Before I start, I just want to thank my friends and those who I've been talking to on twitter. This post has been beta read by several people so I'm aware of what I'm saying before it goes live. I'd also like to link you to Rachel's post, where she talks about her version of the events of the "booktube drama."
This is basically a post on my thoughts on the Thoughts on Tomes video, created in defense of booktubers over some drama. After I watched it, I felt a lot of things and quickly realized that I was the unpopular opinion. In a way, I'm terrified to write this post however, I realized that I don't know Sam [thoughts on tomes] so why should I feel scared?
This is not an attempt to throw shade at booktubing. This isn't a hate post. You know I don't roll that way. I love booktubers. Having the courage to talk on a screen in front of strangers? There's a reason I'm a blogger and not a booktuber - just saying.
Since her video was more from a booktuber's perspective, I wanted to write one from the blogger's perspective. [Like in her description box, the same comment applies: Please keep all comments civil and respectful.]
When I watched it, I found myself half in agreement and not. The intention is clear and I think it's great to see people standing up for booktubing. I'm not a genius at booktubing obviously - I'm a blogger. However, my first impression of the video was how it was called "Booktubing vs. Blogging" and IMO, I feel like the "versus" makes things sound like we're against each other.
Sponsers. Personally, I have no qualms with Sponsors either! What Sam said about being happy for the booktubers who get sponsers is totally right! I don't know if I would want to watch a sponsored video but it wouldn't change my opinion of the Booktuber. Instagram accounts also do ads for certain companies and I understand things can get annoying but also like Sam said, just don't watch the video if you don't like it.
Something that was recurring throughout the video that I didn't like was that Sam said that there was a group of bloggers that were repeatedly bashing booktube, and in a public space. Now, I'd only heard of the one incident that night on Twitter with a few people [who are my friends and are seriously sweet people.]
What kind of rubbed me the wrong way was when she stated that she'd never seen booktubers talking shit about bloggers. I didn't even go to BEA and I heard about the blogging panel where it was just booktubers throwing shade. I think we need to accept that there are bad eggs in every community and that it isn't like one is great and the other is mostly great because that isn't the case.
Also maybe it's due to my sensitivity but I felt very small while watching the video. There was nothing said about bloggers to insult us directly - quite the opposite actually. The video actually ends on a genuine and loving note and sums things up well. However, throughout the video, I just felt like the angry tone was not working for me. She's annoyed at the crap that's going on - I get it. But personal opinion? It made me uncomfortable to watch because I felt like I was on the other end of her video.
I don't know what's going on with ARCs. I've seen booktubers who have followers in triple digits getting ARCs [and a lot too!] so maybe publisherss have some kind of formula? However, from what I've seen, booktubing is only recently getting a load of success so maybe publishers are still warming up to the idea of a different way of reviewing? Either way, I do hope that one day we'll be able to both get ARCs without anyone on either platform having an advantage.
This is the biggest point I have to make. I was pretty upset at what I found was ignorance when she said that booktubing takes more time than blogging. I understand that filming, editing, sometimes hair and makeup can take a long time. But saying that booktube takes more time than blogging is plain ignorant. Personally, I make my own graphics and that alone can sometimes take days! And there are people who are slow typers too. But what I really got from the entire point was that time = effort and that isn't true at all. Whether blogging or booktubing takes more time is a discussion that could be held off for another day.
Can't we just leave it at we give time for both platforms because we're passionate about what we do?
Edit: This wasn't mentioned in the booktube video but if someone has [non hate] opinions about booktube that differ from yours, telling them to "take it to DM" is out of line. [Other people were doing this.] Opinions are NOT fact and anyone who takes them as such have only themselves to blame. Who are you to tell someone how to run their twitter? Like someone who doesn't like watching sponsor videos, those who don't like my or anyone else's opinions should take their own advice: leave.
I refuse to let anyone tell me how to run my social media. If I'm wrong about something, let me know what you think, for sure! But don't tell me what to do - especially if you don't know me.
Whoops, sorry for the mini rant. I only added that bit because I saw another post that sent me on a rage.
