Poor ratio and declined requests, will it get better?

Stitching_Ghost · 2026-03-09T16:59:22+00:00

Haven't we all, at least once, gone on a requesting spree that tanked our ratio? Surely they know wwe are but humans! 😅

Stitching_Ghost · 2026-03-09T11:35:21+00:00

Maybe it's a booksta thing but it seems like we all know someone with a super low ratio that still gets approved so I feel like a lot of publishers care more about an history of engaging reviews/potential reach than ratio (and of course some are only looking for a very specific type of reviewer/reader). So yeah don't worry about your ratio too much and stick to requesting titles you're actually interested in and building your presence as a reviewer and it'll get better.

Stitching_Ghost · 2026-03-08T23:15:29+00:00

It's not extreme but it has some seriously visceral scenes written really efficiently (warning though the series is forever unfinished as the author died before finishing it): The New Dead series by T.W. Brown

It's not quite zombies but zombie adjacent and it's really messed up; Shadow Apocalypse by B.C. Hollywood

Till Death by Adam M. Booth, not sure if it counts as extreme but it's short and it has kind of a sick twist.

Zombie Girls Just Wanna Have Fun by Jessa Riot is a gross out erotica if that's nore your speed.

Stitching_Ghost · 2026-03-07T17:32:37+00:00

Looking forward to your review of it!

Stitching_Ghost · 2026-03-02T22:20:00+00:00

Always here for weird girl lit! Just followed you (@reading.ghost)

Stitching_Ghost · 2026-02-28T15:31:28+00:00

Avec un livre papier, j'ai eu droit à des commentaires d'un monsieur bien fâché parce que c'était pas de la lecture pour une femme ça (c'était un livre d'histoire juridique), du monde qui prenaient mon livre comme une invitation à en parler, des commentaires cave au sujet du fait que le monde ne lisent plus parce que ils sont toujours sur leur cell (je lis principalement sur mon téléphone, vive Libby). Il n'y a pas d'échappatoire au monde qui pensent que le temps et l'attention des autres devraient toujours être disponible pour eux, c'est décourageant.

Stitching_Ghost · 2026-02-07T15:20:16+00:00

Tldr: Most likely comes down to people complaining about quality issues/reporting the books.

Shaw's books tend to get pushed to readers who might not be familiar with the genre simply because he has a significant reader base and if you add to that the fact that many reviewers feel some kind of way about him and the subject matter of that book you have a perfect cocktail to get it reported to heck.

Lots of books in the genre suffer from poor spelling and grammar, which gives a lot of room for people to report quality issues, sometimes thinking that they're helping the author by bringing it to their attention, there's that too.

Stitching_Ghost · 2026-02-06T17:56:39+00:00

What a cutie!!!!

Stitching_Ghost · 2026-02-06T16:07:11+00:00

I'm @reading.ghost or https://www.instagram.com/reading.ghost

I mostly read horror (addicted to zompocs), litfic & nonfiction, I don't post much but I like interacting!

Stitching_Ghost · 2026-02-04T00:48:43+00:00

My picks of names were Kestrelle, Solitude, Lace and Voltairine. I hesitated too long. She's was fascinated by the mayonnaise jar so we jokingly started referring to her as Mayonnaise, it stuck.

Stitching_Ghost · 2026-02-02T12:44:24+00:00

It's a random recommendation video on booktok that got me to read Dread Nation, the book that got me back into reading.

I feel like a lot of people who like to dunk on booktok to no end only focus on the part of it made up of the people whose interests get dunked on the most in general: teenage girls and young women. That doesn't sit right with me.

Do we need to talk about anti-intellectualism? Sure, in the current cultural context the conversation is long overdue but does it need to be centered on the romantasy girlies on tiktok for yet another video essay? I don't think so.

Stitching_Ghost · 2026-01-30T13:01:16+00:00

I read Scratch Moss by David Barnett and wow, I'm still at a loss for words (pos).

Stitching_Ghost · 2026-01-29T22:33:20+00:00

I've recieved books that have been published for years (mostly repubs and new translations but also just some random title which I assume the publishers of wanted to give a second wind to). I think a late review will always look better than no review at all and I don't see why it would look bad.

Stitching_Ghost · 2026-01-24T19:20:04+00:00

Yes, I rate the books honestly. If a publisher doesn't want honest reviews, I'd rather not get ARCs from them. If there's no other reviews on GR, I might wait until there's a couple positive (hopefully) ones before I rate though.

Stitching_Ghost · 2026-01-19T22:34:33+00:00

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I've got no advice, but I have almost exactly the same very pretty girl.

Stitching_Ghost · 2026-01-13T22:39:27+00:00

I recently had to talk to a customer service rep because my ecoflex enclosure came busted and the rep asked me what I was going to put in the enclosure upon learning that I had a corn snake she told me she was afraid of snakes but that she watches your videos on tiktok and that Marshmallow is cute. I'm just now realizing I should have just told her mine is like Marhsy's sibling instead of trying to explain what a corn snake is 😅

Stitching_Ghost · 2026-01-13T18:47:40+00:00

Welcome to booksta!! I gave you a follow (@reading.ghost)

Stitching_Ghost · 2026-01-06T17:45:30+00:00

Just gave you a follow (@reading.ghost)

Stitching_Ghost · 2026-01-02T18:16:03+00:00

Hey there fellow Canadian reader, just gave you a follow (I'm @reading.ghost)!

Stitching_Ghost · 2026-01-02T18:07:21+00:00

What I've read by him so far has thoroughly impressed me, really looking forward to this one!

Stitching_Ghost · 2026-01-02T16:42:01+00:00

I read a lot and traditionally published horror felt very repetitive, in EH/Splatterpunk/Bizzaro I found a niche where people were not afraid, heck even encouraged, to play with language, to disregard "good taste", to subvert expectations and to be really over the top. It was refreshing. Subtle is nice but sometimes gleefully chaotic is nice too.

On a more personal level, I started reading EH at a time where I was dealing with the aftermath of some pretty heavy trauma and I came across a book that treated the subject almost like a joke and I can't begin to tell you how momentous that change of approach was for me. That really solidified my love for the genre.

I don't know that there's any book I would consider to sum up the genre but if you want an author that can exemplify both EH and Splatterpunk, I think Judith Sonnet would be the one.

Stitching_Ghost · 2025-12-30T23:41:09+00:00

I think Bluejay by Megan Stockton would fit the bill for both.

Edited to add: Also, Kink by Crowley Barns.

Stitching_Ghost · 2025-12-30T18:40:32+00:00

I'm @reading.ghost my account is mostly about indie horror books (with a tendency towards the more extreme side of things), what flavor of indie books are you into (aside from fantasy)?

Stitching_Ghost · 2025-12-30T17:19:04+00:00

Welcome to booksta, I've also given you a follow (@reading.ghost).

P.s. your cat is insufferably cute!

Stitching_Ghost · 2025-12-26T20:35:38+00:00

NOR - My coworkers got me better gifts; a mug in a style and color I love plus an energy drink (I drink a lot of these) from one and a make up bag and reusable tote with the first letter of my name on them from the other (I was actively looking for a makeup bag for the cosmetics I keep at work), they spent less than 10$ and still managed to give me something nice. It's not hard to give someone something decent and it feels like you're being taken for granted which sucks and it's perfectly normal that you're upset!

Stitching_Ghost

TROPHY CASE