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Books for Thought is where I post a discussion topic related to books, reading, writing, or something pertaining to one of the three. I hope you’ll join in, and discuss today’s topic of

bookish press releases

I have so many of these. I have kept every single press release that I have ever received alongside an ARC or finished review copy. I have a whole folder filled with them.

But I don’t really know why I’m keeping them. They don’t have any information on them that I can’t find on Goodreads, or my own reviews. Sure, they’re pretty and (most of the time) colourful, but is there any real point to them after I have read and reviewed the book? Should I be placing them in the recycle bin?

I just don’t know. I must say I like looking at the huge pile and thinking: this is how many books publishers have trusted me to review. It gives me a little bookish thrill, and I feel important for a minute (or several, depending on how long I can milk it).

But as time goes on, and more of these press releases pile up and up and up will there come a point when keeping them is just ridiculous?

I’m not sure. For now, I have my tower of bookish press releases, and they sit in my cupboard in their green manilla folder.

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What about you? Do you keep your bookish press releases? Or are they recycle bin bound after they have served their purpose?

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Posted on: June 15, 2015 • By: Chiara

26 Responses to What Do You Do With Your …

  1. I keep mine too! I like them because they usually have the publicist’s name and contact info so I can remember who to contact the next time a book comes up that I’d like to review.

    • Chiara says:

      Yay! Oh, I had never really thought of that use for them! We generally have on publicist per publishing house that we contact, and it’s easy to remember :)

  2. I keep mine too!! I thought I was the only one. I love to keep mine. Like you, I don’t know why I keep them all too much, thought it does remind me that I am doing something right and to prove to some people in my life that I am not wasting my time.
    Thank you for not making me feel like the only one hah.

    • Chiara says:

      Yay! I was wondering if I was the only one, too, because there’s no real use to them once the publication date has passed. But like you, it’s a nice reminder of WOW publishers have trusted me with THIS many books!

      No problem, Angel :D

  3. I throw out my press releases as soon as I’ve written my review. I mostly only keep them to double check the release date and publisher if the book’s published by multiple companies, because I don’t want to accidentally credit the wrong publisher. I haven’t even thought of keeping as keepsakes – I think I mostly use the books themselves to give myself a thrill of, “This publisher values me!”

    • Chiara says:

      I never actually use them for any purpose, haha!

      But yes, seeing the books themselves also does that, but I’ve given a few of mine away so it’s a nice reminder of exactly how many I have received!

  4. I never know what to do with mine. I keep them for a little while, but then they start piling up and I just end up recycling them. I need all the room I can get for my books!

  5. Mitchii G. says:

    I got that feeling every time a publisher contacted me or whenever I received my reviews copies, I feel really special. But as nostalgic person I tend to keep things that I have sentimental value maybe that is why you feel & why you keep ‘em. :D

    • Chiara says:

      Yep, I am very sentimental XD Maybe one day if there are too many to logically keep anymore, I’ll just keep the ones for my favourite books or huge releases!

  6. I RARELY receive arcs since I’m from the Philippines so when a publisher sends me an arc I value every thing (even the box! :D) So yeah, I keep the little that I have.

  7. Chantelle says:

    Ooh, I would love to see all those press releases! I’ve never received any press releases, but as part of my Publishing Masters, we did have to write a press release, which was one of my favourite parts of the course.

  8. Romi says:

    When I first started blogging, I did for a year, just to see how many books I was sent, and it was kind of amazing (and terrifying, thinking back), but these days I only keep them until I’ve reviewed the book and taken down the details necessary. I get a thrill when I can review a pile of books and then put all the release info in the recycling. It’s one of my favourite parts of the whole process. (I like getting rid of stuff.)
    Also, your comment on milking? Perfect. xx

    • Chiara says:

      I didn’t even make a conscious decision to keep them all, I just never started throwing them away!

      Ah, yeah. Like a huge TICK – I’ve done what I needed to for these books. It must be a bit cathartic, actually!

      Mwaha, thank you ;D

  9. I don’t keep them because I don’t really have space for anything. I don’t even have space for books. Most of the time the ones I get are just the info with a small graphic of the cover. It’s not really worth keeping, in my opinion. The contact is always on my ARC, somewhere on the back or if it isn’t, I write it down immediately haha

    • Chiara says:

      I don’t have any space, either, HAHA. This folder of them just sits in the back of my closet.

      Some of the ones I have received are SUPER pretty though, so I am reluctant to give them away!

  10. I have only ever kept one press release which was the one for Siege and Storm because *sigh* my preciousss. All the rest though, were for books I had pretty bad reading experiences with, so I threw them away. I’d like to keep those for books I enjoyed, because each one does feel a little like a gold medal :)

    • Chiara says:

      AHHHH I would never throw that one away if I were you!

      Yeah, I have been contemplating throwing away the ones for books I was not enamoured with, to be honest.

      And yes. It is like a little medal :D

  11. I only keep them until I’ve read the book so I know what to put on my post without having to look up GR (and I know which publicist to email) but honestly, most of the time I get rid of them. Great post Chiara!

  12. Alise says:

    Well, I’m kind of a hoarder when it comes to things like these because I attach positive memories to them. I’ll usually keep them and just stuff them in the book like a bookmark when I’m done reading the book. Interesting thoughts!

    • Chiara says:

      YAY for keeping them :D I have been thinking of leaving them in the book, but more often than not they’re A4 pieces of paper so they stick out of the edges of the pages >.< Thanks, Alise ^.^

  13. Shannelle says:

    Is that the paper? With all the praise? Because I just got one so far, and I used it as a mouse pad because I didn’t want to throw it away. I can’t imagine keeping them all, but at the same time, I feel bad to throw them away, because it’s such a waste of paper.

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