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How Authors Can Engage with Readers and Reviewers on ŷ
Posted by Cynthia on April 9, 2018
ŷ is the world’s largest site for readers and book recommendations, and an attractive spot for authors to promote their books to readers to get reviews. Authors sometimes wonder how to effectively reach and engage with reviewers on ŷ, especially when they can see how much ŷ reviews can impact the success of a book.
There are two different approaches for authors when it comes to promoting books on ŷ that authors should leverage together. There’s the “pure marketing� approach, for which ŷ provides suite of advertising products for authors to use to build awareness around their books. The other approach involves investing in building long term relationships with readers that can pay off over time.
If you have the time and are willing to invest it, here are some ways to engage with reviewers on ŷ:
Share your passion for books. The number one activity readers want to see from authors on ŷ is the books they read and recommend. People go to ŷ to talk about books, and authors who embrace this unlock the power to effectively integrate ŷ into their overall online presence.
Successful authors like Celeste Ng and Roxane Gay spent years curating their shelves on ŷ while concurrently writing their books. The authors have more than 500 books marked as ‘read� and Ng even created custom shelves to give a better sense of what she’s reading.
Adding a few books to your WTR shelf once a week or updating the status of the book you just finished is all it takes to stay engaged with the ŷ community. You might choose to take a more strategic approach: review books that are in the same genre as the book you have written, create shelves of books you used for inspiration, or mark books that you loved in high school.
Know when to mention your book. There are many areas where authors can talk about their own book, and guess what? Your book page is one of them. Reviewing your own book is allowed as long as it’s clear that the work you’re reviewing is your own. Approach the review space of your own book like you would writing a foreword, adding additional insights that didn’t make it into the blurb (see an example here) and sharing occasional updates.
While you’re on the book page, avoid responding to reviews about your own book. Even if you like a particularly positive review of your own book, resist the urge to hit ‘like� on ŷ. Instead, follow the reviewer to see what else the person might be reading (hey - if they liked your book, you already know they have great taste!) and start engaging with them about books you both enjoyed.
Let reviewers contact you. Ask the Author allows authors to take questions from readers anywhere in the world, at any time. The questions aren’t public until the author chooses to answer them, and it’s perfectly fine to skip questions. Check your Author Dashboard for new questions regularly and tell readers to ask you questions using Ask the Author by sharing the link to your ŷ profile on your website, newsletter, blog, or social media account.
You can talk about your book through Ask the Author � in fact, we encourage it by asking “Where did you get your idea for your most recent book?� � but you can use it in many other creative ways as well: share some original writing or personal insights on yourself. Have a friend ask you a question that you can respond to, or even ask yourself a question!
Readers might occasionally send you a message telling you how much they loved your book, and if you feel comfortable engaging with readers that way, go for it. If they request for a free copy of your book, feel free to send them a copy, but don’t feel obligated to accommodate that if your budget doesn’t allow for it. A friendly decline “I’m out of review copies at the moment, but you can follow me for updates on when I get more� can work.
When authors take this long-term approach and invest in building a community on ŷ, they find their time spent on ŷ becomes much richer.
How do you engage with readers? Tell us in the comments below!
Next:
You might also like: Five Things Writers Need to Know Before Publishing Their First Book
ŷ Authors can subscribe to the Monthly Author Newsletter by editing their account settings. Not a ŷ Author yet? Learn about the ŷ Author Program here.
There are two different approaches for authors when it comes to promoting books on ŷ that authors should leverage together. There’s the “pure marketing� approach, for which ŷ provides suite of advertising products for authors to use to build awareness around their books. The other approach involves investing in building long term relationships with readers that can pay off over time.
If you have the time and are willing to invest it, here are some ways to engage with reviewers on ŷ:
Share your passion for books. The number one activity readers want to see from authors on ŷ is the books they read and recommend. People go to ŷ to talk about books, and authors who embrace this unlock the power to effectively integrate ŷ into their overall online presence.
Successful authors like Celeste Ng and Roxane Gay spent years curating their shelves on ŷ while concurrently writing their books. The authors have more than 500 books marked as ‘read� and Ng even created custom shelves to give a better sense of what she’s reading.
Adding a few books to your WTR shelf once a week or updating the status of the book you just finished is all it takes to stay engaged with the ŷ community. You might choose to take a more strategic approach: review books that are in the same genre as the book you have written, create shelves of books you used for inspiration, or mark books that you loved in high school.
