Ok, right from the start, let's just say I'm the one in need of advice about blogger/author/publisher relationships. I'll be reading everyone else's relationship posts religiously for some tips. Mind you, I have some contacts with publishers, publicists, and authors, but I'm definitely not a model for others to emulate. So, with that oversized grain of salt, here's my two cents:
1. Remain courteous no matter what. Seriously, imagine being face to face with them, would you say nasty things? No. If someone is making you angry, cool off before you shoot them an email (or twitter/other social network something nasty). Personally, I've never been that angry, since they are all really nice, even when I give them a not-so-amazing review.
2. When receiving a review request from an author, think carefully about the book. If it's an author that is tried and true good for you, then you can probably accept a request without worrying. For those you know less about or if a book doesn't sound like something you would like, don't feel bad declining. I think sometimes they'd rather have you decline than accept and hate it. And believe me, it's hard to send a not-so-glowing review of a book to the author. I've done it. It stinks.
3. Don't be afraid to send out requests for books you're interested in! Maybe this only applies to a small minority like me, but I was absolutely terrified to send requests to publishers. I've only done it a few times, but every time they politely responded or simply sent the book without a response. Either way, there was no pain involved. Give it a try.
4. On the other hand, don't overdo it. Don't request too many books, especially all at once, especially if you are very new at blogging. I've heard this over and over from much smarter bloggers and it rings true to me too. I didn't send a request until I'd been blogging for at least 2 years. Not that you have to be like me, but wait a few months at least. And don't forget to send them info about your blog, your stats, and your mailing address.
Other Book Bloggers:
Again, I'm not very good at blogger relationships, but here's my experience. You can make fantastic personal connections online, but meeting bloggers in person definitely solidifies friendships. I was so lucky to meet up with bloggers in Utah (see all these Utah Book Blogger Social posts) and I joined Suey's excellent book club as a result as well. I made some of my best book-y friendships during those socials, so I highly recommend trying it out. Now I just gotta find me some Arizona blogging friends...
Some of the Real-life Book Blogging Friends
Suey of It's All About Books
Natasha of Maw Books
Jessica of The Bluestocking Society
Kim of Good Clean Reads
Jenny of Alternate Readality
Emily of Emily's Reading Room
Britt of Confessions of a Book Habitue
Julie of A Small Accomplishment
Meeting other bloggers is one thing that really makes missing BEA and ALA events suck. Still, relationships can (and do) flourish virtually. I'm open to receiving your advice about that, cause it's definitely something I could work on.
If you buy through my Amazon linkage, I will get a very small percentage
