Why You Should Start A Book Blog
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Why should you start a book blog? Free books, VIP author access, and working in your PJs are just a few of the perks to blogging about books.
Why You Should Start A Book Blog: Librarians Are Superheroes In Disguise
Starting a blog about books or any subject takes guts just like becoming a librarian. Why did I get my MLIS? And why did I start a book blog? Why didn’t I go into making cakes instead?
When I first had that biting inkling that I wanted to be a librarian, I daydreamed about helping that one person find the perfect book.
Scene:
An older woman tentatively walks up to the reference desk unsure of her next read. She’s devoured the Patterson’s and Cussler’s, can no longer stomach the fluff of Macomber and Sparks, and gave up Bill O’Reilly after his latest scandal. In her mind, she already knows that she has out-read these perky young librarians and debates proving as such.
The staff recites the bestsellers’ lists and reach for read alikes on the Novelist to no avail. Bored but not surprised, she tries not to smirk. But then something odd and borderline blasphemous happens. Brave and undeterred with a secret weapon, I—plowing through grad school MLIS lit classes—offer up a YA book.
Caught off balance, our dedicated patron vehemently shakes her head but cannot resist the historical fiction storyline. Steampunk, she rolls off her tongue. Is that bad rock music for books? This girl is crazy or just stupid. Yet, this cute little Italian librarian is so passionate about this title, yapping away in a voice that is much too loud for a library, that a rejection might crush her dreams. Thinking, “God, won’t she just shut up already,” the woman leaves with a book she has promised herself to only give a chapter of a chance.
A few days later, though, our protagonist returns to the library a complete YA convert. She runs–as fast as an old lady can run–into the library, arms out outstretched, and embraces the young gal. Camaraderie is a beautiful thing.
Mission: NAILED IT. This reference desk girl is the SUPREME UNCORKED LIBRARIAN.
The Keeper Of Bookish Secrets
Mind you, in my five years in the public library, I have never missionary-style (mind out of the gutter) persuaded anyone like my grandmother to even wander into the YA section, but hey, a girl can dream. Isn’t that why we all become the keeper of books? To convert and dominate the world like the giant copulating praying mantises from Grasshopper Jungle?
Soon I began to think, what if I could share my love of reading and help lonelier and restless readers find their bookish soulmate that they didn’t even know existed via the internet? Readers’ advisory is my jam, and there had to be a better way to infect the masses. Why not go all geeky book dragon on the web?
Unlike the library where patrons can walk away from my endless suggestions, online readers can choose to hit the back button. Or NOT. They get sucked into the vortex. The interwebs. Hence, the birth of a cult; I mean book blog.
Why I Started A Book Blog
I recently returned home to CT for a visit and everyone asked me what I was up too.
A book blog? How cool?
Or maybe that’s what I think they said instead of “get a real gig.” BUT, book blogging, like unicorns, is for real.
Imagine talking to authors on a daily basis and having all of the FREE books that you didn’t even know you wanted. Then envision making money from that blog traffic and affiliate marketing through booksellers like Barnes and Noble.
Being a book blogger is hard work and time-consuming. But, just think of that older lady who might not always be able to come into the library to gently harass the librarians. Maybe your online book reviews will reach her. Are you intrigued?
Now That You Know Why You Should Start A Book Blog, Let’s Get Going:
Book Blogging 101: How To Start A Book Blog
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Book Blogging Tips
Here Are 10 Reasons Why You Should Start A Book Blog:
1. Today, this blog post is brought to you from…my bed
Perk numero uno: you can work from anywhere. Hello, digital nomad life. Did anyone say remote job?
Man, I did have a pretty rough weekend hitting up brewery yoga and the endless mimosa bar at brunch.
Whereas Mondays are everyone’s sit in traffic for 2-hours as your audiobook runs out in the first half hour and then you get to work only to have a roof leak, computer lab down, and toilets clogged from the night before, F’ing PHEW: my Mondays can start from the bed.