Know when to mention your book. There are many areas where authors can talk about their own book, and guess what? Your book page is one of them. Reviewing your own book is allowed as long as it’s clear that the work you’re reviewing is your own. Approach the review space of your own book like you would writing a foreword, adding additional insights that didn’t make it into the blurb (see an example here) and sharing occasional updates.
While you’re on the book page, avoid responding to reviews about your own book. Even if you like a particularly positive review of your own book, resist the urge to hit ‘like� on ŷ. Instead, follow the reviewer to see what else the person might be reading (hey - if they liked your book, you already know they have great taste!) and start engaging with them about books you both enjoyed.
Let reviewers contact you. Ask the Author allows authors to take questions from readers anywhere in the world, at any time. The questions aren’t public until the author chooses to answer them, and it’s perfectly fine to skip questions. Check your Author Dashboard for new questions regularly and tell readers to ask you questions using Ask the Author by sharing the link to your ŷ profile on your website, newsletter, blog, or social media account.
You can talk about your book through Ask the Author � in fact, we encourage it by asking “Where did you get your idea for your most recent book?� � but you can use it in many other creative ways as well: share some original writing or personal insights on yourself. Have a friend ask you a question that you can respond to, or even ask yourself a question!
Readers might occasionally send you a message telling you how much they loved your book, and if you feel comfortable engaging with readers that way, go for it. If they request for a free copy of your book, feel free to send them a copy, but don’t feel obligated to accommodate that if your budget doesn’t allow for it. A friendly decline “I’m out of review copies at the moment, but you can follow me for updates on when I get more� can work.
When authors take this long-term approach and invest in building a community on ŷ, they find their time spent on ŷ becomes much richer.
How do you engage with readers? Tell us in the comments below!
Next:
You might also like: Five Things Writers Need to Know Before Publishing Their First Book
ŷ Authors can subscribe to the Monthly Author Newsletter by editing their account settings. Not a ŷ Author yet? Learn about the ŷ Author Program here.
Comments Showing 1-50 of 92 (92 new)
message 1:
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Evelyn
(new)
Apr 11, 2018 03:56AM
This is the second time I’ve seen advice to review one’s own books, perhaps there are others too. There are many sites and individuals who review for a fee and I think that’s a complete no-go. Certainly getting reviews is both vital and difficult and although I’m initially uncomfortable with the idea of self review I’m going to let it sit and maybe sink in for a bit to see how I feel about it in a week or so. What would be useful is a comment on how to engage the hundreds, sometimes thousands who mark a book as “To read,� but don’t.
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I write about aspects of my book on my blog, and these posts appear on my ŷ author page.
Thanks Stephen, appreciate the input. Others suggest an actual review awarding stars! The idea is that one can then add a back story. I have not tried - as I said just waiting to let it sink in.Great parrot!
Thanks Rebecca, I think you have found the right balance - it was the 'promotional' stunt aspect that's been worrying me.Thanks for the tip about videos.
Evelyn wrote: "This is the second time I’ve seen advice to review one’s own books, perhaps there are others too. There are many sites and individuals who review for a fee and I think that’s a complete no-go. Cert..."I balked for a long time about paying anyone for reviews, especially Kirkus Reviews, which is very expensive. I did eventually pay Kirkus, after learning that librarians take them seriously (I'm in 8 library systems at the moment). I got a favorable review from Kirkus--they don't guarantee a favorable write-up; how they maintain their integrity, I guess. I had already submitted my novel to Midwest Book Review and Booklife (the indie arm of Publishers Weekly) which do not charge. Midwest Book Review came through with a glowing review months and months after I submitted to them, and Publishers Weekly selected my book for review--again, after months and months, etc. That was Feb. 21. I am still awaiting that one.
Cynthia is not talking about reviewing your own books in your own My Books section. She is saying to review books you have read that you have not written. Add books to your Want To Read section. Comment about books other people have written. You can tailor the list so it matches the types of books you read, or complements your books but the article is not saying to review your own books.
You can change your book page which describes your books because that is the purpose of the page, so improvements you can think of or see other people using to describe your books should be made to your book page.
If your are going to review your own book, make sure you are "Approach[ing] the review space of your own book like you would [be] writing a foreword, adding additional insights that didn’t make it into the blurb (see an example here) and sharing occasional updates." It works better when it looks more like an explanation [I wrote this book because...] and not simply I loved this book because..." Even then I wouldn't do it. That's what the book description is for.
