Here’s a post I never thought I’d have to put up. With more frequency than before, winners are NOT coming back to see if they’ve won books. I guess in some ways it’s pretty natural. You go to many different blogs, comment on many of them and forget to go back to see if you’ve won.

Now some of you might ask, why don’t you just email them and tell them they’ve won? Well the obvious answer to that is I want them to come back to the blog. Frequently. Not just once or even twice.

So what I’ve decided to do since I’m getting a rash of winners neglecting to check back to see if they’ve won, starting this week, I’m going to start rewarding my frequent visitors when the winners don’t come back to collect. This is how it will work. A week after post announcing the winners, I will go back and find my most frequent commenter(s) and reward them the prize. If there is more than one, I’ll draw between them. Couldn’t be more simple, right? Let’s face it, faithful commenters are who all blogs are looking for and I’m going to try to find ways to show my appreciation. 🙂

Now if you’re one of the visitors who doesn’t check into the blog weekly and you’ve commented to win a book, I would suggest that you subscribe to The Season Blog RSS Feed, which is on the sidebar right at the top. I have my feeds delivered to my email. I love it because I never miss a post of my favourite blogs.

Published authors, I’ve sadly neglected Excerpt Thursdays. The reason I love this so much is because a good excerpt has always been able to sell a book to me. As authors, we have no or little say in our covers or our back cover copy. The words inside our books are truly ours. It is the story and our voice. If authors can hook a read with that, they’ve got a sale. And let’s face it, sales are what keep us in business. So saying all that, I’m resurrecting Excerpt Thursdays once again. If you’d like your book featured on Excerpt Thursdays, please email me at historicals at smittenbybooks dot com.

39 Replies to “Winners not collecting their books & Excerpt Thursdays”

  1. I’m surprised to see this post as well. I always check in here twice a day to see if there are any new reviews or interviews about. ^^

  2. I highly recommend being a Facebook friend to “The Season Blog,” it’s a GREAT way to keep up with this blog. I get pinged on my BB every time there is an update! 🙂

  3. Sounds like a great idea Bev! I don’t know why a problem like this creeps up, but it’s sad. I follow the exact same route of visits everyday so keeping tabs on things is easy for me.

  4. I’m shocked to see this post, too! I’m ALWAYS checking to see if I’ve won, or to congratulate the winners. I have so many sites that I blog on, but it’s now a morning (or evening) routine to check-in.

    Great idea Bev!

  5. You are so right about the excerpts. They give you a taste of the authors style and a feel for the characters and story. I’ll be glad to see it back.
    I am not a big fan of facebook notification. My home page has gotten so filled up with notifications, I have a hard time even getting to them Email is much better. I may not get through them all, but it is easy to see who they are from. Neither really matters for me, because this site is one of my regulars I check every night. I am a bit worried about missing my favorite sites when we are on vacation. It is hard to check email and sites when traveling.

  6. I can’t believe people are checking back to see if they won. oh well, I guess this good for me since I come to this blog almost everyday..LOL

  7. Good plan Bev. I think that the problem stems from people wanting to win and they come on just to post to win but some people are more frequent with browsing through the blog and stuff. I know I come up here almost everyday and not because of contest but I like to read my fellow reviewers thoughts. I like to see if you have any interviews and I like to share my own opinions. Yes, I do have other blogs I visit, but I make all of them a routine habit for me. I just go down the list and stop by.

  8. I think its a great plan as well. I’m still learning about the RSS feeds. I think I do it for one right now and plan on maybe checking some more out soon. I know I love being a fan through Facebook and I’m hooked up with Goodreads too. Sometimes my day doesn’t allow for me to hit all of the places I want to.

  9. You’ve done a great job with this blog. I may not post everyday, but I do try to check in and read the latest postings.

  10. I second Kim’s sentiments. I enjoy this blog and thing you’ve done a great job! I don’t post every day, but I do enjoy reading the posts very much!

