Over Coffee is a segment at A Novel Idea in where we discuss all things bookish. Ranging from events, book blogger tips, book releases and predictions, and how to’s.
Missed the last discussion? Find it here
It’s been about…1 year and a month since I made the jump into Book Blogging. It was partially on a whim and partially because I wanted to have a new hobby. Honestly, looking back, I laugh at my younger self for thinking this would be easy……
For those of you who are somewhat new to the blogging-sphere and those of you that are veterans, you might know what I’m talking about or you might not. For those of you who are newborns to this, you might experience this moving forward…..or not. Blogging is a personal experience and it varies from person to person. I just wanted to share my experience with you 🙂
5 Things they don’t tell you about being a book blogger
1. Blogging is hard. Book Blogging is Hard!
In all honestly, I did not know how much work blogging was. Especially blogging about books! While it is about sharing your love of books with other like-minded individuals, it’s also about staying in the know about current popular reads and reading enough that you have content for your blog.
You can only do so many book tags. (calling myself out here)
People want to see book reviews, event participation and discussion posts. Even snippets on your personal life at times so that they can connect better with the person behind the screen. While it’s not all required, you tend to have a better audience if you have them.
And let’s not forget about the planning it takes to run a book blog. If you don’t have posts pre-planned, pre-scheduled, or drafted, then you are going to have a less fun time blogging. There is nothing more stressful than forgetting to write a blog post/ not having a post in mind. We won’t even get into writing one last minute….
Lastly, there is the marketing aspect of it. SEO, Images, Social Media, etc etc etc. Again none of these are required, but they are nice to have/know/do. Learning SEO strategies helps you rank better in a niche that so many others are participating in. It makes you visible to a broader audience online. Social Media facilitates sharing your bookish lifestyle and offers a space for you to show off your photographic creativity.
2. Being interactive is a MUST if you plan to grow
This is one I struggle with to this day. Being a relatively shy person, regardless of medium, commenting on other blogger’s posts is something I forget to do. It is such an important part of blogging though.
Commenting on other blogger’s posts after you’ve read them can take you a long way. It will help you not only build relationships with amazing people, but it will also put you on the radar of others.
It expands your world to other opportunities in regard to blogging like:
- Guest Posting
- Book tours
- Meetups
- Blogging Awards
3. Your TBR will grow
It will be infinite. And no matter how many books you read, there will be more!
Luckily, you don’t have to read everything and for the ones you do, it’s all at your own pace.
4. You will get random authors asking you to read and review their books
While it’s nice to see some authors reaching out, YOU DO NOT OWE ANYONE ANYTHING.
So don’t feel pressured to read their work. Kindly let them know you aren’t interested.
5. You will want a break from books and blogging
Like all good things, there is a point where it gets to be too much; Where you won’t want to read for a while or even write a blog post. And that’s okay! You are allowed to take a break.
Or if it’s taking a toll on your well-being, you are allowed to switch your posting schedule for something that works for YOU. If it comes down to it, you can quit blogging if you find that it’s just too much work.
No one will judge you and there are so many other ways to share your love for books in the community. You don’t have to be a book blogger to do so ❤
What have you learned from being a book blogger? Are you looking to be a book blogger? Let me know in the comments below!
XOXOXO,
Jeimy
I also didn’t know how much work it would be. Writing posts and building an audience takes forever. My blog is like a second job.
Very true! A second job I enjoy but its work!
Thank You for Reading! <3
yep, I very much didn’t knew what I was getting myself into either ahaha I first started because I had nothing to do too! xD then I was like.. okay but over tumblr isn’t like.. “legit” blogging, so I made a wordpress — and struggled ! almost let it die within a month..
What I hope I had known since the start though, is that it’s fine not to be in one category. Since I branched with blogging/gaming/ANYTHING ELSE I want.. I so much more free and I don’t dread posting anymore, as I can just write about whatever I want without having the pressure of NEEDING to do X.
OMG! yes! multi-niching can be easier since you can fit into multiple categories and the amount of topics you can write increase. There are so many options!
Im glad you didnt give up on the blog! <3
Aww, Thank you ❤️
Now two years later I have no idea what i’d do without it, ahah
I didn’t know how much work it’d be or how much my TBR would grow😂 I’m also really bad at commenting
Same! Im trying really hard to get better though!
I have a love and hate relationship with my tbr lol
Yes! You nailed it with this one. Theoretically, the quarantine should help with all of this, but focusing is harder with my family also running around the house.
Yes, it is definitely hard to focus when you are needed constantly haha This quarantine has been interesting to say the least
This is such a great post, thank you for sharing! I’d love to learn more about connecting to the book blogging community – I still consider myself pretty new to this!
Thank you for reading!
Wordpress is the gateway into getting connected with other great bookish bloggers! I met so many great bloggers because of the reader on wordpress. The next step would be building the connection; comment on their blog posts, join some buddy reads or bookish events, or even host/join a guest post!
If you have any questions, I’d be glad to help out! Just email me! Anovelideapr@gmail.com <3
Ohh thanks Jeimy! I’d love to know more about guest blogging so will drop you an email☺️ thanks so much