This year will mark my ninth anniversary of blogging! Yes, I've been blogging for almost a decade. I guess time really does fly by quick when you keep yourself busy like me. For those of you who have followed me from the beginning, my blog started out strictly as a book review blog, but over the years I have expanded my reviews into other territories, such as movies and certain products that fall into my own personal niche. Additionally, I've worked with a few companies on several sponsored posts. (Yes, your blog earn money!)
#1. You Don't Need A Domain Right Away
While having your own blog domain is the right direction to go if you want to look professional, you don't have to start out with one at the beginning. I didn't have the budget to purchase a domain when I first started out, so I went the simple and cheap route by created a free blog on Blogger, which you'll be given a blogspot.com URL. There's also weebly.com, wix.com, squarespace.com, and many other free blog platforms you can choose from.
Once you get some content (aka - posts) and some followers/readers, then I would recommend getting a domain. Use your blog's own stats platform, an analytics website, or a consumer growth platform to determine how many followers/readers your blog is receiving.
#2. Blog About What You Know
The biggest question on every newbie blogger's mind is, "What do I blog about?" Well, that's an easy question to answer, blog about what you know. If you like to read Stephen King novels, then you should review Stephen King novels! If you like to read romances, then you should review romance novels!
When I first started out, I reviewed the books that I already owned. My goal wasn't to the get the attention of publishers or authors; I just wanted to share my love of reading with others. However, my reviews caught the attention of authors and publishers, which lead to me reviewing Advanced Reader Copies.
If you want to receive free books to review on your blog, the only thing you have to do is review the books that you own or have checked out at the library! Eventually, you're blog will attract readers and loyal followers.
#3. Participate In Weekly Blog Memes
Many bloggers host weekly memes, where typically you have to answer a question on your blog and share you're post's URL on some sort of Linky widget. This is a way to meet other bloggers and get new readers for your blog.
I had participated in several weekly memes when I first started blogging, and I ended up taking over the "Book Blogger Hop" meme from the original creator/owner. Hosting your own meme can also attract new reader to your blog!
#4. Connect Your Blog To Social Media Platforms
Linking your newly published blog posts to Twitter and Facebook can increase the page-views of your posts. Plus, it's another way to connect with authors, publishers, and other bloggers. A must-have social media platform for every book blogger is "Goodreads," where you can connect with many like-minded book lovers.
#5. Join Book Blog Programs
There are several publishing companies that have there own book blogging programs, where you can sign up to review one or two books at a time. These programs (Blogging for Books, BookLook, etc.) are a wonderful way for you to receive a free book to review on your blog!
I hope everyone likes my "5 Tips For Starting A Book Blog." While book blogging starts out as a hobby, it can quickly turn into a side-job, so you need to think of authors and publishers as customers. I recommend keeping track of everyone you work with by using a customer metric software. If you have any questions, just leave a comment in the comment section.
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