Breakfast in bed. Books in bed. Blogging in bed. With cats. Heck, maybe even another mimosa or hair of the dog.
If it looks like a gorgeous day, might as well take one for the team and move outside by the pool. 3-hour flight to a destination? Time to get in some reading and writing. The world is your office and pretty much your library.
Remote Life: A new type of traffic rocks my world. Blog traffic.
2. Wait, did that just happen? Did an author actually call me by my first name and email me? Are we, like, friends now?
Um, hey now, Harlequin Teen just tweeted one of my latest book reviews to 40,000 people. Brushes lint off the shoulder.
Not that I’m bragging or anything but authors TALK to me all of the time. Heck, I’m practically book famous now, and I didn’t even write a book. If you asked lil’ old me years ago if I thought I’d be chatting it up with well-published authors, I would have laughed.
Imagine getting to ask Jay Asher if he ever thought of keeping Hannah Baker alive at the end of 13 Reasons. Not so secret: I got to ask him once in person and HE DID.
3. Backstage pass access
Did you ever have that one friend who was obsessed with the Backstreet Boys growing up?
Let’s just call her Christine. Christine would spend hundreds of dollars or hours calling in to try and win backstage access. Well, a backstage boy band pass to teenage Christine is like an ARC to a book blogger. Not only do you get special copies and a sneak peek of all of the extras, but you are the first to get special privileges and crisp beautiful copies.
If you are the bratty type or an only child, imagine that you get to have the goods before anyone else and can lay down your opinion like it’s the law. Sadistic laugh. Just kidding. Maybe. Not.
4. Religion in the traditional sense isn’t quite my jam but converting adult readers to YA totally is
I can be a librarian outside of the 4 physical walls and offer services and recommendations to people who may not be able to head to the library. See opening scenario. It’s like I have superpowers. Plus, now I am everywhere: Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, the WWW, Instagram. You CANNOT ESCAPE ME!
5. Show me the books!
All the free books!!! Whereas at a hotel I have to steal the ‘free’ soap, here people give me books. I no longer have to scrounge at ALA, dragging suitcases full of books around and pretend my bag isn’t 40 pounds overweight at the airport.
If I am down to ten books in my #TBR queue, I have an anxiety attack. At the same time, I occasionally have to turn away books. SHAMEFUL, I know. Sometimes I just get slammed by amazing authors and cannot keep up with the demand.
If you are looking to request books as a professional reviewer, check out NetGalley to start.
6. ADHD writing without the stress of a book deal
Large amounts of the Twitter people I follow are writers. Every day, I watch them agonize over book deals, writing, and editing. I need a Xanax just following along. As a book blogger, I am not tied to one plot, or heck, even one subject. I can write about anything and change it up. I can add GIFS.
Disclosure:
Don’t get me wrong. I will be a book author one day. I am just warming up. AND YOU BETTER READ MY BOOK AND BUY IT!!!
Be A Successful Blogger With These Tools:
SiteGround for $6.99/month for self-hosting
Pinterest Blog Traffic Course (My Pinterest now sees 2.8 million monthly views. This free exposure translates to blog traffic)
7. You find your people. You are not alone.
Get ready: I worked in one library branch where multiple staff members did not read. Why would you even openly admit this? YUP, not all librarians read. Freaking savages!!! I HAD NO IDEA. (WTF is wrong with them? I don’t get it either.) I would come into work expecting everyone to laugh at my bookish jokes and sit and quietly read over lunch. One coworker read cliff notes when she subbed for book club. BARF! Staff members scrolled FB instead of e-readers. They used the internet for readers advisory. Arrest them.
This lack of reading does not happen in the book blogging world. Bloggers love their books and reading time. We fight for it, we tweet about it, and we brag like shit about it. Every hour, we discuss and trade and cry and remember and review and tweet some more. Reading is life.
