Blogging about books is an activity that can get bogged down with logistics. You can lose a lot of the creativity as you focus on getting th...
Blogging about books is an activity that can get bogged down with logistics. You can lose a lot of the creativity as you focus on getting the word out, answering emails/comments, promoting posts and other administrative-type duties.
Midway through the process, it’s easy to forget that this activity should be fun. While we hope our articles will give you something new and interesting to consider while reading or to help spur conversation, there are so many ways you can involve the basic tenets of art in your own blogging endeavors.
One of the reasons we love art so much is that it’s an activity that takes us out of our normal routine and helps us see things in a different light. While reading is definitely one way to do this, blogging about books can be just as powerful a creative outlet.
With these book blogging ideas you may find yourself relaxing more or feeling quite exhilarated at the simple thrill of getting your thoughts down onto paper while making connections between literature and visual arts.
Maintaining a book blog can be a great way to be more mindful and thoughtful about your reading and reading habits. It can be hard to get those creative juices flowing if you’re new to the book blogging world or you’ve doing it for a while.
How do you overcome this wall? One of the best ways is by brainstorming different ideas that come to your mind when thinking about books, reading, literature, and anything only-book oriented!
Here I’ve compiled a list of some random but fun things that will help keep your blog fresh!
1) Create Lists:
Since lists are so in style these days, why not create them on your blog as well? Think beyond what most blogs have done — book lists and favorites. What about the top 10 most frustrating books you read? Or your top 10 favorite books set in your home state? The possibilities are endless!
1a) Book Tag:
Just like it sounds, create a tag for yourself to use on other blogs where you can answer a few questions related to books or reading (I’ve seen this done with music as well). I’m sure many readers out there would enjoy seeing how others approach the same subjects from different perspectives! A great example is provided by Melissa, over at Beauty in Ruins , who tagged herself with the ABCs of Being A Reader . You can follow her blog here:
2) Events / Promotions:
If you’re hosting an event — whether online or offline — then why not blog about it? Give your readers a heads-up so they know what’s going on and how to join in.
You can also post pictures from the event, write about some of the guests that will be there, or share links for those who can’t be present.
If you’re working with a publisher to promote one of their works, go ahead and create a simple page on your blog dedicated to this promotion / partnership so people know where they can find more information.
3) Movie Adaptations:
If you’ve read books and want to see them adapted into movies in the future (e.g., The Book Thief ) or are waiting for movies based off books to come out (e.g., The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones ), then why not blog about them?
Write your thoughts on what you hope to see or scenes you’d like to be played out. Did they stay true to the book or stray from it? Don’t forget pictures — readers love seeing stuff related to movies!
3a) Countdown For example, if you’re waiting for a movie adaptation, create a post each day until the movie comes out and give reasons as to why you are excited / want this book turned into a movie! Give us readers something interesting to read while we wait: A Movie Adaptation XX DAYS AWAY!!
4) Author Interviews:
Whether they live in your neighborhood or around the world, getting an interview with an author is a very interesting prospect to do.
Whether you see them as your literary idol or just want to learn about their writing process, there are many reasons why you’d pursue this activity. Don’t forget to post the interview on your blog so other readers can enjoy it too! Here’s an example of one interview by Laura over at Reading in Black and White
4a) Write A Review:
This seems like another no-brainer, but don’t overlook the importance of actually reviewing books that have been released and will be released in the future.
Not only does it give readers something more substantial to read than just a list or tag, but also gives you more privileges (such as requesting review copies).
5) Interview Other Bloggers:
I bet you think I forgot about this one, but making connections is extremely important when it comes to blogging. Talking with other bloggers makes your blog stand out more and will make you seem more approachable (a good thing!).
Plus, many people can actually relate to others who are just getting into the book blogging world too!
5a) Collabs / Giveaways:
How else will you get noticed by readers if you don’t work together? More importantly, having partnerships not only gives you different ideas on how to create a post and keeps your blog fresh, but also increases the number of people reading your blog as well!
6) Read-Alongs/Book Club Posts:
Reading along with fellow book lovers is something great to do. You can either create a post with links for each day you read the book or write about your feelings on certain chapters/parts of the story.
6a) Muggle Book Club:
If you are not in a book club already, then why not start one? While I do believe that reading is a very personal activity and it’s great to connect with fellow readers that way, blogging can provide an outlet where people who cannot meet up physically can communicate (e.g., through comments).
If you want to try something new, why not join forces with another blogger who’s interested in starting a blog club?
7) Favourites Posts:
We’ve all done this at some point — we talk to our friends/family about a book we’re reading and wind up telling them about your favorite parts of the story. It can be a great way to get an “outside” perspective on what you’re talking about. Don’t forget the pictures!
7a) Favourites Posts:
Just like how you learn from others, it’s also nice (and probably more effective) if you share some favorites with other readers too.
This post will help get people thinking about their own favourite books / stories and could maybe start some interesting conversations among fellow bloggers themselves!
8) Weekly Post/Tag :
How often do you see these kinds of posts? We’ve seen quite a few around here. Some are good, but the simplicity is what makes them so popular. If you want to have something that’s more time-consuming, it can be a great way to get a post out every week while also having one less thing on your “to do” list.
