First reads?

[Lobstergirl, el principe]

Goodreads hates you too.

[[deleted user]]

::plays violin::

[Singing]

reviewing your own book... kinda lame.

[[deleted user]]

Singing wrote: "reviewing your own book... kinda lame."

It would be so objective.

[Singing]

and no ulterior motives either.

[Janice]

I gave 1 star to the last giveaway that I won. I wonder if I'll be on the shitlist along with LG and Myles.

[Shannon]

How do you know if y ou're on the giveaways sh*t list?

[[deleted user]]

LG, have you read and reviewed the ones you won before?

I've lost a bunch since my last win, but I figure the one I'm still reading (Dang...the second story is disgusting and disturbing, but with some great descriptive language. It actually almost put me off my lunch!), and the second hasn't arrived yet, so maybe they're waiting to see how I do with those?

[Lobstergirl, el principe]

Amelia wrote: "LG, have you read and reviewed the ones you won before?

"

Yes, I read and reviewed all except the last two I received.

Two of them I gave terrible reviews to, and it didn't seem to affect my odds of subsequent wins.

The one I really wanted to win and didn't, a few days ago, was by an author I have designated as a favorite author, and her other books that I've read, I reviewed and rated 5 stars. So I thought I had a pretty good shot of winning, but I didn't.

[Janice]

One thing I read was that the winners are selected according to what books they have on their shelves and what they've selected as being their favorite genres among other factors. The two books that I've won were both by Canadian authors. I do have a shelf called "Canadian", but I don't know if that was part of the reason I won them.

[[deleted user]]

I don't even know if I've read anything by a Canadian author or not. I don't know that I know the citizenship of lots of authors.

I finally finished my 1st one, it wasn't great. There were good things about it, but it wasn't my thing at all. I gave him 3 stars with a caveat. I think that people who are into that kind of story are going to be 4 and 5 starring this book all over the place though.

[Lobstergirl, el principe]

I just lost two more.

[[deleted user]]

Hang in there LG.

[Sarah]

I just won the new Francine Prose novel. I've only ever read short stories by her, so I'm interested in reading her longer work.

[[deleted user]]

Yay, SP!

I wish my second one would arrive. I'm ready.

[Jim]

I don't think they give piles away though Barb.

[[deleted user]]

Hope not, who would want piles? They have medicine for that...

[[deleted user]]

:)

I've signed up for a lot as well, Barb. I just think it's fun. I'm sure the novelty will wear off once I've felt compelled to read and review enough bad books. Heh.

[Phoenix]

I've won two so far, the first one was...ummm, well I reviewed it. http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/85...

I don't know how to add the image icon.

I'm still waiting for the second one to arrive.
http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/87...

[[deleted user]]

I'm still waiting for my second as well, Alicia.

You add the image icon the same way you add the book link. Above the box you are writing your comment in there is a "add book/author" thingy. Click on that and choose "link" or "cover". "Cover" gives the picture of the book.

[[deleted user]]

Alecia, I just read your review. Reminded me of reading Thomas Hardy. You can't deny that Hardy is a good writer, but I HATED Tess. It was miserable from start to finish!

[Phoenix]

*blushes profusely*
I never even noticed it before, thanks, Amelia. I was going to the book page and adding the link that way...such a duh moment for me.

[[deleted user]]

No worries. I still can't post a picture...

[Phoenix]

Hey, this is something I know! You'll have to save any personal pictures to a site like photobucket.com, then you cut and paste the html info. in your message. You can obtain other images through similar sites, then cut and paste and you are good to go.
Did that make sense?

[Shannon]

How long does it normally take the books to get here after we wont them? Cause I've been waiting for the 1 I won for a lil over 2 weeks now! I was So excited to win it cause it looked SO GOOD!

[Phoenix]

The first one only took about 10 days to arrive, but this second one said it could take 4-6 weeks to arrive. There should be some kind of timeline in the confirmation email you recieved...hopefully.

[Lobstergirl, el principe]

Shannon wrote: "How long does it normally take the books to get here after we wont them? Cause I've been waiting for the 1 I won for a lil over 2 weeks now! I was So excited to win it cause it looked SO GOOD!"

I've waited 6 weeks before. If you wait longer than that, send a message to the giver/publisher, on their page.

[Shannon]

Lobstergirl wrote: I've waited 6 weeks before. If you wait longer than that, send a message to the giver/publisher, on their page...."