  11. That’s a great idea I also see you on face book too and Google reader.
    Penney

  12. I agree with your decision. I love reading and am thrilled to win on occasion. It’s hard to believe that winners don’t claim their prizes when it’s so easy to sign on to RSS feed and have your daily blog come into your email. I try to check my email daily….and only fail when I go out of town and my hubby insists my lap top stay home….Hehehe. Love excerpt Thrusdays and glad to see you doing that again too!!!

  13. I’m very surprised that those who comment don’t return. I have blogs I visit every day and this is one of them.

  14. It sounds like a good plan to me, too. I love this blog, so I try to visit every day. You are doing such a good job, Bev! 🙂

    I agree with you about excerpts. A really good one can sell me on a book.

  15. I think it will be fair for you to choose another winner when prizes go unclaimed.

  16. I have to admit that I’m one of those posters who forget to check back!!!

  17. Great idea, I don’t get here often because my computer is broke and I have to use my daughters laptop. I bet others will be checking more often now.

  18. I think that’s a fair way to handle unclaimed prizes. I have the blogs I follow on Google Blogger so every time someone posts something new, I check it out. I’m getting notices from Facebook too, so I shouldn’t miss anything you post Bev.

  19. Great decission Beverley I get here as often as I can I really do love this blog and I have found so many new authors here

    Thanks
    Have Fun
    Helen

  20. I’m looking forward to the excerpts. I have a Kindle and if I’m interested in a book I always download a sample. It’s a great way to see if the story grabs you and if you like the author’s writing style.

  21. I’m newer here and haven’t won so I didn’t miss anything! I so I look forward to chatting here about books! I wouldn’t miss it!

    I didn’t find the email option to get the emails on the post. I clicked the RSS feed and emails wasn’t an option. I’ll look around more! I usually looking for that section to fill in my email address to get the posts, so I don’t miss new posts!

    Shall go look again!

  22. I’m in the minority here. I don’t think it’s fair at all to not contact the winners and I realized a good while ago why you do that and you’ve confirmed my suspicions. People forget where they’ve entered contests. I’m guilty of that. People get busy and forget about checking back to see if they’ve won. You can’t tell someone they’ve won a book and not give it to them. That’s just wrong, IMO.

    I love your site, I made your blog my homepage late last year, I enter almost every contest because historicals are what I love most and haven’t won a thing all year. We all know what it’s like to NOT win a book that we really want and it really upsets me that you aren’t contacting the winners when they’re entitled to their prizes. I know you have their email addresses because to post here, we have to give it to you. And now in an attempt to get us to post even more, you’re offering those unclaimed books to those who post the most. To quote you, “A week after post announcing the winners, I will go back and find my most frequent commenter(s) and reward them the prize.”

    Just my two cents.

  23. @sapphire
    While I understand what you’re saying, I run lots and lots of giveaways every month. The process of having to look up everyone’s email every time someone wins is an added task for me. Also, as I said, I want visitors to come back and check to see if they’ve won.

    I’ve done the same thing too, entered a contest and never checked back. I could have won, I have no idea. It happens and I understand, I snoozed and lost. For visitors who are on my blog frequently, this is me saying thanks for stopping by regularly.

    If visitors were paying a dollar per ticket to enter to win, I might agree with you but these are free books, theirs only by commenting on a post and checking back to see if they’ve won. I don’t think that’s a whole lot to ask.

  24. Great idea Bev you’ve got a lot to keep up with and do a super job.

    Thanks for sharing the info on the RSS feed too 🙂 Everyone is so busy these days that is a terrific option – by subscribing, they get immediate notifications on any postings.

    🙂

  25. This is one of my favorite blogs/sites and I visit here at least once a day. And it’s fun entering contests and seeing who has won. I’m glad you are bringing excerpt Thursday’s back! I am now aware of so many books and authors that I wasn’t before.

