*EDIT: This post was not created to attack anyone in specific. This is in response to EVERYONE who thinks that those who enter a lot of giveaways are out to profit or snatch up everything for themselves. This is apparently a hot topic among bloggers that I was not aware of. Being a chronic giveaway tweeter, I thought I'd share my side*
So I've been blacklisted...
I came across a post today about people who enter too many giveaways, sell their winnings,win multiple copies of books, or only use their Twitter accounts for giveaway entries. After commenting, I saw in this person's Twitter feed that they were talking about me specifically as an offender. Apparently there is a Twitter code that I was not aware of. It is NOT ok to tweet about too many giveaways. If you do this, your name is thrown into the "never gonna happen" pile and even if your name does come up as a winner, a new one will be chosen.
I sent this person an email and I thought I would share those thoughts with you too. This is the email I sent to this person (minus the last few sentences in which their blogs are mentioned out of respect for their privacy) and I'm only sharing it here so that you can understand my side, NOT to attack the recipient:
"So I just came across your Twitter remarks about me and I figured I'd just
email you to air this all out and clear up a few things. I never sell books that
I win. Ever. If I don't like a book or don't want to keep it, I pass it along
through my own giveaways or on Freecycle. Second, I never accept second copies
of books that I win unless they come in a multiple book giveaway. In that case,
I again use them for my own giveaways or pass them along to other people I know
who want to read them. Yes, I tweet a crap ton of giveaways, usually at night
while I am sitting with the husband watching who knows what I will go through my
daily tweets. Do I win a lot? Yes, I do. Why do I win? Because I do these tweets
almost daily. Does it look badly on me? Sure. Is Twitter an effective way to win
giveaways? Of course. But if someone has a problem with people using Twitter to
enter giveaways then they shouldn't have that as an option.
Why do I enter so many giveaways? Simple: if I don't win it, I probably
won't be able to read it. I am a stay at home mother of two kids. My son has
special needs and I have a TON of meetings for him that I need to be able to go
to at short notice. Hence my lack of a job. Reading is my sanity. I spend most
of my free time reading, which is everyday that my kids are in school. Winning
gift cards is how I contribute to my household. If I can win a gift card to
Amazon or Walmart, that's less money that is taken out of our already tight
budget to buy stuff for my kids. The more books I can win to read, the less I
have to buy.
I'm sorry if this puts me on the blacklist. I'm not out to win the
world. I don't have a ton of different accounts to enter giveaways a bunch of
times and I don't cheat. I just do a crap ton of daily tweets. That's what that
option is there for, to do it daily."
Now I may be in the wrong here and shouldn't have emailed them, but I don't like being accused of things and I simply wanted to let them know why I enter a ton of giveaways. Will this change their opinion of me? Probably not, and that's too bad. In fact, I probably won't even get a response, but that's ok.
I'm writing this post for several reasons. One, I know that there are a lot of other people who use Twitter for giveaways. I would hate to see these people end up with the same fate as me. But who is to say how you use your own account? If it were against Twitter rules to use tweets as giveaway entries, this wouldn't be an option.
Do I use my Twitter for giveaways? Heck yes. Those daily tweet options add up. More often than not, winners of my own giveaways are those that have done a lot of the daily tweets. Do I care? No, because they are just doing what the rules allow and they are also promoting my blog. How is that bad? But something else I want to mention is this: For people like me, shy and not sure how to go about creating new friendships, you aren't going to make much progress in the blogging community. I've tried many times to start discussions on Twitter and no one responds. I've responded to other people and have been ignored. It's upsetting and it's frustrating. Honestly, it just feels like I'm sitting there talking to myself and that's not fun. I keep trying though and hopefully my Twitter will be deemed more than just a giveaway account. I'd love to sit and talk with people, I just don't know how to go about starting those conversations.
Secondly, just because someone enters a lot of giveaways it doesn't mean that they are selling their winnings, cheating, or hoarding dozens of copies of books. Just because you can cruise through their mailbox posts and see what is coming in, you have no way of knowing what is going out. Who is to say what you do with your books anyway? Why can't you keep them? If you are hosting a giveaway and have a specific idea of what you want your giveaway book to be used for, specify that. If you don't want certain people entering your giveaway because you want to send that book to someone you know, why have the giveaway in the first place? Just send that person the book and live stress free.
If you have an issue with someone who is entering your giveaways, tell them. Email them. If you are using Rafflecopter, their emails are readily available to you. Or you can DM them on Twitter. It will save you a lot of time and anger.
Lastly, if I have been blacklisted on your blog as well, please send me an email at bookcoverjustice (at) comcast (dot) net and let me know. I don't want to waste your time or mine.
