Unfortunately the time has come for me to don my policewoman gear. I have been receiving numerous complaints from MANY fellow bloggers about the Hop. One of the primary concerns is the lack of a blog hop post when a blogger visits a site in the linky list (so, people using the blog hop for free advertising without ponying up and linking back on their own site).
Last week, I was utterly shocked and astounded to discover authors spamming the Hop with their book titles and links back to their sites (and even to Amazon in one instance). This Hop is for BOOK BLOGGERS. If you are not a BOOK BLOGGER then you should not be inserting a link into the list. Period. End of story. (I already went and deleted all 11 of those spammy links. I didn’t want to create further drama for those authors by well-meaning Hoppers…)
I’m sorry if I’m sounding harsh, but I am truly tired of all this drama. And I’m getting to the point where I’m just ready to shut down the Hop. It’s becoming more burdensome than fun.
So, in a last ditch effort to weed out the spammers, I am instituting something new that you are all going to hate and I’m really sorry, but I see no other way of doing it. It’s something called back links.
When you submit your link into the linky list, your blog hop post must already be live on your blog, with a direct link to the week’s blog hop post. If you are not directly linking to this blog hop post, your linky will not be approved. The linky is going to review the link you enter in your submission, looking for the link to the week’s blog hop post before approving your link and adding it to the list. If it doesn’t find the link, your linky insertion will not be approved.
It sucks. I know. I don’t want to do it. But I also do not have time to go to 250+ blogs every single week and make sure they have put up a blog hop post. I also do not want to manually approve every single link before it appears in the list, which is my other option. I just can’t do it. So, we are back to a few spoiling it for the many and I am truly sorry for that. I hope this doesn’t inconvenience you too much. Those that were already following the rules, I don’t think this will be an issue because you were doing what you should have been doing all along, so this really isn’t anything new for you.
I hope this change will restore order to the Hop (and peace back to my weekends when I am fielding emails and tweets about so-and-so not following directions). I hope you understand why I have to make this change.
Happy Hopping and Reading,
Jennifer
Love you, dear! I’m sorry for all the trouble. I’ve been enjoyong the Hop for over a year now, and I think you’ve done a great job keeeping things in line.
-Tiger
I completely understand why you have to do this. Hopefully things will get cleared up and people will play fair. Thanks for the heads up!
And maybe once the spammers go away you can sneak back to the old way?
Not that it is much of a problem. Those who are playing by the rules are going to link anyway!
M
This has been going on for awhile but of course you don’t have time to police the Hop, ridiculous. Those that follow the rules will have no issues with the new format.
It has been over a year though Jennifer, huge congratulations on that, I think I only remember once you postponing it and another Lori managed it for you, so seriously WOW.
That’s how I’ve been doing it all along so it’s no extra burden to me. I know it’s a lot of work for you so I hope it all works out.
You do a great job!
No biggie! It’s kinda what I did already. I really love the blog hop and have found some great reviewers through it. Thanks for the heads up!
I agree, I have been enjoying the hops and I don’t mind the changes because I was doing that anyway (creating my post to respond and linking to that). I’m sorry you have to be inconvenienced and I hope you keep doing the hops!
YOU GO GIRL!! You’ve gotta do what you’ve gotta do. Us book bloggers know that we all do this for FREE because we love books and getting to know others that love books also. We also know, that even though we like creating these fun memes and challenges, once it gets to be ‘not fun’ and we start hearing a million complaints … well… we may not do it anymore. Why? Because it takes up a lot of our time when crap like this happens. You not only have to spend your time figuring out what to post, when to post it, how to post it, what to include, etc… but now, you also have to take the time answer a million emails with people complaining {which makes you feel bad b/c you have good intentions} and have to figure out a way to solve the issues. Ugh! This is suppose to be fun! Let’s follow the rules people!
If someone has a problem with the linky post then guess what… don’t hop! You should have been following the rules to begin with
♥ Vanessa
Book Soulmates
Yeah I’ve come across a few of those, here and for FF. I always put my direct link so it’s not a problem!
You have my support! You’ve been doing a great job and it’s only fair to follow the rules – for me it is not a problem, I always played fair.