8. I have an excuse for being on my phone, computer, and iPad at the same time, all the time, every day.
Social media is my bitch. Or the other way around. It’s 2019. I don’t have to explain.
9. I get to look at porn all day!
Book. Porn. So many pretty books and libraries. Pinterest is a wet dream. Are we Pinterest pals? My boards even include literary travel, home library design, book bloggers, and of course, book reviews. Look at those sexy bookshelves.
10. Although I get to be the fairy princess of blogging, sometimes I have to be the big bad witch. I’m OK with that.
Not all books are created equal, and it is my moral obligation to tell the world. People can’t choose a book without hearing my thoughts first. No, not really, but I sure as heck will tell you what I think. There are also a ton of bloggers out there: beauty, lifestyle, and travel to name a few. …But we all know that the best bloggers are the book ones.
Are you convinced to enter the bookish online realm? Starting a book blog is the worst best thing you will ever do! And I’m here to help!
We Need More Book Bloggers! Tell Others What They Should Start A Book Blog. Pin It!
Hey, Thank you for publishing this and egging me on! Very much appreciated!
Good luck!
Amazing Post! I’m thinking to start my book blog and this post have been proven to be my motivation. I love your fun writing style and haha, the GIFS make it more enjoyable. Congratulations, you have found yourself a new subscriber!
Aw, thank you so much! I appreciate the compliment, and we always love seeing more book bloggers on the scene.
Just so you know, you’re the reason I started a book blog! I’m a PR and marketing writer and have been blogging for various topics for YEARS, but always had trouble staying consistent when blogging just for fun. Now I can’t STOP writing because there are very few things (or people) I love more than reading. So cheers to you! I’m a very happy book blogging woman now.
Awwww, thanks SO much for letting me know. That’s awesome and means a lot to me. I am so glad that you are enjoying book blogging and of course, reading. Xxxxx
I am inspired and ready to go! Thank you for all that you are doing in the book blogging world Christine!
Aw, thanks so much, Katie. That means a lot! Do you run another blog now or do you plan on picking up with Asphalt to Endpapers? I cannot wait to see what you do!
Asphalt to Endpapers? My blog is Katie The Librarian. I’m excited about it and the creative juices are flowing!
Omg, there is a website that’s the exact same as yours but it’s missing “the” in the URL. She’s “Katie Librarian as Asphalt to Endpapers.” For some reason, I thought that was you!! Ekkk! I’m so embarrassed. Your site looks fabulous! I definitely know you on social media with the *right* account lol!! Ahhh!!
This pretty much sums up why I decided to start blogging about books, particularly romance novels. I love romance novels and read so many, I thought to myself why don’t I write reviews for the books I am reading or about the authors. I definitely hope to receive ARCs to review.
I have just started out, I’m maybe two weeks in, and I am so glad I discovered your blog. Getting to know others who love books as much as I do was definitely one motivator in starting my blog. Also, your resources are great. I am still unsure if I want to add an instagram for my blog but I know if I do, I will be coming back to your posts about bookstagrams.
That’s a great reason for reviewing! Welcome to the world of book blogging; I love it!
Instagram is probably my least favorite platform out of all of them. IG requires constant engagement and near-daily posting with little return. If you enjoy IG, I definitely think it’s nice to have one. Visually, IG is a fun platform. Stories make it more personal too. The algorithm is pretty unforgiving, and it definitely dictates particular content. I only post 2-3 times a week when I can. I try to have a small presence on all platforms but definitely focus mostly on the blog, Pinterest, and then Twitter. I started out more IG heavy but just didn’t love it as much.
Thank you! Never hesitate to drop by or ask questions. Good luck!
This post had me laughing with all the different GIFs. I am entering in this wonderful world and glad to see others are here as well. Thanks for the insight and the warm welcome.
Hey Tina, thanks!! I rarely write in GIFs because they kill my site speed: but I just had to! Welcome to the world of book blogging. Never hesitate to message if you need anything.