Thanks Robert,Maybe there is some confusion.
Cynthia writes above "Reviewing your own book is allowed as long as it’s clear that the work you’re reviewing is your own.�
A previous post by Jenni James /blog/show/1... also recommended the idea and included a link to an example.
It's certainly an interesting area to explore and throws up new ideas for us all to think about.
Evelyn
I don't think readers appreciate seeing authors review their own books. The reader knows exactly what is happening. Unless you have a lot of reviews readers are going to see it for what it is. It is very tempting when there are no reviews for your book to see at least one review by putting in your own review. That isn't going to get people to read your book, it isn't going going to advance the status of your book. It's one of those things where just because you can, doesn't mean you should.
I don't review my own books, but I find it's a great way to keep readers up to date on a book's status. For instance if there is a sale, or a giveaway for existing books, my friend and followers will see the update. Also, for a book that I'm in the process of writing people can see how close (or far) I am to finishing, and when start looking for beta readers and such. If there happens to be a slip in the release date, I can also mention that. It works well, and people seem to like to be updated in this way.
This discussion started because I felt uncomfortable with self-review and that, for me, paying for reviews was out of the question.I'd like to thank everyone for what has turned into a useful and thought provoking conversation. I think one needs to be flexible, but true to one's self too. I've certainly been helped enormously although on balance I think I'll stick with no payment and author updates, not reviews.
I'm intrigued by Nek0 Neha's post. I never engage with reviewers because it's their opinion and I’m keen to learn from anyone who’s kind enough to read and review my books. I did see a tip that it’s interesting to follow those who review me and I’ve started doing that. It’s helpful in terms of learning about likes, dislikes and genre.
The only time I’ve ever been tempted to engage directly has been with people who having won a giveaway can’t be bothered to even click on the stars let alone write a line or two. I think it stinks, but if a horse does not want to drink it’s best left alone until it does!
What does interest me is my other question at the start of this “How to engage the hundreds, sometimes thousands who mark a book as “To read,� but don’t.� Even a 10% conversion would be wonderful for all of us.
I would LOVE to know how to engage to "to"read" folks - if anyone has any ideas on that - I would look forward to it!Randi
The best rule for responding to readers reviews is that you don't respond to them for any reason. It's another one of those just because you can, doesn't mean you should. If you see problems in the reviews, fix it in the book description, or fix the book if it is true and you don't want to see reviews like that.The "To Read" rating is something that goodreads allows anyone to do. If enough readers put a book on their to read list, it is free advertising. Beyond that it has no meaning for goodreads, it is entirely for the reader's use.
The only good way to approach it is through goodreads. If they could add a reason why the reader added it, or where or how the reader saw it, that would be of help to the author. They usually don't do anything with requests for new features, except to say it sounds like a good idea.
"if you like a particularly positive review of your own book, resist the urge to hit ‘like� on ŷ"That goes against what some reviewers say. I've heard that some reviewers like to know that the author appreciated their review, by clicking "Like" (no comments, just a click), and that if it doesn't happen then they feel the author is aloof, or doesn't pay attention. Mmmm.
Occasionally reviewers make mistakes - adding the review to the wrong book, or reviewing a book based on things that are nothing to do with a book (e.g. the rating is really a rating for Amazon and some problem they had with the company). It's difficult to stand by and see low ratings that aren't really in any way about the book or the content. I remember once a person gave a book of mine 1* on a site because they said "it wasn't complete, just the first part of the book". That could well put buyers off. But it turned out that the reviewer hadn't even bought the book, they'd just downloaded the "Look Inside" sample and assumed they were getting the whole book for free. ŷ won't remove those reviews, but also advise people don't comment on them, which leads to misleading information up there. (NB A 1* review about a book that is actually critiquing a book is fine - I mean reviews that are obviously errors!)
Stephen wrote: "Evelyn wrote: "This is the second time I’ve seen advice to review one’s own books, perhaps there are others too. There are many sites and individuals who review for a fee and I think that’s a compl..."I looked at Midwest Reviews once and I thought they did charge for reviews!
Evelyn wrote: "This discussion started because I felt uncomfortable with self-review and that, for me, paying for reviews was out of the question.I'd like to thank everyone for what has turned into a useful and..."