I absolutely love the hop and whenever i get a chance to participate i do. I will have to remember to put the end of my live link is. I always do a post when i put my link up but sometimes forget to the put the end bit on.
It is a shame when people spoil things for others.
Please do keep it up though
I agree. I also run across those with no post. When I do I refuse to follow because thats the least they could do for adding their link. Sorry a few have made you have to get tighter with the rules. But it will be nothing bog for those who were already following them.
You have my support too.
Wow. Sucks that you have to do that but you’ve gotta do what you’ve gotta do!
Mary @ Book Swarm
I always make my post live before posting the link anyway – I thought that was how it was meant to be done.
But it is a shame a few ruin it for the rest.
You’re doing a great job with the hop and I would be sad if it was to go.
I am with you on this. I get tired of having to look for the hop post, only to discover it doesn’t exist. No complaints from me on your new system. I am just sorry you have to go to so much trouble. Your efforts are very much appreciated.
It’s perfectly reasonable. Creating a link in our post back to the hop post is no big issue at all and it will stop annoying spammers.
I don’t think it sucks at all. I think it is perfectly and absolutely appropriate. I never even thought of not following the simple “rules.” I don’t understand why anyone would do that. And look, seriously…if *I* can make a live post before linking, which I think is easier actually, than *anyone* can!
Weird… I always made my post and had it go live before I added my link – guess I just thought people should be honest and do things the right way. I’m sorry to hear about spammers and totally understand if in future you have to make even tougher decisions. I love this hop and participate as often as I can. Cheers and thank you for hosting such a wonderful thing for us BOOK BLOGGERS!
I think I already do this correct, but let me make sure that I am right before I post tomorrow. I always put the link to my blog to the exact post about this. Within that post I need to have a link back to your Book Blogger HOp post to get it to work? Let me know for sure so I make sure to do it correct.
Yes, that’s correct. Let me know if you need any help!
I so agree with you. I had no idea about these intricacies of the blogging world. Thank you for explaining it all to me, and for letting me know about the spammers, et. al., who’ve taken advantage of you. Thanks so much for this kind outlet you’ve given to me, and all of us who love to stop by to see you…
Deb/TheBookishDame
I’m glad you’re doing this- I don’t like taking the time to visit someone’s site who can’t even be bothered to post about the blog hop. I can’t imagine anyone who truly wants to meet and be seen by other bloggers will have any problem with your new method- and if they do they they’re probably the bloggers/spammers you want to weed out anyway!
I truly appreciate all the trouble you go through with the Hop and it is really a shame that people mess it up for the rest of us. I think the real book bloggers won’t mind your changes and rules. And yes, it is really annoying when you click a blog and they don’t have a Hop post up. I hope things improve because I really love doing the Hop! Good luck!
Don’t blame you one bit! I’d do the same thing if I were in your shoes.
Oh well – it had to be done…I’ve seen a few of the reasons you mentioned, and this is the best regulatory method.
I did go through a few minutes of wondering how to backlink, but the instructions were clear enough
Hi there, I only hop occasionally, but wanted to put my two cents in and say I support you totally – how annoying that people haven’t been doing it in the right spirit and spamming etc. When I do it again I’ll have no problem using the new linky thing. Thanks so much for hosting it, I’ve found so many great blogs through it
I think it’s good that you’re putting in some new rules. I know a lot of people have said this already, but I already have been doing exactly that: writing up my post beforehand, linking back to your blog, and making sure to check out some other blogs and leave quality comments. It seems to me that a lot of folks haven’t been reading other people’s entries, just leaving a comment linking back to their own website.
You’ve been doing a brilliant job with the Hop so far! Thanks again for hosting.
You are 100% right. If people can’t obey the rules they have no business participating. It is just a shame that they make it difficult for the rest of us.
No worries, I don’t mind the linky thing if it stops me hopping to someone who hasn’t bothered to post properly and only wants to promote themselves.
Have a good weekend.
No worries, I totally understand why the changes need to be done. People need to obey the rules when it comes to blog hopping, and really it’s in such poor taste for authors to spam something fun like this. Hopefully peace and happy hopping will be restored!
