Stomping on Yeti: Now FTC Compliant

All over the blogosphere people have been discussing the new FTC regulations placed on testimonials, celebrity advertisements, and, most relevant to me, bloggers.

 

Unless I'm reading it wrong, it basically states that you need to disclose any "material connections" between advertisers and endorsers. If I say the product is wonderful because I have a 30% stake in the company, that's not honest.

While I don't think that I'm the targeted audience for this regulation (I'm guessing they are looking for examples like this, it can't hurt to be open with my readers. My end goal is to establish Stomping on Yeti as a blog that people trust for honest reviews and if there's any shady dealing going on, that can't happen.

I write this blog for a number of reasons:

• To help people find good books by interesting authors
• To participate in the genre community that up-to-now has been a one-sided relationship
• To practice writing (even if it doesn't directly apply to fiction)
• To become more conscious of what I'm reading and why I do or don't like it
• To help promote authors whose work I enjoy (it doesn't hurt that if they are more successful they will write more books)

I don't write this blog to get free books. At the same time, I'm also not going to say no. Writing this blog takes time and the occassional free book is a perk. But I'm not going to let free books change how I review my books. To date, I've reviewed 4 books that I haven't personally bought myself. I've also included my rating for each book.

 

Moxyland - 4.5/5
Nekropolis - 2.5/5
Unclean Spirits - 4/5
The Quiet War - 3/5

 

In 3 out of 4 cases, I requested the book from the publisher with the intent of reviewing. For the 4th, Unclean Spirits, Daniel Abraham was willing to stand up for the quality of his work so he sent me a book I wasn't willing to buy. Turns out he was right but that's not the topic for discussion. Now two of the books rated "really liked it" or above on the YetiStomper scale and the other two rated "Okay" and "Didn't like it." I give a book what I think it deserves. Read the reviews, I think they speak for themselves

But in the interest of maintaining government compliance, I'll keep you informed when I am reviewing a book I didn't buy myself.