To TeamAmity,
My apologies for being a sore loser and claiming that you won the DivergentNation challenge by cheating when I have no proof. There were no rules against one person clicking or requesting someone to click links multiple times therefore it would be impossible for you to be cheaters since there was no rule being broken. My inferring that you were was false and wrong.
I made some assumptions based on the communication I had received from HarperTeen and my own personal feelings and beliefs on the subject. No matter what I believe or what my opinion on the subject is I conducted myself poorly and apologize for doing so.
For my blog followers who I've let down by my less than professional handling of this situation I'm sorry. Feel free to "unfollow" me, "unlike" me, etc. There are 1,000s of other fabulous book bloggers out there. I hope you can find some wonderful new blogs to follow.
To the bloggers and authors I regularly interact with if you wish to be removed from the hops or bookblasts I host please let me know.
To those who understood my post for what it was thank you for your understanding.
Kathy
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Hmm...I'm not sure what to say except that these kinds of events can get people to be...overly passionative.
ReplyDeleteWhat was at stake anyways?
Overly passionative = me :)
DeleteEveryone needs to vent at times. This is your place to do so.
ReplyDeleteThanks Linda, I appreciate your understanding and the comment you left on the other post as well.
DeleteThank you, Kathy, for your apology. I do understand your frustration, and it means a lot to me that you clarified. I hope the next promotion you participate in will bring you only happiness.
ReplyDeleteI understand where you're coming from. I admit I was one of those who clicked the links probably more than was healthy and may have helped Team Amity win, but I think the real point of the promotion was simply to spread the love and have fun, which I most certainly did! I still think you're awesome!
ReplyDeleteThanks Debz :)
DeleteNow that is how someone apologizes!!
ReplyDeleteWhile I thought your post was aimed at how the contest was handled (poorly) from the publishers side of things, and also while I had nothing to do with the event and was pretty clueless this past month, I think it's respectful to admit that you might have inferred wrong doing on Team Amity's part.
Of course, now I really, really want to read Divergent!
This is not the first time in my life I've had to eat humble pie... maybe it will be the last.
DeleteI too was going to say "now that is an apology!". Thanks for owning up to what you did and acknowledging how it affected people. I will still follow you because of that!
DeleteI too was going to say "now that is an apology!". Thanks for owning up to what you did and acknowledging how it affected people. I will still follow you because of that!
DeleteThanks Jana :)
DeleteI think it's pretty silly to really get upset over, but that's my opinion. Thank you for your apology though, and I'm still a follower. We're all human. :)
ReplyDeleteYes you are right it was silly to get so upset over the situation. If I had it to do over again - I wouldn't.
DeleteI really respect you for apologizing. Personally, I don't think that you insulted Team Amity in your previous post, but that's just my opinion. Either way, it takes a good person to apologize like you did. I know I will continue to follow your blog, and I hope that other people do too.
ReplyDeleteThanks Abbey for your kind reply :)
DeleteI think it really got blown overboard and I think you were just disappointed and venting and didn't mean it to, so I don't blame you. What a humble apology. I'm sure quite a few of those comments hurt quite a bit, so good for you! Sometimes we learn lessons the hard way. You're still one of my favorite bloggers! Thank goodness life goes on. :)
ReplyDeleteThanks :)
DeleteI agree with Abbey Ann totally.
ReplyDeleteYou were frustrated at the rules and not anyone else.
I follow many book bloggers and I'd like to say that... this is your blog, you started it with passion for reading, and don't let anything else get to you.
Remember, it's yours and even though you should express yourself kindly for the readers, you had every right to post what you had on your mind.
Thanks my anonymous friend :)
DeleteI don't think you getting passionate about something is a reason to unfollow you Kathy. I really like what you do on your blog, your reviews are great also. I'm sticking around :) Don't let this get you down, keep being great!
ReplyDeleteI really didn't think you had anything to apologize for but it's good that you were the bigger person and clarified. Though I thought it was clear what you meant and you included examples. Plus... it is your blog. I'd rather get a real response from a blogger any day.
ReplyDeleteIt's been like 24 hours since I read your last post, but I never got the impression that you were disrespectful to TeamAmity or accused them of cheating. It seemed you were more upset at the publishers and anyone else involved in hosting the contest for not having better rules and following through with their promises.
