My name is Chloe, and I’m a book blogger. That means I post book reviews on my book blog, Writer-on-Wheels.
When I started book blogging, I just kind of learnt things as I went along, so I’m hoping that this post will help any book bloggers out there, while also inspiring bookworms to set up their own blogs! Also, if you have any questions on book blogging I’m happy to answer as best I can in the comments.
So, why am I a book blogger?
The simple answer to this is because I love books. I love reading them. I love talking about them with friends, I love recommending them and I love finding new ones to read by reading other bloggers’ reviews. So, in January 2011 I thought that I may as well write my own! And I’ve just progressed (in writing style in particular) from there.
It was actually easier to start my own book blog than I first expected. I just went onto the Blogger website and set up a blog, because that’s the hosting site that all my favourite blogs were using. However, there are other websites you can use to set up a book blog, such as WordPress – although personally I do prefer Blogger, just because I’ve found it easy to use and access (it even has a mobile app so you can post on the go!)
Don’t worry about your follower and view count
I’ll be honest – I don’t have very many followers on my blog. I’ve had 21 for the past few years, actually. So I’m probably not the one to ask about how to get followers and views. But that’s the thing you need to remember if you start book blogging, or blogging at all to be honest – don’t worry about your follower and viewer count. It doesn’t always equate quality or worth, and as long as you keep posting what you love, your blog will be great! My follower count has gotten me down in the past, so my advice to you is remember why you started your blog in the first place – not for followers (hopefully not, anyway) but to share your love for, and opinions on, books. As long as you keep that in mind, you’ll always have a great book blog, no matter how many people read your reviews. Also, even though I only have 21 followers, my blog has 22590 views and counting – so it’s not all bad. Just remember to write about what you love, and you’ll be fine.
Why should I be a book blogger?
This is a question I’ve heard a lot, and is one you’re probably asking right now. In all honesty, I don’t think there’s one exact answer to this, so I’ll just give you mine. You should be a book blogger if you like writing about books and if you like being a part of a lovely (and very talented) community. There’s also a few opportunities to interact and work with some great publishers and writers. For example, I’ve had the honour of interviewing some amazing authors on my blog, and received some ARC (Advanced Reader Copy/ies) from publishers to review. Although I wouldn’t start a book blog just to get these opportunities. Don’t expect them – they’ll come to you, just think of them as a perk for doing what you do.
There’s also no real limit to what you can post as a book blogger. As long as it’s book related, you can post anything you like! Although I only really post book reviews, because that’s what I love doing – don’t limit yourself to just that if it’s not your thing. In fact. some of my favourite book blogs write about their favourite authors, review book related events and even make book inspired playlists!
So you want to be a book blogger? That’s awesome, and I hope this article has helped you in some way. Best of luck, and remember – your review could be the reason why someone finds and reads their favourite book, and your blog post could be the reason why someone starts their own book blog. If that doesn’t give you the motivation to write loads of book reviews and blog posts, I don’t know what will.
