Writing A Book Review Blog
Posted on: 28 October 2020
Book reviews are a wonderful way to engage in works you've read and start a discussion on them. Starting a book review blog not only helps your reviews reach a wide audience but may also earn you some income. Here are a few things to keep in mind as you blog.
Find a niche of books to review.
People naturally gravitate towards things that are similar to what they already like. This is especially true for reading. Having a niche for your blog lets you leverage this fact. By focusing on a specific interest, you'll be able to gain a more stable base of readers. Your blog's visitors will be more likely to subscribe to notifications and updates if they know you're reviewing books they might enjoy. Additionally, a niche will help guide what books you should review on your blog.
Talk about craft.
Rarely do people read a book solely for its content. The presentation and form of that content are just as important as the content itself. Talk about how the authors structure their work and how that shapes your experience reading it. For fiction, that may mean talking about pacing, description, dialogue, and narrative. For poetry, it might be talking about metaphor, imagery, and rhyme. This even applies to non-fiction, like self-help books or biographies. With non-fiction, you could talk about the way the author presents information in a way that's sensical and captivating. Craft is what makes a good book great and your reviews should address this.
Voice your opinion.
It's important to be fair and balanced with any compliments or criticisms you have for a work. But a critical part of any book review blog is the reviewer's opinion. Don't be afraid to tell your readers how you felt about a book, good or bad. Obviously, this doesn't mean your review should be just your opinion. You should still nclude factual details and descriptions of the book. Use these to help your readers understand where you're coming from as that can make your opinions and your reviews interesting and worthwhile to your audience.
Post regularly.
Finally and most importantly, maintain a regular posting schedule. Part of this will depend on how thorough your book reviews are. If each review is only a few hundred words, try to post a few times a week. But if each review is in-depth, then a few times a month may be better. No matter how long your posts are, be sure to post at regular, predictable times. Keeping a consistent schedule will help keep your blog's reader population stable.
A book review blog is an excellent way to digest books you've read and create a community dedicated to discussing these books. With a little effort, a blog can also be a great source of extra income. Follow these few tips to help your blog shine.
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