Love this post. Since I’m off work this week for the holidays, this is my first time EVER blogging without simultaneously working my day job. (This is not as impressive as it sounds; I’ve only been blogging 6 months, haha). But, for reals, this is the first time I’ve been able to live the #bloggerlife like it’s my ONLY life and occupation…AND IT’S MAGICAL. There’s so much freedom! I read a little, I write a little, I edit a little, I social media a little…and then I do it all again! In any order I want! Because there is SO MUCH TIME. And, I am doing it all from home, which is freakin awesome because my “regular” job involves waking up at 5am and a 1.5 one-way commute. All I wanna do is blog full-time. I mean, I wanted to do that before. But, now, it’s REALLY all I want to do. 😀
Being a book blogger is awesome!!
Ahaha, I feel you! Being a book blogger is awesome.
And yesssss, I used to drive to and from work, spending 1-4 hours a day in my car for an awful, stressful commute. I did get to listen to some great audiobooks, at least. I loved that part… Then, I’d work erratic schedules with long days and nights, eat equally erratic meals that were always interrupted, and have to work through nights and weekends–and my family’s special occasions, holidays, and skip doctor appts. My employers didn’t understand colitis, marriage…or graduate school that they required of me. I did a library program after a root canal, drugged, in pain, and drooling on the kids. I worked a shift where I had no voice and couldn’t swallow. As someone with colitis, this lifestyle was even harder.
Working from home, blogging, and creating your own projects is so much more fun and meaningful. I miss working with the public to some extent but not the way I had to work. I also think going to a job for 8 hours where it’s been proven that people successfully work only 5-6 hours a day is silly these days. I had a desk job where I had nothing to do half the day. I’d sit there and surf the web…waiting to go home (this was before blogging). What a waste of my life. lol
Sure, there are some blogging tasks that I love and others that I just have to do, but I am with you: there is SO MUCH TIME and way more freedom. I’m responsible for my success or failure. Bosses will not ruin my day or Christmas. I like being able to eat when I want and pee when I want…ahaha.
I started a virtual book club this year as an extension of my blog. Our Facebook Group is growing. At our second “meeting,” we had the author pop in and decided to stay the entire time. But how do I go about getting books to review, etc? I would love that.
That is so cool that the author decided to pop in! How is virtual book club going?
In regards to getting books to review: You can join a professional reviewing database by applying for NetGalley or Edelweiss. I also have many authors and publishers just directly seek me out via social media. Make sure to include #bookblogger in some of your online posts ; )
Thanks, so much for the advice. I’ll let you know how it goes!
Having the author there was one of my biggest blogging successes. He really took the time to chat with us about one of my most favorite books, Moloka’i.
I haven’t read Moloka’i, but I am going to look into it ASAP ; )
I’ve been book blogging for a month and a half now and you have no idea how excited I was to be getting emails from authors within my first week starting. Well maybe you do know how excited I was lol. I started my book blog because not only do I love to read but I also want to be a writer, so this is pushing me in the right direction in learning to not be so shy about letting people read my stuff.
I didn’t realize that you were that new to blogging! Congrats! I love getting author emails that are personalized. One author sent me a sweet note. Made my day! I totally get it! I want to be a novel writer one day. What type of works are you hoping to write? I mostly hope to be a travel writer and produce either a historical fiction novel or some type of nonfiction travelogue.
Believe me, I would like nothing better than to be able to work from home and earn a respectable income doing so. Having to deal with an autoimmune condition makes it a battle to get up and go to work every day. But how do you start to be a book blogger?? Do you just start writing reviews on books that you like, and hope to somehow be noticed? ( In the grand scheme of things, do I have anything to contribute to what has already been voiced?)
I think I would feel like my voice was a speck of sand in the immense ocean of the online book blogging world! ** dreams **
I think I started as a book blogger because I had been casually reviewing for NetGalley. I’m not sure if you already know of the database, but it lets you apply for free book ARCs in exchange for reviews. There are other equally professional databases out there, but these days, authors and publishers just directly contact me. You can make money through affiliate marketing (Barnes and Noble, Amazon, and Book Depository to name a few) and sometimes authors work out a little extra something-something too.