Again, this post is in no way meant to start up more trouble. I just figured that if someone decides to post a video and I watch it, in the name of discussion, I have the right to write a response to her points. And now I'd like to know what you think!
I don't think there is a difference between the two activities of booktubing and blogging because they are obviously around the same thing-- our love for books. This definitely throws me off a bit bec I did not know that some bloggers were hating on booktubers and vise verse. I do both, book tubing and blogger, and I just love them both equally to pieces. Although I do feel that yes, Youtube is a bigger media outlet that allows people to easily watch videos that other people take time and money to make. Booktubing has very much broadened my outlet to meeting new bloggers and authors. I've also met a lot of people at Bookcon with the same interests as Booktubing but they aren't blogggers as well! Lovely post and I would love to see more of these riveting discussions :D
ReplyDeleteAlex @ The Book's Buzz
Me neither! There's a difference in reach but that shouldn't matter when it all boils down to our love of books.
DeleteLove and appreciate all your points and your point of view! FAB POINTS Like on Rachel's post, I'm just going to address the one issue that struck out to me (and the one I feel comfortable w addressing, at this point): freedom of speech.
ReplyDeleteI did not appreciate the fact that it was mentioned that these "generalisations" (touchy topic so let me explain myself LOL those "" aren't sarcastic, they're just like me quoting off the top of my mind), which in their original form was just opinions being thrown around, could not be put on social media--a "public" space. Are we now being told that we can essentially say no wrong? I get it, y'all can tell me the opinion was "wrong", "negative", "demeaning", but what are opinions really? They can be anything? And honestly, are you really telling me that you've nevvvverrrr had an opinion that wasn't slightly negative? Me saying (hmmmm) "I hate Gong Cha bubble tea, tastes like crap" is an opinion (AND OPINIONS DON'T HAVE TO BE BASED ON FACTSURRGHH) and a negative one. And I'm sure we all have the exact some opinions on different things in our daily lives. And freedom of speech is meant to protect this, meant to give it a domain. Now sometimes I do and also equally don't get the "she's a public figure" argument, but right now, I honestly think having these opinions will directly influence readers/subscribers to think the same thing. So saying that these comments should not have been let out on social media is a bit regressive if I may say so.
man if I feel so strongly about freedom of speech, why don't I just make a post LOL I feel like I've just rambled away in your comment box, forgive me.
DeleteI MEANT TO to the "PUBLIC FIGURE ARGUMENT" that having these opinions WILL NOT INFLUENCE READERS AND SUBSCRIBERS. U can think what you think, like sure it might kind of get into your head but ultimately, I think we can all trusts ourselves to make the right conclusion that we'll be alright w. OK PEACE IM OUTTA HERE.
DeleteOh my gosh. I didn't even think of it. How true. I think the reason people got so heated was because they felt personally offended, which I can understand. No one likes generalizations on a topic that they're passionate about. HOWEVER, if someone wants to clear up those misconceptions, claiming that bloggers are being rude is NOT the way to go. I feel like no one's considered the possibility that it was not written in malice. I KNOW Rachel - she's the sweetest and since others don't know her, they are so quick to judge.
DeleteIf I say something like, I HATE indie music, no one gives two cents. But the minute I say something like I HATE booktubing (which I don't) everyone's gonna call me rude and a bully or something they come up with. Ugh. (Thanks for letting me get my rant on.)
I never actually saw the original video that started all this shit, but it makes me so sad that people are creating a divide where no divide should exist :( I mean, we're all book lovers!! Why does it have to be a contest??
ReplyDeleteMHM! But there are people who don't like booktube because of a personal preference and for some reason, that created the divide. I think it's stupid - no one is going to like everything.
DeleteI completely agree with everything you said, Nova! I only heard the full story when someone DMed me on Twitter, and it's so disappointing when things like this happen. :(
ReplyDeleteThe "booktubers don't talk shit about bloggers" thing sounds incredibly ignorant to me, too. Like, what the heck!? Yes, I remember that BEA incident from last year--shit exploded on Twitter because of that. It's not FAIR to generalize either bloggers or booktubers--both communities are friendly and, sure, have a handful of not-so-fabulous people.
