Importance of Book Blogging:

Our world is changing. With the advent of the internet, everything is evolving. So are the dynamics of book reading, writing and reviewing. Now, you can read the books you like on the internet, read the reviews, discuss with like-minded people and even get suggestions from them. Book blogging sites and accounts are now made, specifically for this purpose. Many new authors have been starting a book blog of their own, where they can get connected to their readers, get reviews about their writing, and get to know other writers as well. But the question arises, how to start a book blog?

Starting a book blog from scratch may seem a daunting task to people who are not tech-savvy, but worry not. With our hassle-free guide and book blogging tips, you can easily set up your blog.

Book Blogging for Beginners:

As a new writer, starting your blog may seem intimidating, but with our easy to follow steps, you can get started today.

• Decide on a Blog Name

• First things first, you have to come up with a name for your book blog. The name should be unique and catchy but also something that people can easily remember and associate with. Some options can be naming it after your name (like Lucy The Reader), associate it with the genre of the books you read and want to review (such as Feeling Fictional by Sarah) or can choose any name you think can make you reach your target audience. After you have decided on a name for your blog, the next step would be to search it on Google and other social media platforms to make sure it is not already taken. This way you would avoid your book blogging site getting confused with an already established blog.  

• Choose a Platform for Your Book Blogging

• There are several blogging platforms you can work on for free such as WordPress.com, Google Blogger, Blog.com and Weebly. They differ in themes, layouts and other features such as spam blockers, site statistics and inbuilt SEO plugins etc. You can start with first making a list of the available platforms and then use them one by one on a trial basis to get an idea of how things work. Once you use the listed platforms individually, you would get a clear idea about the platform you would be comfortable using.

• Decide on a Domain Name

• You can choose your domain name and get it registered in one of two ways. You either get it for free, or you pay for it. There are several free microblogging websites where you can register your domain, such as WordPress.com, Google Blogger etc.
  Getting your blog registered for free is the first choice of many new bloggers. These websites offer low maintenance, free of cost blogging platforms that have a wide variety of names available to choose from. But on the downside of it, once you get yourself registered with these free websites, you are kind of stuck with them. Your blog is connected to them. There have been a few cases where these free blogging websites crashed, taking all the blogs down with in the process. So, be careful which free website you get your blog connected to.
  On the other hand, buying your domain name can become an additional cost for some bloggers and writers who are working under a tight budget. But, it proves beneficial in the long run. With a premium domain name, you can customize your blog according to your taste, unlike the free websites, where you have to rely on their themes. Secondly, your data is safe when you purchase your domain. So, you wouldn’t have to worry about losing your well-written pieces.

• Choose a Book Blogging Theme

• After getting done with the technical aspects of starting a blog, the next step is to make your blog both aesthetically and visually pleasing. Platforms like WordPress.com offer free themes for blogs. By selecting a particular theme, you can decide the overall look of your blog, as well as the kind of features you want in your blog, colour combinations, plugins and widgets.

• Use Social Media to Promote Your Book Blogging Website

• Okay, so got done with the technicalities of starting a blog, buying a domain, making the blog look pretty? What’s next? It is now time to start promoting your blog on different social media platforms. There are specific groups and communities on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter that connect all the book readers and reviewers in one place. Increase your social media presence, share useful content other than your blog so more and more people can get connected to you. So create your profiles and get started.
  Try not to use all the social media at once because it can become hard to juggle these single-handedly. Secondly, you may not find all of these helpful for your blog. So, it is better to start with just one or two and then see how they impact your blog’s reach and traffic statistics.

• Find Your Community

• It is always advisable to become a part of a community that shares the same interests as you. To make a successful book blog, you should join different book reader communities. You learn a lot by getting connected to like-minded people, get recommendations about books, meet new authors and get to know more book bloggers. You will see how tremendously it helps you connect to people and make new friends in the book reading community. 

• Have a Posting Schedule

• Once you have set up your blog, you should then decide about the frequency of posting content on it. Experts say you should post once to three times a week in the beginning. The more often you post, the better a chance it is to reach more audience. Many successful bloggers suggest to pre-plan your posting and writing schedules. This helps to keep you focused on your work.

• Expand Your Book Blogging Genre

• To keep your blog more entertaining and engaging, it is always a good idea to touch upon different types of blog posts. Your options can be many. You can start from book reviews, create your booklists, write in book discussion posts, take part in opinion pieces, share reading tips and also post about author interviews. This way, your blog will have a variety of topics to read, without losing focus on book blogging.

If you have any other tips for new bloggers, feel free to let us know. We would love to hear from you.
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