For me, I also travel write (I did to do more of this), and I am trying to get to the traffic point where having rolling ads will generate income. Highly trafficked bloggers make thousands each month on now passive posts from these ads. It’s wild. Plus they do sponsorships, etc. AND, you can freelance. Brands reach out to me, but you can also apply. There are many income channels–but I am learning that it takes time and hard hard work—plus SO MUCH PATIENCE. lol
Do you have an autoimmune disease too? I think everyone can stand out if you find your particular voice. I follow many book bloggers and bloggers in general, but only a few amaze me.
Okay, you are living my third dream. My first is to travel the world (currently doing), my second is to see my published novel on bookshelves (currently working on this AKA torturing myself), and then third be a librarian with a book blog. Thank you for this great post. Someday, when my traveling stops I want to write a book blog, I want to inspire people to return to the joy of reading books, not just facebook posts. Oh, and a tip to get around the overweight suitcase, just carry them all in your backpack (mine weighs close to 40 lbs at times with books and computer) then get SO to carry one or two by convincing them they would love to read it, even though they hate to read…
Hey Sheri!!
I would love to publish a novel as well–one day! What are you writing about? I know a book blogger who loves ARCs, when you are finished. Wink, wink.
I am glad that you enjoyed this post. Thank you! Book blogging is the best. I love talking to authors and finding secret reads. Talking about books is something that I could do all day. I can’t go anywhere without a book on hand.
I am actually more of a retired ‘librarian.’ I have the degree, but after 5 years in the FL public library system, I definitely felt like I needed to get away from the chains of the reference desk; it’s a much more political and underfunded world than one would think; or at least what I thought! Most stressful job I ever had, lol, and nope, I didn’t get to sit around and read all day. Boooo : ( I miss it, at times, but don’t worry if you never live that dream ; )
Thank you for the book carrying tip. HAHA. I have traveled with WAY TOO MANY books in my giant purse. Like 4-6. But hey, I NEEDED them.
Absolutely loved this post, and all of these reasons definitely are some of the great things about book blogging for sure!
Thank you so much! Hope you had a great weekend catching up on some good books.
OK, this post is fantastic… but the GIFS GIVE ME LIFE!! ??? I bow down to you, you are the contextual-gif goddess!! I’ll be chuckling at the Elmo one for days. And all of your reasons are 100% accurate, by the way. The only one I might add is that you FINALLY get an endless outlet to talk incessantly about books that have got your motor running, long after all of your friends and family are really bored of you yammering on about them ?❤️
This comment made my day!! THANK YOU SOOOO MUCH!!! Gifs were totally new to me until last month. I was getting so tired of trying to take pictures to add to my posts. Then it hit me: GIFS!!! And let me tell you, library GIFS are the best. It was so hard to pick–minus the YA red tape one; that was a no brainer. I think I need to starting making my own.
I love your list addition!!! I can just yap to myself and whoever makes it to the end of my NEVER ENDING posts, evil laugh!
Have a great rest of the weekend. Glad I found you on Twitter!
Aw, thank you so much! I appreciate your kind words.
This was so funny. Now teach me your ways lol.
Lol!!! THANK YOU!! You are doing great!! I’m definitely going to do some more blogging about blogging. I’ve learned so much, studied up, and made quite a few mistakes that I definitely feel like I can save others from angst. And there is so much angst lol ?? But I LOVE IT!! Have a fabulous bookish weekend!
Thoroughly enjoyed this post!! Loved the way you organised it, you totally pulled me into that little story at the beginning, and your reasons to become a book blogger are entertaining & excellent.
Aw, thank you so much!! I love book blogging. I’ve read some great titles this year that I may have never even found on my own. Indie authors are the best. Thank you for reading ?? ??