And ugh, it annoys me so much when people assume that we just sit down, write a post then bam--we're done for the day. Bloggers do a lot of networking, and yes, spend time with graphics, formatting also, etc. etc., which is why I get royally pissed off with statements like this. Yes, I KNOW you spend a lot of time with your videos and that's fantastic, but you have no idea how long it takes for us to blog, so don't say anything about it. :/
I really hope nothing else blows up like this again in the future. :( Loved your post, girl!
Exactly! Blogging is SERIOUS work and it's rewarding because of our love for books. I respect booktubers because I can't make a video to save my life but I expect the same in return.
DeleteI am so happy that some amazing bloggers are brave enough to face this problem. I love both blogs and book videos. Both can be funny, insightful, informative, and entertaining. The only difference between the communities is the platform that we use. Nothing else, including the effort we put into work, the time it takes to create content, and the passion for books, changes between the platform. This whole agrument is kind of silly, like if an author started a fight with a film director. They are different types of content, but they are both just as awesome.
ReplyDeleteI also believe that people need to CALM DOWN on social media. Slamming other people for having opinions is NOT THE ANSWER. It just creates drama and hatred in the community. Everyone has their own "space" on social media, and you have no right to invade and destroy that space that is not yours.
Thanks for the post, Nova. As always, your opinion is greatly appreciated!
I'm a little iffy on booktube because i tend to not pay attention when a video is playing but that's a personal opinion. however, booktube is awesome for tags and book chats! hearing someone discuss is different from reading a review for sure!
DeleteTHE SECOND PARAGRAPH OMG. SAME EVERYTHING.
I had to try three separate times before I could get to through that entire video when it first came out. Because I can totally understand why she's hurt, but the hypocrisy just GETS TO ME. She continually talks about that "small group of bloggers" that was on Twitter. Later in the video, she says if you have a problem with someone, you need to contact them directly instead of subtweeting, etc etc. But isn't this video basically the Youtube version of subtweeting? I DON'T KNOW. IT WAS JUST HARD TO GET THROUGH.
ReplyDeleteI guess my thing is that people are always going to talk shit on Twitter. Or in real life. And I'm not saying you should have to ignore all of it, but when you put yourself into the public eye, you have to know it's going to happen eventually. That doesn't make it right, but a few bloggers just saying that they personally don't like to watch booktube all that often? In the grand scheme of things, that's basically an ant on the ground. We were speaking our opinions. In her video, she's speaking hers. That doesn't mean that any of us is right and I think I'm extra annoyed in that video because the vibe that she gives off to me is that her opinion is the right one. I think she totally has a lot of good points, that blogging and booktube shouldn't be so separated, but I just...UGH.
I think that if I were in her position, I would've totally made a video like that if I was raging angry. however, like this post, i decided to wait a while so i wouldn't say anything that came across wrong.
Deletei think she was trying to address the problem - not the people but i see what you mean.
And yes! you cannot control what people say and shaming them for it is being part of the problem. i don't hate booktube but i don't watch it regularly because videos are not how i learn. what are people going to do? shame me for my learning style? please.
I was so disappointed to see all of the backlash that has spewed forth from a few 140 character comments that were not actually directed at anyone in particular. It's sad that in today's society you can not voice anything that deviates from the popular opinion because otherwise, you'll get hate and backlash and bad names SPECIFICALLY pointed at you. Like I said on Rachel's post, sometimes I have an unpopular opinion and the only place I can turn is my notebook because I want to get my thoughts out, but the only place I can safely get them out is paper that only I will see. That's sad what with everyone screaming "freedom of speech." *slow clap for the Internet*
ReplyDeleteEven though I'm not a fan of booktubing, that doesn't mean I hate booktubers or are trying to offend them. That's just my personal preference, and I actually explained this in a blog post I wrote yesterday but just went up today. Also, I agree that blogging definitely takes a ton of effort to be successful. We work hard, just as booktubers work hard. And yes, there is negativity from both sides. It is not one sided. That's not a pleasant thing since we all love books, but the fact of the matter is that it's very much two sided. And once again, none of this means that I hate booktube or think booktubers are inferior, because they are NOT. I appreciate all book lovers, but I do PREFER my own medium of expressing my love for books.