ReplyDeleteIn any case, I'm sure the apology is appreciated.
+JMJ+
ReplyDeleteI don't feel let down by you at all, Kathy. =) As you've admitted, the first post could have been written differently, but I think you were very justified in airing your concerns. I agree with whomever pointed out in the comments under that post that inasmuch as the contest involved all your readers, followers and contest entrants, and not just the publisher and the author, it was perfectly appropriate for you to share your concerns with us. This apology may have been necessary, but it doesn't invalidate your main point. I'm happy to continue following and supporting your blog. =)
Where else can we book bloggers vent but on our own space? I wasn't a part of this promotion but I read your last post and didn't think you attacked anyone. You were obviously disappointed in how the promotion was handled by The Powers That Be (it DOES smack a bit of manipulation at the blogosphere's expense), for yourself and for ALL the other bloggers that took part, winning team or not. If everyone puts in a great deal of time and effort and then things go awry, of course there is bound to be disappointment.
ReplyDeleteThis is a heartfelt and humble apology anyway, so I really hope those who were offended by your last post, for whatever reason, accept it with good grace. Come on everyone, don't let a slightly misfired publisher promotion tear the book blogging world apart - there's quite enough of that going on already! :D
When i read your blog i didn't get the impression you were against team amity or another it was again the pulisher and the way the rules weren't clair or respected
ReplyDeleteBut i think it's great that you apologize to the one who felt hurt so no problem for me, i will still follow you and if i didn't already i would do it seeing how you handled the situation
take care
I would not worry about it. You have a right to vent. Personally I think other bloggers are getting way too upset about what other bloggers say on their blogs and are making big mountains out of nothing that only makes them look bad and hurts bloggers. I wish it would stop.
ReplyDeleteKathy, I didn't get the impression that (in your earlier post) you called anyone a cheater. I got that you were very unhappy with Harper Teen. While this was a lovely apology, I don't think you needed to make one. This is your blog, this your place to be passionate & express yourself. If someone doesn't like what you have to say-they should unfollow & unlike you.
ReplyDeleteI'm sticking with you! :-)
I agree....I read your post yesterday and thought you were right to express your disappointment and frustration with the way the whole event was run; especially the lack of rules and failure to follow-through on promises by the publisher.
ReplyDeleteKathy you are passionate about books and you have helped so many of us with smaller blogs grow that you have nothing to apologize for.
I agree....I read your post yesterday and thought you were right to express your disappointment and frustration with the way the whole event was run; especially the lack of rules and failure to follow-through on promises by the publisher.
ReplyDeleteKathy you are passionate about books and you have helped so many of us with smaller blogs grow that you have nothing to apologize for.
I just read your post and I also think that you were mostly unhappy with the way the contest was handled, not with any specific team. I actually appreciate the information provided and hope that in the future book-marketing people will be more careful.
ReplyDeleteI don't think you had anything to apologize for. You were frustrated with how it was handled. I didn't see any accusations of cheating in there at all. Its ridiculous that anyone would take it personally.
ReplyDeleteHi Kathy!
ReplyDeleteI read your first post yesterday and really liked it. Firstly, because you expressed your thoughts and stood up for bloggers. Secondly, it's not very often that bloggers do that with publishers nad I think it was your right to do that. I did agree with your post from yesterday.
I think it is cool that you wrote this post, too. I don't think it was necessary, but it's nice.
I have followed your blog from the first day I started my own blog and I have admired your passion and time you put into it. Your blog is one of the blogs I visit daily and I often find myself thinking that there are not many bloggers like you.Thank you for doing what you do!
inga from Me and Reading
I was really disappointed by your previous post because I thought it was full of assumptions and bitterness. And this being on the heels of another drama in the book world that was more important but devastating put me off. However, your apology is so sincere and heartfelt. This is the apology someone should give when their wrong. Which we all are at one time or another.As long as it doesn't happen again, you always have a reader here.
ReplyDeleteKathy, I am still dumbfounded at how Harperteen organized this event. The work you put into this "contest", with at best a murky prize, was incredible. I didn't take your original post as being upset with anyone except how the event was organized. I think all of us bloggers need to step back and truly look at the hoops some publishers want us to jump through for a free book. I think another blogger figured out that those free arcs actually cost us money if we were being paid to blog about them. We spend countless hours reading, writing, posting our reviews to other sites where they make money off us. If they expect us to be professional by posting our reviews on time and spending money to giveaway books to build readership, than they can at least give us the same courtesy. Not many book blogger actually make money since the time, effort and expense to build up a readership doesn't ever equate to a monetary gain.