Wow, a twitter blacklist for this? Well, I guess I'm on it, b/c I enter a TON of giveaways and tweet them all. Plus I tweet my friend's blog post giveaways whenever they have them. People can black list me all they want, which is just ridiculous IMO.
ReplyDeleteWho knew, right?
DeleteWow! I would guess I'm on it too because I always tweet for giveaways. I'm curious as to where I could look to see if I was on the list. I know you probably don't want to put the name of who it is on your blog, but you could email me at buffywnabe at gmail dot com if you wouldn't mind sharing so I could check on my name as well! Like you said, why waste time if someone isn't even going to give you a chance!
ReplyDeleteUnfortunately, they don't list names. I happened across their post and commented on it. I just happened to see them talking about me on Twitter and using a screen shot of my comment (which has since been removed, apparently) so I knew for sure it was directed at me. And I agree, why open up a giveaway to everyone if you only want certain people to win?
DeleteThat's pretty ridiculous. Like you said, you're only doing the available options. It's easy just to ignore tweets you don't want to read, so I don't think you should be penalized for doing it. You seem really lucky with giveaways, but it's obviously because you're putting the effort into it.
ReplyDeleteI am lucky, and I'm extremely grateful too. But it's true, I put a lot of effort into entering, sometimes hours a day doing the daily tweets. I look at it as kind of like my job, I want to contribute to my household and giveaways give me a way to do that.
Deleteeeks! I have never heard of this. I would love to know who is doing the blacklist, and who is on it. How would I know if I were on it? It's so random and weird. I will fully admit that I primarily use my twitter to promote giveaways. Who cares. I blog, I write reviews, I just don't use twitter for outreach. That's what these blog comments are for. Now I'm all bothered by this, and I would love to know if and where I've been banned so I don't bother going to that person's website. I often visit sites just to look around, and while I'm there I will enter their giveaways if they have any.
ReplyDeleteI think the main issue is that people aren't commenting on posts and are only entering the giveaways, which I understand. I am totally guilty of not leaving enough comments, which I'll have to work on.
DeleteI often won't comment either unless I think it is a book to die for! I never enter for anything I wouldn't want to read, but some things, like an ARC of The Dream Thieves, would have gotten me to do so much more than some other title.
DeleteI am totally shocked! I enter a lot of giveaways too as I'm home with a serious illness and confined to bed most days. I actually do read all the blogs whose contests I enter and I like to support my favorite bloggers by entering and tweeting their giveaways. It doesn't seem fair to penalize people for helping to promote your blog! I will be sure to chat you up if I see you on Twitter!
ReplyDeleteI do too, but I don't comment most of the time. I'm usually days behind on reading blog posts and by the time I read them there isn't really much I can add to the comments that hasn't already been said so I just don't. Clearly I need to work on this. And yes, chat me up! :)
DeleteI guess my name as been added, too. I am a struggling college student. I can barely afford books for my classes and the money I do get goes to that. I love reading, but don't have the kind of money to just throw around and get books whenever I want.
ReplyDeleteIf I do send a tweet for a giveaway I try to limit it to only one or two a day.
ReplyDeleteIt seems like if they don't want you to take advantage of the daily tweet, then they shouldn't offer that option.
That is pathetic! That is so stupid!!!
ReplyDeleteBlacklist a person because he/she tweets giveaways?! Then take that option out of the giveaway form for Christ sake. I'm sure going to be added to one of those lists since I tweet every giveaway I participate - those who have the daily tweet option that is.
What if I tweet a lot of giveaways?! First, the account is mind and I do whatever I want with it. Second, I'm not rich to buy all the books I want so, if I see a giveaway with an amazing prize or a book I want, I try all my luck to win it, even if I have to tweet about it every single day.
This is such beyond ridiculous. I didn't even know there was such a thing.
Thanks for sharing this. I'm sure I wasn't the only one who didn't know about this. I hope you get through this.
XX Ner
I also tweet a ton of giveaway stuff...I only signed up for twitter to do giveaways and to help promote authors and bloggers. I didn't know there was a blacklist for this...that makes me sad since I have been spending time entering these...they should state these things before wasting our time on them. I also sell the books to a local used bookstore I support after I read them. I ALWAYS try any books I win and finish most of them. I then ALWAYS leave a review on Amazon, goodreads, and sometimes on my tumblr. I find it offensive that people have a list that they sift through that they will not award those people the things that they win if they tweet to much or enter to many giveaway's...if they don't like how we are entering, set up something else. Or don't host them. I would love to read and review these books, but if that isn't what we are supposed to be doing, then let me know please rather than putting me down privately. This is a form of judgement and bullying in my opinion. NOT COOL!
ReplyDeleteI would like to add on that I do keep some books, but just can't keep them all in our small apt. plus, I think it is nicer to be able to pass good reads back into a used book store for others to discover new authors! and what a lovely surprise to open it and find it signed sometimes!