Exactly! I used to be really afraid to speak my mind but now I'm starting to be a lot more open. We're going to make a few [or many] enemies in this world but if we're good people, then we're probably better off without those people anyway. I know that I don't really want to be friends with anyone who saying that I need to take my opinions to DM.
DeleteWell-written post from a blogger's perspective, Nova :)
ReplyDeletePersonally, even though may seem kinda simple-minded, this is what I believe: I don't see any distinction between the 2 mediums because they're both networking and spreading book love. Sure, it can get awkward when some people just want fame or money or whatever but in the end, there are people like that everywhere and it's our decision on whether or not we want to continue following their posts. And it's our decision on whether or not we would like to express an opinion that we think is inoffensive. And if people disagree with that opinion, they can say so in the most humane conversational way possible. No need to start a flame war. :)
Both booktubers and bloggers work hard on spreading their love, none of this is easy. The whole ARCs jealousy is really way too negative when the book will be released one day anyways. None of this is a competition, it's a place for expressing opinions and having fun.
I can't completely agree with that because the info is presented differently. Some people can't comprehend as well through reading and do better listening. It's like audiobooks vs. reading a book. booktubing and blogging?
DeleteI have not seen the video you are talking about, but based on your thoughts, I can totally see what you mean. It's important to realize that bloggers and booktubers put a lot of work and time into what they do. We are all sharing the love of reading and that should always best the main thing.
ReplyDelete-Lauren
I heard about this all happening and yeah, I think there is going to be a certain amount of misunderstandings on both parties on things like the amount of time people take to blog/booktube and the ARC debate. Glad you pointed out that there are definitely going to be a few bad seeds in each community who like to thrive on drama and stuff. But at the end of the day, we both love books, there should be no vs. Great post Nova!
ReplyDeleteThank you, Jeanne!
DeleteReally love this post Nova. Very well put and i agree with ALL of your points. I will continue to stand by my friends and whatever opinions they have. Down with hypocrisy!
ReplyDelete<3 Britt
I've never actually watched a booktuber. I haven't even heard the term before until now. But I do post book reviews via video for my blog sometimes. . . I guess that's the same thing?
ReplyDeleteI definitely agree with you on the "if you don't like, just don't watch it," rule. I mean, it only makes sense. If someone doesn't like my video or my blogpost, why would they put themselves through the torture of finishing it?
I know nothing about competition ARC-wise, or sponsor-wise.
But I do know that writing a blogpost and making a video take the same time and effort. Okay, with the exclusion of actually uploading the video to youtube, but that's only because I have bad internet where I live and it takes, like, two hours to upload a video. (Not that there's much effort on my part, I wake up early and nap in between occasionally moving the mouse so the computer doesn't sleep also. . .) Blog posts take a ton of time too. Editing, finding or making pictures, taking photos. . . just coming up with topic ideas! And then, not everyone does, but we followers feel loved when you do, there's the replying to comments. I don't know if booktubers reply to comments or not. But that can be very time consuming also.
This was an awesome post! And I think you've written it quite well. :)
Okay but uploading takes time, not effort. And time does not equal effort. you could spend hours doing something, only for it to not look good. It's sad but it's true.
DeleteAnd I think that it would've been kind of cool if the video featured Sam AND a blogger. That would've been an interesting discussion and I would've felt more represented.
Very true time doesn't equal effort.
DeleteTwo sides of the story in one always work out better!
YOUR BIGGEST POINT: I re-watched the video and she said she put the same amount of thought and effort into her blog posts and videos. She did mention that for her personally it took her longer to make videos, but some people have different strengths. She may be quicker and more efficient at putting together a blog than whipping out a video. I don't think you can call her ignorant for that. She said she puts the same amount of thought and effort into both.
ReplyDeleteI didn't even watch the full video because she started listing reasons why booktube would take longer. That was enough for me. And why mention something like that in the first place only to nullify it with "I put the same amount of effort" so while I totally respect your opinion, and I do, I can't agree with it.