Yes I'm afraid getting nothing back for giveaways sucks, Evelyn, especially when you've taken the trouble and expense to post them all off. I think a good policy for ŷ in this situation would be to stop readers from entering future giveaways unless they write a review. I am in a group on Facebook and this sort of policy works really well and this is for e-books only! So it can be done. There's a much greater respect between readers, authors and bloggers as a result. I don't bother with ŷ giveaways now because of the non-response. Last time I did one I only gave away proof copies that have minor errors in them.
Karl wrote: ""if you like a particularly positive review of your own book, resist the urge to hit ‘like� on ŷ"That goes against what some reviewers say. I've heard that some reviewers like to know tha..."
I agree, Karl. Liking a review on ŷ is also responding to another author - an author of reviews! I'm both author and reviewer, as I'm sure many of you are, and I like it when people have read and liked my reviews, even if it is the author.
Any research on the benefits of liking versus not liking reviews?
Here's a good example of an author posting a review of her own book: /review/show...
It's not a "review," of course, but information about the book. Jenni James claims her sales show a marked increase every time she does it.
Sandra wrote: "Here's a good example of an author posting a review of her own book: /review/show...
It's not a "review," of course, but information about the book. Jenni James ..."
Hmmm- five stars is a review in my book Sandra.
Kate wrote: "Karl wrote: ""if you like a particularly positive review of your own book, resist the urge to hit ‘like� on ŷ"That goes against what some reviewers say. I've heard that some reviewers lik..."
Yes, I think it shows appreciation for someone's effort - nothing wrong in thank you.
Karl wrote: "Occasionally reviewers make mistakes - adding the review to the wrong book, or reviewing a book based on things that are nothing to do with a book (e.g. the rating is really a rating for Amazon and..."That Look inside feature is a pain - print books are usually set up in such a way that the first pages are legal / ISBN / Sources / Dedications etc. Obviously it works for E-Books, but some of us write (and illustrate) books that are not suitable for Kindle. Additionally, no one ever asked me if I wanted part of my works copied and displayed like that. There is no sense at all in not being able to correct mistakes - any genuine reviewer would welcome that just as author's welcome constructive criticism.
Kate wrote: "Yes I'm afraid getting nothing back for giveaways sucks, Evelyn, especially when you've taken the trouble and expense to post them all off. "After they introduced payments (and restricted it to US postal addresses) I tried one more - decided by flipping a coin. No difference for the money only a questionnaire asking my experience received the day the Giveaway closed and obviously before anyone could have received the books. I've no idea what the thinking is behind this unless it's intended to push us into doing Amazon giveaways on a Country by Country basis. Sad, funding the books and mail is one thing. Paying for a service that is not servicing is another.
Evelyn wrote: "Karl wrote: "Occasionally reviewers make mistakes - adding the review to the wrong book, or reviewing a book based on things that are nothing to do with a book (e.g. the rating is really a rating f..."Evelyn wrote: "Sandra wrote: "Here's a good example of an author posting a review of her own book:
/review/show...
It's not a "review," of course, but information about the boo..."
Humm ... I didn't notice the 5 stars. Good point. I'm not sure you can even post a review without giving it stars, so sounds like best not to go there.
Henry wrote: "Kate wrote: "Stephen wrote: "Evelyn wrote: "This is the second time I’ve seen advice to review one’s own books, perhaps there are others too. There are many sites and individuals who review for a f..."Thanks for clarifying, Henry. I think I must have dismissed it on that basis then - the cost of having to send a print book from the UK!
Henry wrote: "I use ŷ as a reader, and anyone who comes across my profile should see that immediately. The fact that I happen to be an author, comes second. ..."I'm inclined to agree, Henry. Approaching goodreads as a reader first has deepened my love for reading and broadened my perspective as a person.
It's tempting (esp. as a new author) to finds ways to promote, but I wonder how beneficial it is to review one's own book? I think the best reviews and comments are from actual readers who don't know the author and have not been influenced by them in their review. That kind of feedback is more helpful for an author than a friend who writes, "This is the best book I've ever read!" (as gratifying as that may be).
That said, it's interesting how some authors here are using the review feature. I especially like Michael's approach.
Michael wrote: "I don't review my own books, but I find it's a great way to keep readers up to date on a book's status..."As one of your readers, I must say I appreciate the way you use the review feature. It's tasteful, informative, and creative.
Thank you, Evelyn.The idea behind a review is that someone ELSE evaluates one's work, because self-reviewing is inherently biased even if one is upfront about it. Really, it's nothing more than advertising. Who does it? I've never seen an author's review of his/her own work.
