How to Start a Successful Book Blog

Blogs have become an increasingly popular way to both promote and discuss books. These sites are a great way to connect with other readers who share your interests and who can recommend new and interesting things to read. Here are some tips for starting your own book blog.

Write Well

This is the most important thing to remember because if your blog is riddled with grammar and spelling errors it will look unprofessional and turn readers away immediately. Always remember to spell check and it's even a good idea to have someone else proofread what you've written.

Writing well is also about more than just spelling and grammar. Your blog should be engaging and interesting to read -even the most fascinating book can come across as boring and humdrum when being written about by someone who's treating it like a school assignment and not expressing his or herself. Make sure your personality shines through!

Always make sure to explain your opinion. Personally, I think the worst reviews are the ones which say a book is "so good, so bad, so funny, so sad" with no further explanation. Give examples, elaborate, tell us why! If you have a strong dislike for a book, don't be unnecessarily cruel. It's a turn off to bloggers, readers, authors, and publishers alike. Instead, simply give reasons for your opinion -there's no need to insert a lot of exaggerated hyperbole that will just create hurt feelings.

Write Often

It's important to strike just the right balance in this area. If you don't update enough, even the most loyal readers will lose interest and turn away. However, if you write too much and are posting multiple updates a day, readers will become overwhelmed and start skipping entries. Many readers read only what is at the top of the page when they click on a blog, so they might not even see something you've just written that you're proud of.

Every blogger has his or her preferred methods of updating, but I've found that no more than once a day, four or five times a week, is a good balance. Reviews, especially if you were sent a book by a publisher or author, should remain at the top of the page for at least twenty four hours -that way you're giving more people the chance to see it.

Put Yourself Out There

Readers don't just come out of thin air -something has to bring them to your blog. One way to bring readers to your blog is to start reading and commenting on other people's blogs. If you leave witty and insightful comments (no "hey, come check out my blog") people will be curious about you and what you've written. The best way to do this is by visiting blogs that are similar to yours or what you would like yours to be. If that person is interested in the same kinds of books that you are, they and their readers will probably be interested in what you have to say. Get to know these bloggers and learn from them. More experienced bloggers will be able to offer you a wealth of experience as well as friendship.

Get in touch with your friends and let them know that you've started a blog. Use email, Facebook, Myspace, and Twitter to get the word out. For the first few weeks, send out updates when you post -remind people of what you're doing.

Books Books Books

Naturally, the books are the most fun part of the book blogging experience. If you don't have the deep pockets necessary to fill your shelves with brand new books, don't worry. There are many ways to keep your blog busy.

First, take a look around and use what you already have. Do you own books that you haven't read yet? Do you have older favorites that you're just dying to talk about? Now is the time to read or re-read what's been sitting around your house for ages. Even if it's a few years old, not everyone will have heard of it and your perspective will be a new one. Never let the fact that others have reviewed a book keep you from doing it.

Next, visit your local library. It's guaranteed to have new and interesting books. If they don't have a book you want, many libraries offer inter-library loan, a free service that lets you request books from other libraries.

Check out used book stores such as Goodwill or The Salvation Army, which are an inexpensive way to fill your shelves. Many online booksellers offer used books that are less expensive than their new counterparts.

Giveaways on blogs are a great way to win books as well as network with other bloggers. Many blogs have frequent contests for new and upcoming releases and you'll often find information about these contests on the sidebars of different blogs. Even if they're not hosting any contests, many bloggers are glad to make a trade for something you're willing to part with.

Finally, many bloggers have been fortunate enough to have publishers and authors send them new and upcoming books. This is a process that has been abused by some people, so it is imperative that anyone thinking of starting a book blog not do so because they think it's a guaranteed goldmine of free books. It isn't. Not only are these books not guaranteed to any and all bloggers, if you're just in it for free books, these people can tell and are less likely to send to you. Always remember that you are not entitled to anything and that it is the height of rudeness to get belligerent with someone because they aren't sending you something you want.

Blog for the right reasons: a love of reading and a need to express yourself and connect with other readers. It's a fun and rewarding experience and I hope to see you soon!