DeleteAnd if you take into account that she said she's never seen a booktuber talk shit about a blogger as some kind of proof, that is a display of ignorance. Right this. To be honest, some of that video feels so misinformed to me.
DeleteI can 100 % say I have never seen a booktubers talk shit about a book blogger. And I have never seen a book blogger talk shit about a booktuber. I am completely out of the loop!!! I had NO idea this was even an issue. My mind set is all " we are all gushing about books. Why are we all arguing?" But I guess my happy book community bubble has been popped. Thanks for replying. :)
DeleteOkay but I can't see that as an excuse or any reason. And in a way, its irrelevant to the topic at hand. So what if people don't see it. I didn't see it either - to be quite honest! However, that doesnt mean it isn't happening and I can't pretend it isn't happening.
DeleteYes! Yes to all of this. I felt exactly like you did- all the same points, right down to feeling uncomfortable with the tone. See, my opinion is basically this: If someone doesn't like something, that's FINE! Who cares? Not everyone likes me, or my blog, or whatever! You cannot please ALL the people, it simply isn't possible. So with that in mind, someone saying "book blogs are kind of stupid" (not SPECIFIC blogger is stupid, that's different) would not even almost bother me. Who cares? Then that person won't be reading. Done and done.
ReplyDeleteThis whole thing would have never even been on anyone's radar had the conversation just been left to those people, and died out naturally, as conversations do. But someone got their feelings hurt, stirred up a lot of nonsense, and we somehow ended up with a young woman receiving death threats!? NOPE.
But the biggest thing (aside from the death threat, of course) that stuck out for me was the level of hypocrisy. I mean, you're mad that some people are talking about you... so you talk about THEM? You're mad that they're critiquing your platform so... you critique theirs?! You chastise them for speaking publicly on Twitter so you... do the same thing? I just don't understand. I mean, was there a point to all this, or was it just a couple of people who got the sads because a few bloggers didn't like booktube? Because after the freaking out, the video responses, the threatening... I am going to just assume it was the latter. Fabulous post, Nova!!
Shannon @ It Starts At Midnight
EXACTLY OMG. I feel like people are so GODDAMN SENSITIVE [cue someone coming in and telling me to stop generalizing] There's a difference between being rude and taking things too personally.
DeleteALL my friends think books are stupid? I love my friends enough to not care. And I tell one friend I hate soccer, which is her life. WE DON'T CARE because we know what WE like and other peoples' opinions are... well.... opinions.
If I were in the chat and I said something like I don't really like booktube, I wouldn't be apologizing. if you're taking it personally, whyyyyyyy???? i never said anything about you - i'm sure you're a nice person so why do you take my opinion as a representation of WHO I AM. UGH.
Straight from Rachel's blog : "I mourned how from what I've seen booktubers do lots of flailing and savvy camera shots and angles for their reviews and not much actual content." If this is a conversation she had amongst friends on Twitter, then it sounds like cyberbullying to me. Can't we all support each other and encourage each other to spread bookish news in which ever form we choose. I guess I can only speak for my actions and say I will never shame or put someone down for the hard work they put into providing me bookish content I love. I appreciate each and every one of you for providing a community that I can rely on for bookish friendship. It takes courage to jump on a public platform and share you personal opinions and thoughts on books. The last thing I will ever do is discourage the continued making of this bookish content by shaming you and providing negative commentary on your efforts. Haha sounds a little preachy but maybe this should be the book community motto.
ReplyDeleteIt's an opinion. If you're calling it cyberbullying, i feel its INSENSITIVE to people who have been cyber bullied. She had an opinion and I fully support her for it. She never directly tagged anyone, she just said what she felt. That's a human right.
Deleteare you trying to say you've never had a negative opinion on anything? And yes, its brave to talk about what you feel. Which is what Rachel did and what got her labelled as "cyberbully" (and also got her a death threat.)
Death threats are never okay!!!!!
