with the author/publisher personally, isnt it?? We always fear to write something wrong or seems rude xD that comes even stronger when it’s not your main language! Ahah
Oh, that with the not being the main language is definitely a problem for me as well. I‘m always asking myself if that sentence is correct or if I can write it like that xD
Right?? 😂😂 « does this make sense? » « is it sounding rude or pushy?? » mmmhhh 🤔🤔
“As a book blogger, we always remember what book was our first that we received from an author.” Ah yes, I definitely remember them! My first was actually 3 in a row (note: I started when there weren’t many book bloggers as there are today, much less those in their teens): Oath of Servitude by C.E. Wilson, Marking Time by April White and Guardians of the Grimoire by Natasha Slight. Unfortunately one of them never wrote a sequel so I’m forever hanging and wondering what happens to the characters. I think I would have to reread Marking Time since I want to continue the series and it’s been about… 7 years maybe? I’ll definitely need a refresher at least, or skim through my notes to remember what happens!
That is so cool for Nicola May to reach out to you! And I agree, it’s a perfect choice. 😉
Oooh! I’ve never heard of thoses three – aw that’s a bummer 😨 atleast you can make your own ending without being too let down, though? 🤔
Kristina I am saddened to confess that I don’t recall my first book sent to review!!! It’s been so long ago. I do recall the story though and it was quite a hot one 🙂 I recall being nervous to write the review because I had never written one in english!
AWw!
yep, same for me ahah ! but not only the review but like, any conversation-wise with the author included
This is such a fun post, and I definitely remember my first author copies as well! Anna Undreaming by Thomas Welsh was sent to me last year via Twitter, but Charlie Laidlaw reached out to me via email about The Things We Learn When WE’re Dead and mailed me a personalized finished copy! I cherish both of these books on my shelves!
We seem to have a fair mix of « do remember » and « don’t remember » 😂😂
Same! I also have my first physical book sent by the author which I cherish aswell- which is now even a limited edition as the cover changed 😅 (Heavenward)