  26. Let me preface my remarks by saying I love this place because of its dedication to the historical romance, a genre very dear to my heart. I have a huge selection of books (1000+ at last count) just crying out to be read and all are historical romances! I love the reviews and the excepts as well as the contests for books that are on my books-to-buy list! So I say: ‘Keep up the good work Bev…it is appreciated!’

    Now I’ll climb on my soapbox! I don’t recall off hand if your giveaway rules state it is the responsibility of each poster to check back to see if they’ve won or if there is a time limit by which to respond. A pep peeve of mine is seeing an end date to check back for winner and in some cases, I’ve checked back for days, even weeks, on end after contest close and STILL no winner. Now I realize that everyone has a life and posting a winner is not necessarily high on their list of priorities, but if they expect me to check back to see if I’ve won, then they should have the courtesy to post the winner when they say they will. OK, end of rant!

    OK…I lied. One last comment on the subject then I’ll stop…I may visit frequently, but I don’t always post. Only when there is a book I really want or a topic strikes my fancy and I have something to say on the subject, otherwise, I read but don’t comment. Guess being somewhat of a lurker isn’t good either! So, if you are going to reward ‘frequently posters’ you might want to clarify exactly what you are looking for. Can I just say ‘HI’ or ‘Sounds good’ and qualify as a frequent poster or must I make an intelligent, somewhat involved comment on the subject? Sorry for being devil’s advocate here, but it must be said. And one last thought: I wonder if it would be more fair, and easier, to draw a replacement winner from those who posted on that particular giveaway?

    It does surprize me that people don’t care enough to check back to see if they are a lucky winner. Now me…well, I never forget where I’ve posted and what book I’m hoping to win. I always come back to check for winner announcements. Well, I don’t remember all by myself…I’m getting up in years you know…LOL…I use my MS Outlook Tasks program with reminders that pop up at a certain time on the pre-set due date to tell me when & where to go and look! I do try to check in often to see what’s going on but I appreciate the notes Beverly sends out with a heads up when something exciting is happening!

  27. Strange that you enter a contest and then can’t be bothered to check if you’ve won.
    There could be personal circumstances I suppose that prevent you from going online but mostly I always check to see if I might have been lucky enough to win a fabulous new read.
    I agree that drawing another name from the entries of a particular giveaway might be a good (beter?) idea.

  28. @Karen H in NC @Kirsten

    Like you, I’ve thought about having a back up winner for that post, but saw myself falling into the same boat. And Karen, I’m a lurker too on most of the blogs I visit regularly. I really have to feel compelled to respond to comment. That said, the only way I know that you come to my site is if you comment, so that’s the only way I know how to pick another winner.

    And from now on, whenever I post a giveaway, I will state how long you have to claim your book and what date I’ll be posting the winners.

  29. Bev, I like your backup plan. Your giveaways are wonderful chances to be introduced to stories not to be missed by old and new authors to the genre.

  30. Thanks for creating a fair alternative for your giveaway contests. It makes sense to reward the people who read your blog regularly. I read it every day because you offer good reviews and great posts. I don’t always comment, but will try to more often now that you’re making this change.

  31. I’m really surprised that people just don’t bother to check back if they won! But yeah, I might be guilty of that one, though. I’m not sure I can remember those other sites that I have commented to win something. LOL

    This is also a great idea to give others a chance to win something. I’m still a bit ambivalent about what “frequent commenter” means since some may just leave some comments that are NOT in topic of the post which, if they are picked, I think would be unfair.

  32. Wow, if it wasn’t for me checking Beverley’s website, religiously, I wouldn’t have know I was a winner last month with the Facebook 1000 fans. I wasn’t choosen as one of the initial winners but because one of the winners didn’t meet the qualifications of the contest I was a second choice for which I was very happy about, but let me tell you it was confusing for a time trying to figure out if I was indeed a winner but when I contacted Beverley for clearification she was extremely helpful and I am waiting tosee which of the 3 selected books was sent to me. I pretty much rely on reviews on this site to new releases. I love browsing around here.

    I think a second chance giveaway on unclaimed prizes is a very good idea………..

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