Have a lovely weekend and happy reading!
Looking forward to becoming part of the blog hop at some point. Very glad you decided to go this route instead of stopping–looking forward to checking out some of the blogs this weekend…_great_ question! And, no worries on having us link to a live post, makes sense.
And, um….thanks!!
I don’t mind it at all. NOT at all. I always try to visit at least 10-15 other posts when I add my own link, and I HATE it when there isn’t a Blog Hop post – I don’t even bother to look at the rest of the website. The only change this means for me is that I link directly to that week’s hop post – takes what? Five seconds if that.
Hi!
I don’t know if I understand this? Blogger changed things on us, and I’m having a problem understanding what ‘they’ did! I’m not so ‘up’ on how to do things,. This is how I have mine. I have the Crazy for Books Blog Hop Icon on my Home page in the left side bar advertising it. Anyone can click on that and it takes them HERE. I refer under your icon to go to my page that I made separate for this and it is called “Follow Friday/Book Blogger Hop/Over 40 & More!” I have the Over 40 T-shirt Icon first, then Follow Friday (which is the same thing linking to the same place, http://www.nevergrowingold.blogspot.com icon. as the 2nd thing I do. So the first icon is the Over 40 t-shirt, the 2nd Icon is Follow Friday Icon, then all the Blogs that participate, then I have your icon, then the question and my answer. I never even type your address to come here each week, I just click on the Icon. Am I doing it right? I don’t have to change it each week, do I? It comes right to the page with your question on it?? I don’t need to change it each week, do I? I don’t know ‘how’ to cheat!! Oh! Then remember, I also have your button on my Home Page advertising your site, the Book Blogger Hop and the question which refers them to the page to go to to get the answer. So I have your icon in two places.
Please let me know if I am doing it right or wrong? I’m worried!
Thank You!
Laurie Carlson
http://www.lauriehere.blogspot.com
laurieisreading at gmail dot com
I thank you SO much for doing this each week! I LOVE it!!
So sorry you have to be bothered with such things that should be done naturally anyway. I’ve always posted to this format in all hops I participate in and I must say I do sometimes find it annoying to hop to a blog to discover they have no recent hop post. If I don’t have time to participate, I don’t link … seems pretty simple and quite courteous to me … and to you, the hop host!
I see no problem or inconvenience with this at all. Not only is this following the rules, but it’s also common courtesy. If a blogger is linking up to a blog hop, it’s only fair, as well as polite, for him/her to include, in his/her post, a backlink to the hosting blog’s hop post!
It’s incredible that authors would use a blog hop to promote their books! How absolutely rude! So I applaud you for taking a stand about this, most definitely!
But again, I repeat, don’t worry about this being an inconvenience. At least it’s not, for me, and I’m sure for many other bloggers, as well. It’s just something that should automatically be done whenever one participates in a blog hop.
Happy reading, Jennifer, and have a GREAT weekend!! Ditto for all my fellow blog hoppers!! : )
It did tick me off when I clicked over to a blog and they had a follow Friday post up but not Book Blogger Hop and I’d click back and it was never updated. Didn’t want to be a squealer. It truly is no biggie to post first then link up so don’t feel badly. It is after all…the rule!
Thanks for all you do.
I have done the hop sometimes and it has been fun. I totally understand the backlinking policy and I usually do it anyway. I love reading everyone’s posts but spamming takes the fun out of it. Love the book blogging community.
Thanks for hosting the Blog Hop Tour and for all of the work you have to do to keep it running. The Blog Hop Tour has exposed me to all sorts of wonderful book blogs and I really appreciate your part in that.
That’s sad. I don’t get to hop every week but I enjoy it on Fridays even if I don’t link up. I hope it all works out.
Good on you – I stopped participating in the hop a while ago because I kept getting spammish comments on my own post. Not spam as such, but comments from people say ing “Great blog – here’s mine” and not at all interacting with what I had said in my own post. Got really annoying. Was thinking of joning in again and came back to find this so I’m really pleased.
Ugh I was creating my blog while entering the Linky and I completely forgot to copy-paste the link direct to the blog post. I see my blog on the list though, so should I re-enter?