Why pay for reviews? I paid Kirkus to review my first book. The review made friends for me and sold books. A ŷ giveaway, which I used for my first book and will use for my next -- due out next month -- and the others that follow, is, yes, a bit like paying for reviews, but it's not one's own words about one's own words and it's a great way to get the ball rolling.
Marc wrote: "Thank you, Evelyn.The idea behind a review is that someone ELSE evaluates one's work, because self-reviewing is inherently biased even if one is upfront about it. Really, it's nothing more than a..."
Good luck with getting reviews from ŷ giveaways, Marc. The general consensus is that it's a waste of time.
I appreciate the insight. All of us who write books hope for discovery.
Thank you, Kate --My experience bucks the consensus. I asked for reviews. Not everyone who won a book in the giveaway responded, but more did than didn't, then word of mouth took over. It was well worth it. A pleasant surprise. My book chronicled my years driving 18-wheelers in the Lower 48 and Canada, so I also sent copies to journalists who write for truck-related publications in both countries. More reviews and more word of mouth followed. My next book is a whatdunit-whydunit-whodunit mystery, so that approach won't work. But I'll start with a giveaway and a Kirkus review.
Marc wrote: "Thank you, Kate --My experience bucks the consensus. I asked for reviews. Not everyone who won a book in the giveaway responded, but more did than didn't, then word of mouth took over. It was wel..."
That's great, Marc. Glad that you had success with GR giveaways & reviews :)
Thanks, Kate.I hope I didn't sound too casual about Kirkus. I realize that they're expensive, but I figured it was a write-off and I didn't know how it would come out. The review floored me. I framed it!
Hey, when "On Grove Street" drops next month I'd be happy to send you a copy -- ebook or paperback -- gratis, no strings.
I would NEVER, EVER rate or review my own book. All I would do is put it on my TBR list when it is just published.Even with full disclosure, I don't think authors should do any kind of review of their own book, unless it's to write notes about why they wrote it, the research entailed, or something that doesn't involve any kind of praise.
I've seen many books with five-star ratings, and when I've gone to read the reviews, there's only one: by the author. To me, that looks worse than having no rating at all.
I have zero desire to do this,, but I think it would make me look really tacky if I did. Others can do what they wish, but for myself, I'm dead set against it.
Thank you for the advice! This sounds like a potentially fun way to promote one's self!
I have never reviewed my own book, though I can see that it might be fun to put in a comment. But NO star grades. I often review books without giving star grades - usually when they are in the genre I write in. I just feel uncomfortable doing that. But outside of my genre - I grade without concern. But I have 'abused' by another reader who took exception to an author -dissing- another author. I hadn't at all but after a flurry of messages - I thought - I need to be careful.
Marc wrote: "Thank you, Kate --My experience bucks the consensus. I asked for reviews. Not everyone who won a book in the giveaway responded, but more did than didn't, then word of mouth took over. It was wel..."
Two points: 1) As far as I know those entering a giveaway do so on the understanding that they provide an honest review and 2) GR state that an author cannot contact winners except to send the prize. I have never tried to contact anyone and average a 40% review response on books sent.
@EvelynYes. And, IIRC, with a Kindle element in a giveaway there's no contact at all -- ŷ sends the ebooks. I was uncomfortable knowing winners' locations for the paperback giveaway, but I mailed the books and forgot the addresses. Still, the giveaway mimics the review-copy process in the industry, and, come to think of it, the free-sample approach to marketing new food products, and it's relatively inexpensive.
Evelyn wrote: "This is the second time I’ve seen advice to review one’s own books, perhaps there are others too. There are many sites and individuals who review for a fee and I think that’s a complete no-go. Cert..."I'm with you, Evelyn!
Lisette wrote: "I would NEVER, EVER rate or review my own book. All I would do is put it on my TBR list when it is just published.Even with full disclosure, I don't think authors should do any kind of review of ..."
Well said, Lisette!
I have to say that I'm also disappointed in the results from my ŷ Giveaways. When it was the cost of a book plus postage, that was bad enough. 45 copies of 6 books netted a mere 2 reviews of the first book only, which I gave away 20 copies of. That's ZERO for the 5 other books and a 10% success rate on the first.I took advantage of the new giveaway policy: 100 ebooks for $118, far more affordable than the hard copy giveaway (I took advantage of the introductory $59 per title price).
