My site is family friendly. I try to read, review and promote books that are on the "cleaner side". Books that for the most part are free of graphic sex, strong language and gratuitous violence.
Up until now I've allowed any site who is interested to participate in my hops. I check every link on the linky to make sure that there is a giveaway posted. This is not working for me anymore. I've been burned one too many times today while checking links for the Gratitude Giveaways. My eyes are in serious need of a good bleaching.
Effective December 1st only "family friendly" sites will be allowed to participate in the hops I host. You need not review only children's or young adult books to participate. I consider many sites that review only adult books to be family friendly. There are many tasteful adult book review sites out there. It is the Erotic/18+ sites that I am referring to, sites that are covered with erotic covers and steamy pictures.
I know there will be mixed feeling on this change. When I instituted the policy to require *adult* on the linky next to these sites I received many words of thanks. By excluding these blogs now I know some people will not like the change.
Ultimately I have to do what I feel is best for me and the majority of the readers of my blog. Thus I am making this change knowing I will likely lose a few followers.
I've been asked to be more specific on exactly what I mean by family friendly especially when it comes to romance, urban fantasy, paranormal, etc. I have yet to come up with a concrete black and white line. It honestly varies from site to site. If your header and sidebar have steamy book covers & pictures then your site is probably one I'm talking about. If you review the occasional romance book then I'm not referring to your site. If you are somewhere in the middle email me with a link to your site and I'll tell you which side you fall on.
The best site I can come up with for where the line is is Good Choice Reading. They just make the cut and remain on the linky: http://www.goodchoicereading.com/. They are an eclectic review site that features some "adult" books. From time to time they have a cover as part of a book review I would prefer not to see but generally their header and sidebar are not plastered with racy cover. If you've got more on your site than they do then you won't make the cut.
I hope that clarification helps.
Thank you for understanding.
Kathy,
ReplyDeleteIt's your Hop - I can respect your new criteria. :)
M
You crack me up! I too often have found my eyes in need of bleaching! Great choice, Kathy:)
ReplyDeleteHey Kathy
ReplyDeleteI started an Erotica type book blog recently and although mine isn't filled with loads of steamy pics I respect you alot for making the decision about your hops being family friendly as some blogs are a little wow with the pics, and it's true what you said your blog is Family Friendly and that's what your trying to promote. I think it's really good what your doing.
Your blog is still awesome so I don't think you'll lose any followers. lol :)
Hope you have a good day :) xx
Thank you, thank you, thank you! I've gotten uncomfortable once or twice when going through some of the hops! Bleach sure hurts in your eyes, so I look forward to not having to do that anymore :)
ReplyDeleteYou have to do what you think is best, of course! I personally review.. adult books, though I don't mind sex, language, and violence I do prefer the stories not the romances, and yeah, sometimes during these hops my eyes have been in strong need of a good bleaching! Ha. Very often, those sites are quite image heavy as well so that's another thing. So I usually skip past a lot of those sites myself. :)
ReplyDeleteI think you're perfectly in line with what you're site is about so it's a natural progression. I, for one, appreciate it because I like family friendly so now at this site, I won't have to worry!
ReplyDeleteI have no problem with you requiring a site to be family friendly--although I don't think I've ever had a "steamy cover" on my site--I also do more then just review/giveaway books on my site! They are adult books but not the type you are referring to!! I will prob give a gift cert for the upcoming anyway!!
ReplyDeleteMichele aka MikiHope
www.mikishope.com
Not a problem! While I do review some adult items and books I try to keep it low-key. I totally know what you mean about eye bleaching!
ReplyDeleteUh. Well, I guess I'm going to have to have someone check my site and tell me if it's a brain-bleacher or not. I review romance and while lately it's been tipping into the YA side, I still do some adult titles and still do an occasional title that has a couple on the cover who are in a clinch.
ReplyDeleteNothing on my site has ever come close to triggering the 18+ warning and I happen to think my blog is fairly tasteful, personally. Hannah, it may have a lot of images, but I keep them to the necessities and don't add any other scripts or anything to make the site load as fast as possible.
I guess I'm sort of at a loss here. Kathy, do you want me to email you for clarification?
Personally, I see nothing wrong with you setting parameters for your blog. I'm an adult. If I want something more, there are other blogs to go to. I happen to like your blogsite. Kudos for making a statement.
ReplyDeleteI don't really mind steamy pictures but I understand that for young people it might be too much (a lot much, actually). And I do review adults books (romance) but they are in an separate section in my review library.
ReplyDeleteAnd my site is very cute, hahahaha, so no problem for me.
As long as it makes you happy and puts you in peace with what you are doing its alright. No once can really complain, by making this hops you helped us all a lot.Thanks for that, Kathy.
Alaiel
I do occasionally review erotica, but the reviews are clean and the covers have half naked men on it, but then so do a lot of UF. Um... so to be clear, you are saying that it is only those that are obviously erotica? I think I'm with Barbara... don't mind the direction, but the requirements need to be very clear. A lot of UF/PNR that isn't considered erotica falls into the categories you state above.