DeleteI have negative feelings, but I am mindful of how I behave on social media and I guess this is where we can agree to disagree. I'm not one for bashing people on the internet. I think the only positive I can pull from this is I have discovered a bunch of new book content creators. lol Have a nice night and thanks again for responding to my comments.
DeleteBeing mindful doesn't mean you aren't allowed to say what you feel. To be completely honest, our entire discussion feels like us using the same words but having different meanings. Like to me, what Rachel did was not nearly close to "bashing." I've seen bashing - where specific booktubers are called out for their "annoying voices." And if anything, I feel like SOME of those who responded to Rachel were not "mindful of their behavior" either (I promise I'm not making fun of your words - I just wanted to quote them because they're yours so I'm not copying.)
DeleteWell, thank you for an insightful discussion.
I watched that video, and as a blogger, I honestly agree, her tone makes me uncomfortable. It felt more like even more booktube love that actually properly discussing booktube and blogging. And yes, I'm uncomfortable with the title. Booktubing VS Blogging? Really? Why not Booktubing and Blogging? That title makes me uncomfortable, as does the whole video.
ReplyDeleteThe whole incident in general is just hypocritical in general, but Shannon Miz articulated it so well already. I don't even want to think about it further.
I agree with this statement. If we want to discuss the differences, we need someone who is neither because I feel like we're all going to be biased some way or another.
DeleteI just found out that Rachel was the one who'd received that death threat, and it felt like my heart dropped into my stomach, because I KNOW Rachel, I KNOW she's a sweet person, and I read her post and I fully agreed with what she said about freedom of speech. Everyone has the right to have their own opinions. If their opinion clashes against someone else's, it is NOT an attack against that person, unless they personally said it to them. So I can't understand: why the fuck would people think that a conversation Rachel was having with her friend and no one else, in which she stated her honest thoughts to her friend, would take it as a personal attack against booktubers. EVEN if she was generalizing the booktubing community, she had in no way directed any kind of hate or negativity toward them.
ReplyDeleteI didn't watch the entire video, mainly because it was 16-freaking-minutes long and I have a short attention span, and because I think I have a pretty good idea of what it was about, so I don't want to waste my time. To be honest, the other points you made about the video didn't bother me as much as they probably should have. I don't CARE if bloggers talk shit about booktubers, and likewise, I don't care if booktubers talk shit about bloggers. They can do what they want; it doesn't mean I have to take their thoughts as an attack against my person or what I am doing. But what really annoyed me was the major point you wrote about: her ignorance about blogging. Whoever thinks that time = effort is, quite frankly, an idiot. I can spend five hours studying, but not putting in an effort to concentrate and absorb what I'm reading. Or I can spend an hour doing the exact same thing, but make sure I don't get distracted and am taking down the notes I need. There is such a huge difference between the two.
Honestly, I am so tired of all the drama in the blogosphere. I swear, fights blow up at every itty bitty thing because people can be so sensitive. I just want the good old days back.
SAME! SAME! Like holy eff, if you don't like what I say about a GENERAL topic, then unfollow me. I think we'd both be better off. And using our personal experiences to say our opinions is NOT generalizing. "This is what I think from what I've seen" HOW IS THAT GENERALIZING OMF.
DeleteI feel like that video could've translated into a blog post that would only take me half the time to read which is why I do prefer blogs. i read REALLY fast and can't stand to sit through a video, especially when it's 1t6 minutes. but again, PERSONAL OPINION.
So I finally watched the video, and I agree with maybe 55% of it. I think it's hard to find an unbiased opinion on such a subject. I think people who blog and booktube might have a preference (which they are totally allowed to have!). And bloggers and booktubers probably understand the whole tension/conflict/issue best, so it's hard to find an unbiased view. I think this post pretty much balances out the video so well. Smash these two together and we have the perfection combination! Sorry, off topic...
ReplyDeleteAnyway, I agree that her tone made me really uncomfortable. Because of what I and two others said, she feels the need to patronize everyone. The fact that she thinks bloggers bash booktubers and it never is the other way around is totally ridiculous. She talks about how we should all be nice to one another and get over all this conflict yet her tweets and RTs and discussing and ranting about the convo on twitter really caused this to blow up!! She personally spends more times on her video editing than her blogging, but that is a personal preference. Editing a video (IMO) is the equivalent to formatting a blog post. Recording the video is our writing the review in the first part.