I purchased giveaways of 2 books, a net of 200 ebooks. To date, I've received 2 written reviews and 13 ratings; not exactly a ringing endorsement for this new avenue.
To be fair, my giveaways ended in early March. The people who really wanted to read my books read them and for that I am grateful. There are no doubt a few stragglers out there and I hope the ratings will trickle in (reviews seem like manna from heaven).
While $1.18 per copy is a far more affordable option than the hard copy giveaway, if response is as tepid as mine have been, I'm reluctant to throw more good money after bad.
I'd given up on the hard copy giveaways due to the participant's apparent sole desire for free stuff. Digital giveaways seem headed in the same direction.
What a shame we can't pick those who receive our largess. If I could review the reviewing habits of the requestors and be able to decide who gets a copy, that might make me more enthusiastic about participating further in this process. As it is, at this moment, the jury is still out.
My experience of giveaways (print) was the same. Some users create multiple accounts and just enter each giveaway a lot of times. High chance of winning when they enter them all, then they sell the print books on. You look at their empty profiles and sigh. Sadly, ŷ didn't award winners based on interests or activity, just random, which opened the door to these freebie grabbers who have no interest in the books, only in resale value.
Karl wrote: "My experience of giveaways (print) was the same. Some users create multiple accounts and just enter each giveaway a lot of times. High chance of winning when they enter them all, then they sell the..."Yes I've heard this before. It's a very bad practice by ŷ and people who don't review should be barred from entering giveaways until they have earned a reputation as a reviewer i.e. by providing reviews. This is why I don't bother with ŷ giveaways anymore.
This is why I now go to much more rewarding places to get reviews, for people who want to do them e.g. doing blog tours or the Facebook Group I mentioned above. It's a readers' group and spammers get barred
Kate,What's the specific name of the Facebook Group you mentioned? I'd like to check it out.
It's called something like TBC (THE Facebook Book Club) but I don't think it shows up in searches. Another author got me in - can't remember how.
Kate wrote: "Karl wrote: "My experience of giveaways (print) was the same. Some users create multiple accounts and just enter each giveaway a lot of times. High chance of winning when they enter them all, then ..."Rebecca wrote: "I've put "reviews" on most of my books to show the date upon which they were published, but as a personal rule I don't apply a star rating to my own books because it seems sort of like a promotiona..."
"About twenty years ago - at the time of the FMLN communist rebel final offensive in El Salvador, at which time I was taken hostage - some friends in the State Department Mobile Security Team observed that Clint Eastwood should star in a movie about me. I do not think that Mr. Eastwood would now be interested. Besides, as noted: Life really is stranger than fiction." Now, that's an excerpt from my book The Perennial Wanderer: An American in the World. Does anyone see that as a sure-fire seller?
I find Cynthia's comments stimulating but unhelpful. I would be more inclined to follow Cynthia's thoughts and opinions if she offered an explanation. For example she wrote. "While you’re on the book page, avoid responding to reviews about your own book. Even if you like a particularly positive review of your own book, resist the urge to hit ‘like� on ŷ." There was zero explanation as to why she holds that opinion. I do not agree with her, but in my case I will explain. I review a lot as well as write books. I always give an honest review. I do it in my own time. It makes my day when an author puts a like on one of my reviews.
That's why I don't agree with her and I always like reviews of my own books whether on GR or Amazon to show I care and do appreciate the time and trouble taken by the reviewer. It's not rocket science but (to me) common sense and a common courtesy.
Personally, I find the advice from Gisela Hausmann more useful as 1. she is/was a top Amazon reviewer and 2. she does a lot of research before stating an opinion.
Giveaways. I agree with comments by Randall, Karl and Kate. I would like to add that in addition to a poorly 'Policed' program the introduction of a charge for authors to participate has not, it seems, led to any improvement or benefit for us. That being the case what is the charge for?Additionally, as I've mentioned before, giveaways are now restricted to entrants with USA postal addresses. I challenged GR on this and quite frankly it was like talking to a politician. They said " Our goal is to make our products and features available for more members, but we don’t have specific timing for this." Prior to the decision to charge, giveaways were available to all members and I could choose which countries to make mine available to. To change that and then pretend that the status quo ante is being considered is, at best, plain silly. I decided to pay for my most recent giveaway by flipping a coin - maybe time to buy a two-sided tail one!