DeleteI enter a lot of giveaways. Do I win? Not so much, but I enter almost everything that I come across (usually whatever lands up in my email from blogs I subscribe to. I don't have the time or patience to seek out giveaways). There are many books I enter for that I wouldn't typically read and likely don't end up reading if I don't win. It's nothing against the book or the author, there's just not time. Like others, I can't keep every book (which is why I prefer Kindle) and I pass on a lot of what I get to review or win. Keep doing what you're doing - some people are just closed minded.
ReplyDeleteAll I got to say is karma's a bitch.
ReplyDeleteAll those bloggers that are not giving the win to the person who was chosen, despite their Twitter habits should get their just desserts from the karma fairy.
Disgusting to think I could be one that is blacklisted as well. All I tweet is giveaways. Don't like it? I don't care! Go ahead and blacklist me, I'll just host my own giveaway. Rotten pricks.
This is the first time I've heard of this twitter back-list thing, and excuse my language but this is just the biggest bullshit I've ever heard. What the hell is wrong with people? first of all, if you don't want people to tweet tons of giveaway tweets, how 'bout not putting it as an option or not making it a daily option? I mean, we're just doing what the rules allow to make our chances of winning bigger. And yes, we ARE trying to win(and I almost never win). Is that wrong of us? Is it wrong of us to love books and wish to get a free book? heck - free books are great no matter what. Books cost money, money that doesn't come out of nowhere. We can't just be idle and buy any book we want (unfortunately), because then we'll be broke in about two seconds flat. Is there anything wrong with trying to winning a book so you won't have to buy it? And if it is, don't put it in a giveaway. As you said, just give it to a RL friend. I mean, seriously.
ReplyDeleteAnd maybe there ARE some people selling their winnings. I've not seen/heard of those, but even so - is that not allowed? They won, fair and square, so they can do whatever they want with what's theirs. Again, if you've a problem with that, don't give the book away.
I'm a blogger. I host giveaways. The winner is the winner (unless he/she cheated), and whatever he/she do with their book is up to them. Of course I wish they'll read and enjoy it, but if they want to make a profit of it; good for them.
Anyways, seeing this blacklisting thing pissed me off. Wonder where and how much I'm blacklisted.
Sorry 'bout the long comment. Too many feels on the subject.
That's just really sad. I think a lot of people, myself included, enter giveaways not to be greedy, but to try and get books that they wouldn't otherwise be able to afford. I try to not to enter giveaways for books I don't want or already have, and if I win multiple copies I don't take them all unless they send them to me without telling me that I've won.
ReplyDeleteI guess I just don't understand why they care if you enter lots of giveaways. They're still getting the blog traffic and the followers. And I look at all the blogs i follow daily for posts that interest me. Does this mean I read every post on every blog? No. But then I don't enter every giveaway they have either.
Well I'm giveaway tweeting bitch too. I'm shocked read this blacklisting things on tweeting giveaway. Maybe I'm one of the blacklisted account since my twitter is mostly for giveaway. If my tweet offended anybody, just tell me, I'd be too happy to get rid my tweet out of you!!!
ReplyDelete*takes a deep breath*
Amen!
ReplyDeleteI enter lots of giveaways too, but I don't tweet links for reasons of simple math. I don't have many followers, but I figure if even one of them enters the giveaway, they'll get many more entries than the two or so I'll get for tweeting the link. Plus it saves time and I'm not branded as a twitter-spammer, since I really only use my Twitter for following blogs and the occasional Twitter party with an author. But there's no reason why you shouldn't be able to tweet daily if it's an option! Otherwise why is it there!?
It would have been much better manners for that blogger to have contacted you directly, or at the very least put out a blog post explaining their blacklisting policy. It's just unfair for you to be supporting their blog with your entries and having them simply discard your entries because you broke a policy you didn't know they had, and that was fully within the rules of the giveaway.
Is it considered bad to enter lots of giveaways in general? I would think that if you're an active blogger who follows many blogs and reads a lot of books, then it would follow that you would enter the giveaways that interest you. Isn't that the point? I never enter for books I don't want, unless there are multiple prizes offered, and then if I win something I don't want, I ask the blogger to please give it to the next person. I've heard that some bloggers see this as ungrateful, but isn't it better to pass on a prize you don't actually want?
I am so confused and bewildered...
I find that idea simply absurd. I would never blacklist someone from a giveaway simply because they enter too many giveaways or tweet too much. I use punchtab who chooses a winner by random. If one person is more committed to regular tweets and promo than someone else they are increasing their own odds of winning. Everyone could do it, but only some choose to do it. If I ever chose you for a winner on Closed the Cover I wouldn't pick someone else. Go win your stuff!
ReplyDelete