I just don't know. I wish we could all work together, and I realize my opinions didn't help the situation at all.... I'm glad I got people discussing in general though, and I've seen some people working through their problems with one another so that's good.
Lovely post, hun!
I still feel awful for you. you said what you felt, never actually being mean to someone in specific.
DeleteI get that hers was a personal preference. but like, why say it? it isn't a valid point in the discussion between the two? i was pretty annoyed at how she felt the need to say that part. it idnd't make much sense.
i like the idea of all of us working together. maybe one day there won't be such a divide between the mediums :/
Very well said, Nova. I used to vlog about books about a year ago but I deleted the channel after I became uncomfortable with it. There are great points all around and I personally don't really have sway to either side except that this "saying that booktube takes more time than blogging" makes me furious. I totally agree with you, that was just plain wrong to say. I hate assumptions like these! As someone who did both, I can say that for me, personally, blogging takes a whole hell of a lot longer. My blog takes up my entire life sometimes, and it takes me HOURS to write a single post. Like you, I also make my own graphics. Seeing that like said is really hurtful. It's even worse because I feel like booktubers have such a huge audience and can be heard by a lot more voices. Not because of time or effort or quality, but because of the medium. IMO (I feel like I have to say this constantly, sadly) more people are turning to a more visual means of entertainment like YouTube rather than reading and exploring blogs. Plus if you are on YouTube it seems like there is a greater chance of stumbling onto a book blog, so it makes me sad that so many people are now going to have negative opinions on book bloggers. Anyways, great post, I'm with you.
ReplyDeleteThe audience thing is a FACT. I'm not angry about it or anything. I love the platform I use. However, people who are saying, "there's no difference between the two" make me iffy. of course there's a difference. the statement i make is "should the difference matter?'
Deletenova!! i totally agree with this post. although i love booktube, there were some things that irked me and i'm glad you brought it up. i was quite annoyed that she said booktubing takes longer. i feel like it just SEEMS longer because there's actually a time set (i.e. video is 15min long, etc.) as opposed to blogging which can easily be spread out. lovely post and i hope the feud between everyone has ended! xox alexandra @ twirlingpages
ReplyDeleteI havent watched her video yet but I will tomorrow when I have more time. And I always thought that booktubers take more time than book bloggers but you are def. right, Nova! Creating graphics, typing, buying a domain, etc. takes up time too! Thanks for making me realize that. Also, I wish there will also be a balance when it comes to ARCs because both booktube & book blogs are awesome! It would be sad if publishers favored one of the other because we all put our hard work to promote their books. I also read Alise's comment and I agree about how booktube has a larger audience (well thats what it seems like to me) so if one booktuber have like a conflict with a book blog and that booktuber posts a video about it, it'll make US book bloggers look bad b/c their audience probably havent even read a book blog..
ReplyDeleteI do watch sams video my thoughts on booktubing I do love it <3 but actually making it a video is expensive. For my own experience I have only recently discovered these types of blogs now and I wanna join in. It is more affordable for me to make blogspot than a video I will still watch booktube regardless. On that note I'm also improving my grammar overall its is a win. When I was trying to make booktube video a huge portion that frustrated me was the larger audience. I needed to have all these fancy pants equipment just to have a conversation with viewers. that did turned me off from the idea of making videos. good post.
ReplyDeleteI just started booktubing and I totally agree. I'm fortunate to have a tripod and a really expensive camera hidden away in the attic but not everyone has that - i mean, i only JUST found it and I've been making videos on and off for quite some time. Plus, there's software for editing. But on the flipside, for blogging, there is also money for design and that can be REALLY expensive. Platform isn't free necessarily and again, I'm fortunate to be able to use Blogger and get my design free [because the designer was building a portfolio] but i definitely recognize that neither is "free" and both take effort. Really, I think we should respect each other because now that I've done both, WOW these booktubers take lots of time! picking background music alone took ten minutes.
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