ReplyDeleteThank you!! Although, I loved the "adult" last time. That was very helpful but this works too. :)
ReplyDeleteThank you! I personally appreciate this change you're making. Unfortunately the last hop I did, many were not marked adult, and with my kids running around, I had to stop hopping with some of the sites that were being pulled up.
ReplyDeleteThank you! Great idea.
ReplyDeletehey Barbara, I was just looking at your site. From my pov, you keep it clean. Your sidebars aren't covered in graphic book covers. I had to scroll down pretty far to find a book, that I didn't care for, in a post. I don't know if that's what Kathy mean neccessarily, but yours is not one I would be offended by.
ReplyDeleteI have one of the adult sites you mentioned. I'm sorry I won't be able to take part in your hops anymore, but you need to do what works best for you and your site. Best wishes for your continued success...
ReplyDeleteI was just writing Barbara an email. But I'll post here since it is being discussed. Barbara your site is tasteful and there is nothing that I object to in your header or sidebar. Scrolling down there is a book cover I don't love but it's not the focus of your blog. Giving away a book like that in a hop would not work but otherwise your site would be fine. You are in the current Gratitude Giveaway hop and I have no problem with your post for that.
ReplyDeleteThanks Jen and best wishes to you too.
ReplyDeleteI have come to know that you stand for good values and this is an example of that. I admire and support your stand. Thank you for being exemplary!!
ReplyDeleteI am all for this myself. I don't like seeing those things either. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteI agree, hate going on to sites like that through a hop, thanks!
ReplyDeleteThank you so much. My blog is family friendly and I have many followers that check out your blog hop because I am a part of it many times. I was often worried about this. I really appreciate it. Thanks.
ReplyDeleteThere's nothing more embarrassing than to be on the laptop in the family room perusing sites to have some steamy pic come up and your teenage daughter look at you and scream *eeewwwwww mom!* I completely understand the change! :-D
ReplyDeleteKathy--your blog, your hop, you do what is right for YOU! I agree with you about keeping it family friendly and even though I read a few of those steamy books every year, I am super uncomfortable with the graphics on some blogs to the point where I don't want anyone to walk by if I am reading a review on one of them. You might want to share exactly what is allowed and isn't for us romance reviewers. I figure if they have it on display at Walmart then it must be pretty safe, is that fair? Or am I missing the mark?
ReplyDeleteI was very grateful when you put the *adult* disclaimer next to the links. Thank you for making the hops even more family friendly. I hope everyone understands and you don't lose many/any followers just because of the policy change. Have a great day Kathy!!!
ReplyDeleteQuite understandable why you needed to change some policies. While I totally respect, "adult" blogs, I'm also not that quite eager to visit them or refer other people to those sites. So I'm totally rooting for this policy change. Thanks for informing us, Kathy! ;)
ReplyDeleteHi Kathy,
ReplyDeleteI promote your blog and hops in my X-treme Reading class, so I really appreciate the changes. The kids love entering the various giveaways :-) I do have my true crime and mystery blog listed for the Holiday Hop. I was going to giveaway copies of Janet Evanovich's "Visions of Sugar Plums" and homemade gift tags. Could you take a quick look at it and let me know if it meets your requirements or not? I have no problem removing it from the hop if you feel the reviews are not family friendly. http://criminalpages.blogspot.com Thanks!!
I am grataful you are making these changes. I know with the last hop, I clicked on a link and immediately shut because it was too vulgar. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteI like this change. I love that you rate books on their cleanness and prefer clean books. It used to be that there would be a decent giveaway on an adult site every now and then but now they're full of book covers I don't want to look at much less own. If it goes against the type of blog you are then you shouldn't have to let it participate in your hops.
ReplyDeleteThank you Kathy, there have been a few I have exited quickly myself. Your hops, your rules and I applaud you for taking a stand. I love your hops, they make my month, maybe we can even do one together sometime n the future!!!!
ReplyDeleteOkay, I THINK I get it. I still would prefer you perhaps discuss and come up with clear rules. I didn't want to be difficult, but do want to be able to comply with the rules. Yes, what I do have on my site was a bit much right now but it is a very rare occurrence.
ReplyDeleteI really am looking for clear guidelines not only for me, but also it would work better for you so if you have to remove someone, it is clear why.
Thanks for working hard at keeping the hops going.
It's your hop - but I'm still hoppin along!( in complete adherence to your criteria )
ReplyDeleteI like that you are implementing this policy as I have a little one. I do read those books sometimes but do not want to see them in Hops. So Thanks and I will still do all the events I can with you as you are always such a wonderful host.
ReplyDeleteYour blog, your decision, go with your guts
ReplyDeleteLike everyone has said: Your blog, your decision. I actually prefer this. Thank you for changing the policy. I appreciate it! Some people are just not comfortable with those types of books or covers.
ReplyDeleteOverwhelmingly most people are ok with the change. There are a few not so happy comment here and a couple not so happy emails but other than that I've received dozens of thank you emails so that reaffirms my decision that this is the right choice for me and my blog.
ReplyDeleteAs this is decision is not going to change I'm closing comments on this post.