Hi everyone, it’s Amanda here! I’m making this page to be very clear about my stance on sponsored posts because I don’t want there to be any confusion or weird feelings. Please feel free to ask me questions anytime, you can always reach me via my contact page. My goal with this page is to be as transparent as possible.
Why do I host sponsored content?
I host sponsored content on Bookish Brews first and foremost to pay for Bookish Brews. Domains (bookishbrews.com), hosting (the people who I rent space on the internet from), giveaways, photo editing software, etc all costs money that I pay for out of my own pocket. I host sponsored content on Bookish Brews to help make this website at least be self-sustaining, meaning that I am not at a financial deficit in order to do what I love and provide content to you.
Eventually, (though this is a very long-term goal) it would be an absolute dream of mine to be able to buy back some of my time that currently belongs to Corporate America to be here with you. Books are my one true love (besides my partner and my dog!) and I would love absolutely nothing more than to live and breathe books all day. That would allow me to bring you more content, more book recommendations, help more authors, and celebrate more voices, which would be honestly a dream come true. I would love to do this all for free (like I have! And still majorly do!) if we had a world where every bit of labor did not have to be monetized to survive. Maybe we will be in that world one day, but it is sadly not today.
How can I trust sponsored content?
I know you’re thinking, “sponsored content is less legitimate, you have an incentive to let anyone pay you, how can I trust those recommendations?” Or maybe you still trust me (I appreciate you!!!) and you’re wary, confused, unsure. Well, I’m here to tell you that I am always going to remain very firm on one point: I only allow sponsored content that does not contradict the mission of Bookish Brews. I have rejected many inquiries because of this. As I said, I would absolutely do this for free if I could. To me, that means that I will not compromise the mission of Bookish Brews for sponsored content.
Check out my Work With Me page!! I am very clear that all sponsored content must not contradict the mission of Bookish Brews. And I stand by it. I made this website for a reason. The work being done by authors today is so important and I am here to support that in any way that I can.
If something slips through the cracks, please let me know! I let all sponsors know that if I find out that their brand does in fact contradict my mission, I’ll pull the ad immediately.
Are Sponsors Writing Your Blog Posts?
Nope! Sponsors are simply putting an ad on Bookish Brews to help advertise their product and to support me in keeping Bookish Brews running. The posts are written by me and would be posted either way. Think of them like ads you would hear on a podcast or in the middle of a youtube video. They are essentially commercials, in written form!
What about book spotlights? You haven’t read it!
You’re so right. I offer book spotlights because I simply do not have the time to read and review every book I get in a review request that fits with Bookish Brews mission. I really wish I could! To make up for this, I offer book spotlights as publicity for authors/publicists. But be comforted in that I’m really picky on what books I allow to get book spotlights specifically. I only accept book spotlights for books that I firmly believe that I will like OR books that I think sound really great but are in genres I don’t typically enjoy.
What does that mean? I only allow book spotlights for books that I would be confident in recommending. This is the same philosophy I use for any book on Bookish Brews. Again, I’m only one person and haven’t read every book that has ever been mentioned on Bookish Brews. (remember, I post 15+ new releases on our Featured Bookshelf every month!) That being said, I research each book before recommending them and I put book spotlight requests through the same process.
Do you accept ANY request for sponsored posts?
NO! This is a big no. I am picky on who I allow to have space on Bookish Brews. I always will be. Do not worry! I’m very firm on this. I’d rather not make any money than take money from terrible sources. I frequently reject sponsorships from sources that do not seem like they make sense for me.
That being said, please please let me know if I ever have a sponsor on Bookish Brews that is terrible and I am unaware. I promise to immediately take it off. If that means giving a refund, I absolutely will.
Do you accept payment for book reviews?
Nope. Though trade reviewers do charge for book reviews, I know there is a weird feeling for some people to read a review with compensation. Reviews are something that I do free of charge.
How Can I Sponsor a Post?
Head over to my Work With Me page to read more about how to sponsor a post and we can chat!
Do you have other questions?
Feel free to ask them on my contact page. If I get repeated questions I’ll add more to this page! I hope that this sets your mind at ease a bit. I firmly believe in what I do at Bookish Brews and I don’t want to undermine that at all, so I want to be as transparent as possible.
