Thoughts

Question of the month! Prizes for both readers and authors!

question time
courtesy of Microsoft

 

 

Its question time once again for Harlie.  Yes, Harlie has come to a cross roads again in regards to the blog.  For some this could be good or bad.  Now, don’t panic…at least not yet.  I’m not leaving or shutting down but I would like for y’all to answer a couple of questions for me.  I have set up two polls.  One for readers and one for authors.  As an extra incentive, for the authors I will give away a month’s free ad space for the book of your choosing.  For readers…$20 GC from your favorite e-book retailer.  I will leave the polls up until next Saturday and pick the winners on Sunday.  The polls are on the sidebar.

Here are my reasons for the poll:

1.  I feel like I’m spinning my wheels at times.  I’m NOT overwhelmed, stressed out or fed up.  Just wondering if I should stop or not.

2.  Since Harlie’s doesn’t REVIEW the erotic genre/sub genres, etc. I’m wondering if that is hurting the blog or helping it.

3.  Harlie doesn’t have reviewers/assistants–it’s just me.  One blog I know put a shout out for reviewers and got 17 people to sign up.  Of course, they review the erotic so maybe that’s why I don’t get the reviewers.

4.  I’m wondering if the review sites are relevant anymore.  At least the smaller ones, like Harlie’s Books.  I understand the bigger ones but maybe its time for the smaller one to fade away.  Most tour companies and authors are begging for Goodreads/Amazon/B&N written reviews.

5.  Again, I’m not quiting…I’m booked through mid-April now but I’m just throwing it out there.  Questions, thoughts, ideas are welcome.

Please leave a comment and email address to win.

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17 thoughts on “Question of the month! Prizes for both readers and authors!

  1. There are a few reasons I love coming to your blog…first because you are my wonderful friend and second, because when you review a book, i can ALWAYS trust that it will be an honest review and you always go above and beyond on those reviews. As far as erotic content, i think my view is very similar to yours. I don’t mind reading it as long as it’s actually meaningful and well written, sex just to have the sex with no plot or no meaning behind it just makes me lose interest. (i have an ex so i lived that!) You are also a very reliable host for blog tours and I appreciate that greatly! I do feel your pain about the loss of interest on some blog posts versus others. i just don’t understand the patterns. Some of the tours i schedule have lots of visitors and huge activity on giveaways and other giveaways get no activity, puzzles me. I personally am glad you are still blogging but would stand behind you no matter what decision you make ! *hugs*

    1. Thank you my dear friend. Yes, I’m on time, the blog’s not as crowded as before and people seem to like my reviews. They are snark and spoiler free. I learned from the best. God bless NOT and TRR. Just saying…

      Harlie

    1. Oh Shelly I’m not quitting. Just posed the question to see if its that important anymore. 🙂

      Harlie

  2. I write romances with heroines and heroes who seem like real people. Yours is one of the few sites that actually enjoys these books. What little BDSM I put into my books is usually done by the villains…that’s how you know them! (That, and I use one man’s name for most of my alpha-jerks…long story! ;-D) So I’d be very unhappy if you stopped reviewing. But that being said, I understand how discouraged you feel. With lots of books out and my audience still so hard to reach, so do I. But we’re book lovers, darned-it! We live for words! Do what feels right to you! And your friends will support you!

    1. Oh I’m not quitting. Just posing a question to my readers. Sometimes I think I’m spinning my wheels in regards to reviewing. The blog will also be open for promo and such. I’ve had some really big names on the blog lately and no one has responded. Then I have someone that is a newbie or somewhat established author and the flood gates open. Just wondering what everyone thinks.

      Fiona you know if you re-wrote the phone book, I’d read it. I love your stories. Never stop writing.

      Harlie

  3. I voted because I love your blog! I’ve been introduced to several fabulous authors and books because of your blog and I appreciate your honest reviews. Thanks for being awesome 😉
    one4u2007 @ gmail dot com

  4. I can’t find the side of the page. So I can’t vote. Reviewing is a LOT of work. So I can understand you questioning it. But I do so love your reviews…
    I can’t be partial here. I want you to review. But then I only review books when they are so good I have to share. Otherwise I stop reading them and go on to something else. So I’m not a proper reviewer. I’ve yet to figure out what pulls a person to a site. I once came upon a site of an old man who scolds young people. He was hilarious. He had over a million viewers and most of them replied. I’ve no idea how he grew to such a mighty state.

    I think it takes time. He probably started out as a middle aged grumpy man…

    1. And then I discovered why the print was so nice and large, I had this site set at 300%, which is why the right column had disappeared. I’ve now voted.

    2. You so crack me up. Pink loves you too and appreciates the books that she/I can review. I’m still swooning over Dan and Carrie! I’m glad that you found the page. Duh! LOL!

      Harlie/Pink

  5. A lot of people do love erotic, but there are also a lot who prefer not to. It is nice to find a blog that doesn’t review it, because there is no chance to come across naughty bits unexpectedly. I guess I’m rambling, sorry. 😉

    AquarianDancer at gmail dot com

    1. You can ramble all you want. 🙂 I decide not to review erotic because when I did, no one showed up. Opened my eyes that not everyone in the free world likes erotic. I still read some of it but I just won’t post a review anymore. 3 flames at best. 🙂

      Harlie

  6. I’ve been told by several small epublishers that erotic romance is their best-selling genre right now, so that’s where it’s at for them, their authors, and their readers. And authors who write for digital-first publishers (as well as indie authors) are those most in need of promo and publicity and blog space. If you’re looking to grow the blog, you may have to take a dip in those waters. If you don’t want kink or BDSM, you don’t have to go there. I somehow manage to write erotic romance without it, and when I spotlight fellow authors on MY blog, I try to keep it a “content-warning free zone.” So it can be done. Authors/publishers can provide G-rated excerpts and blurbs. Usually. 😉

    1. Your books are great Taryn. They are erotic but they also make sense. 😉 What I don’t like about erotic is when the sex is meaningless, pointless and there is no character development. Plus, I’m just tired of the same old kink.

      Harlie

  7. I’ve voted and hopefully done it correctly. I’m on my iPod and not my laptop so the page loads differently.
    I do enjoy the blog and I don’t read erotic.
    Thanks 🙂

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