Okay thanks LG. The email said within 30 business days. But I saw some other people say their books, different giveaways, came with in a week! And heck 30 business days?! Sheesh! that's 6 weeks!
I'm new to goodreads and won a giveaway the first day I entered. And nothing since then. So I'm kinda bummed out about it. BUT I have gotten a TON of books off of bookswap! :D I just wish I could part with a book! I can't even part with the bad books. lol I know I have issues. ;o)

[Michael]

Shannon wrote: "How long does it normally take the books to get here after we wont them? Cause I've been waiting for the 1 I won for a lil over 2 weeks now! I was So excited to win it cause it looked SO GOOD!"

The one I got came within a week. It was too big for the mailbox so I had to go to the PO to pick it up.

[[deleted user]]

Both of mine said to allow 6 weeks in the email, but the first one arrived in a week. I am still waiting for the second one. I suppose it depends on how "on it" the sender is along with the number of books in the giveaway (one book is a lot less effort than 25 to send out) and whether or not the sender already has the book from the publisher, or has to request it once it has been awarded.

Thanks Alecia. That whole "photobucket" thing seems a bit of a pain in the bum. Why can't we just copy and paste like normal people? Bah!

[Janice]

The first good reads I won arrived just over 2 weeks. The second one came in days.

[Janice]

I won my third giveaway Never Knowing.

[Jammies]

Congrats, Barb!

[Janice]

Enjoy, Barb!

[Félix]

Jesus is your husband?

[Sally, la reina]

No, Barb can't forget Jesus nor Mr. Barb.

[Phil]

Janice wrote: "Enjoy, Barb!"

Aw, man. Why'd you have to put that comma in there?

I liked the idea of being commanded to "Enjoy Barb!"

[Janice]

For a second there I thought I was being reprimanded for improper use of punctuation. But then I realized it was Phil talking.

[Phil]

Hmmm.

[Janice]

Hehe. :)

[Lobstergirl, el principe]

I don't enter anymore as I am blacklisted.

[[deleted user]]

I used to enter all the time, and win a lot. Then I went on a break and since then I NEVER win. What is that?

Maybe I'll try again.

(Why're you blacklisted again, LG? Did you not review the books?)

[Sarah]

I hadn't won for a while - maybe a year? - but I won the new Emma Donoghue book a couple of weeks ago. Yay!

[Jennifer]

I just started to enter (just found that part of the site actually) and I won my first book last week. Haven't gotten it yet but I am entering other giveaways - I am hoping that it broadens my reading.

How do you get blacklisted from them anyway?

[[deleted user]]

I think if you don't review them in a relatively timely manner you get some kind of black mark and don't win anymore, Jenn. I've reviewed every single book I've ever won though...

(16 in all)

[Jennifer]

16! Wow! I guess I'll keep entering and I review every book I read anyway so that won't be a big deal for me. Thanks, Amelia!

[Sarah]

Huh. I've only won five. I could swear it was more. But most of the books I go for tend to be ones with a ton of entries.

[Sarah]

BTW, there's a copy of the Orphan Master's Son up for grabs. Awesome book.

[Lobstergirl, el principe]

Amelia wrote: "I think if you don't review them in a relatively timely manner you get some kind of black mark and don't win anymore, Jenn. "

Yes, I think that is pretty much it.

I won two books, one about the healthcare system and the other about the lies told by the pharma industry, which I actually did really want to read. I started reading the first one and it was so effing depressing - really excellent, and well written, but depressing as shit....that I couldn't keep reading. This was at the same time we were having all our national discussions about Obama's health plan. I kept picking up the book, reading another paragraph, and getting too depressed to go on.

So I haven't read/finished or reviewed either one.

[Lobstergirl, el principe]

Amelia wrote: "I used to enter all the time, and win a lot. Then I went on a break and since then I NEVER win. What is that?"

There are discussions about this over in the Feedback group. Someone will post, "I've won X books, I was winning a book every 3 weeks for two years, and suddenly I stopped winning. Am I doing something wrong?" And then people start theorizing that once you've won a certain number of books, you are deprioritized in the system so that other people can have a chance to win. No idea if it's true, but I suppose it could be.

One of the odd things about the system is that a lot of the winners seem to be people with no friends, sometimes no books shelved, who joined just to enter giveaways.