ReplyDeleteYou have such a wonderful reach in getting new authors a bit of publicity that they deserve and I know they appreciate you. I appreciate you. You are probably the most selfless person I have ever met online. You don't need to apologize for stating your views.
I have to agree with Mary!! BTW... for me sponsored post run anywhere from $75 to $300 a post so to post so many times to get an ARC is amazing to me!! I appreciate that you apologized but also agree this is YOUR blog YOUR place to say whatever YOU feel!! {{HUGS}}
DeleteI saw the original post as more of a disappointment w/the publisher and how the contest was handled than anything else.
ReplyDeleteI have to say, I've always admired you. You are truly an AVID reader, and blogger - and I have the utmost of admiration for you. I am part of #TeamAmity - and I did read your other post. And in all honesty, after reading it, I right away realized how you could be feeling the way you were feeling. The rules should have been made clear to every one, so that all the different "faction members" could employ everything in their arsenal to win. I never saw it as a vehement attack - but just a displaced one.
ReplyDeleteThis post, however, blows me away. Thank you for putting your pride aside, and for owning up something that was not even a mistake, but a mere misunderstanding. Plus, most of us began blogging as a means to find an outlet for our emotions, and our feelings - therefore, for you to vent on your own blog is perfectly acceptable. You cannot please everyone all the time. Thank you very much for your wonderful post.
Okay so I came at this backwards I read the apology then the original post, but to me from what i have seen?? You have nothing to apologize for, they did poor organization, and didn't follow through so yeah you have a right to po'd as for the people who took it to heart about 'cheating' you wouldn't have felt guilty if there wasn't anything to feel guilty about. As we say in Jamaica "I throw my corn I didn't call no fowl"; so if you felt the sting then you, yourself believe something might have been off.
ReplyDeleteI saw the many amazing posts you did, *even though the book doesn't seem like it's for me* and I would have loved for a prize to be a signed copy, they basically got you to be their marketing team and didn't have to shell out anything but a pat on the head.
Your blog, your opinion, it may not always be 'nice' but sometimes it must be said!!
Be Blessed
I agree, Aisha, with your 'you wouldn't have felt guilty if there wasn't anything to feel guilty about' statement. I am a firm believer that guilt comes from within YOU-no one else can 'make' you feel guilty.
DeleteI commend you for your apology, but personally feel it was unnecessary. This IS YOUR blog, YOUR space to do what you wish with, and you SHOULD be able to express YOUR opinion here. I did not feel the original post was an attack in any way on any of the other teams/team members.
ReplyDeleteI have to say, I am a reader of several of the blogs involved, and am quite taken aback by some of the responses on the original post from your fellow bloggers! If anyone created 'drama', I feel some of THEM did.
Please, don't EVER apologize for expressing your opinion.
This whole situation makes me think of this: 'I am responsible for what I say. I am not responsible for what you understand.'
I stand by my original comment and my support of the 'meaning' of your original post, but I applaud your class in posting this apology.
ReplyDeleteI follow your blog, Kathy, and won't unfollow just because the rules set by the publisher were unclear. venting on your blog about something you feel passionately about is understandable and owning what you felt was a mistake even though it didn't read that way is very big of you. Keep doing what you do . You are amazing reader, blogger, supporter of authors and publishers.
ReplyDeleteI follow your blog, Kathy, and won't unfollow just because the rules set by the publisher were unclear. venting on your blog about something you feel passionately about is understandable and owning what you felt was a mistake even though it didn't read that way is very big of you. Keep doing what you do . You are amazing reader, blogger, supporter of authors and publishers.
ReplyDeleteOops, my first response disappeared on me. Kathy, you an amazing and bloggers, and a supporter of authors and publishers. Just because the rules were murky and you felt strongly about them is no reason to apologize. And this is YOUR blog and you have a write to vent. I'll always follow you.
ReplyDeleteI want to thank you very much for apologizing. It means a lot and I want you to know that I really appreciate it.
ReplyDelete