9) Book Reviews:
Whether they are classics or recent releases, giving a good book review is always something enjoyable for the reader. When people read them frequently and consistently, then it will not only benefit that particular blog/site itself but will also attract new readers as well!
10) Field Notes :
Taking notes of what happens in your life is always good practice for any writer — blogging or not. What better way than to write about your day? Though, I would recommend doing this at least 2-3 times a week instead of making it a daily post or you’ll have way too much material for one post, which could be difficult to read through.
11) Farewell Posts:
Sometimes, we readers need to know that the blog will not be continuing on forever. In fact, I’m sure some people would rather find out ahead of time then wait until months down the road when no new posts are released…
12) Achievements :
This probably isn’t as exciting, but aside from reading your own books and reviewing them (or others), what else have you done? Are there any goals you’ve accomplished already? Is there anything major coming up in the next few weeks that you want to make sure everyone knows about? If so, now is a great time to mention it!
13) Writing Tips:
Tips are not only for beginning writers. They can also be a great way to explain your writing process or what you do while you write.
14) Favorite Authors/Authors You’ve Met:
Having favorite authors is all good and well, but maybe it’s time to mention one of them again? If so, this could be a nice summary post of who they are (maybe even some interesting facts about them), where you have met them, and/or how their stories influenced yours in some way.
14a) Giveaways:
What better way to let new people know about their blog than by gifting great books/materials that will make an impression on anyone! A giveaway can attract more people than just being featured on another site.
14b) Linkshells:
Have you been a part of any linkshells (on ffxiv) in the past? If so, you should definitely share what went well and how you felt about your time there! Maybe even look for ways to connect with that person again!
15) Community:
Even if it’s not in your blog, you should find a place to be a part of a community. If there is one that’s already established, then it’s great way to bond with those people and maybe discuss what you all want/need for the future of the site!
16) Contests:
What better point than now to host a contest? This could attract new people to your world and update them about how things go (whether they are winners or losers). It doesn’t always have to include books — music or even video games can make this interesting too. The possibilities are endless!
17) Questions:
You don’t have to answer these questions if you really didn’t want to, but I’m sure others might find this interesting. A series of questions, whether it’s a Q&A or some other kind of setup, could be beneficial to the readers and yourself since you’ll be able to answer any/all concerns in an organized fashion!
18) Supplies:
While some people may not think about this as much as they should, what supplies do you use for your blog? Do you always use the same ones or are there others that you consider using? Are there any thoughts on some new ones that can make reading more enjoyable? Maybe even share something interesting about the supplies if it was used in a post, etc.
19) Media:
Whether it’s pictures or videos themselves, media is a great thing to share! Maybe you have a playlist or two that goes along with some of your posts, or maybe there are videos that can help visualize something better. This could also attract new readers in the future since they’ll be able to see what kind of things you’re into and if it’s anything similar to what they already enjoy.
20) Thoughts :
This is probably a good place for someone who doesn’t like sharing facts at all times. Having a post where you talk about how you feel about certain books (or even not books) in general can bring out the thoughts that people may want to know but don’t always ask! Perhaps there are other feelings on an upcoming book release or even one from their past? You never know what will be thought about when you go into this kind of post.
21) E-reader Reviews:
Having an e-reader is great and all, but what do you use it for? If you have a blog or even if not, then sharing your thoughts on the pros/cons of your specific device may help learn some tips from others or just make more people aware that their technology can be used in various ways! This would also give them an idea if they should invest in one themselves or what else they might want to consider!
22) Themes:
Do you stick with one theme at a time for posts? Maybe there’s something different that can attract readers in the future while keeping things interesting. Or maybe there are other themes to consider that you haven’t noticed before!
23) Comics:
Everyone loves a good comic or two. So if this is one of your interests, then why not share them? From famous comics to personal ones you make, share some laughs with the world!
24) Illustrations:
While they’re not always needed, having pictures or drawings can help bring things to life more than just words themselves. Whether it’s their own or from other sources such as tumblr (just give credit where it’s due!), illustrations help readers visualize what’s being said.
25) Post-a-Day Challenge :
If there was one thing I could do all over again without thinking twice about it, it would be my PAD journey during NaNoWriMo last year. Having to think about a post every day was quite the challenge but I’m so glad I did it because of all the things that I learned and in general, how much easier it made my blogging experience. If you’re looking for some sort of goal or something, this could be a great way to start fresh!
26) Polls:
Asking questions is always a good thing; polls can help draw out answers from others as well! You may want to ask them if they have any personal preferences such as e-readers or music playlists used during reading/writing time, etc.. Whether they pass by on their own or if you advertise them more by putting them at the end of your posts, polls are sure to help you get more information for future topics!
27) Tags:
Whether they’re people or things that relate to your blog and have been mentioned before in the past, tags can be a great way of connecting with others while getting the word out there about whatever new topic you want to bring attention to. If you make them into their own post instead of just adding them at the end of yours, then it can be fun for readers as well as yourself! Just like food and music playlists, maybe someone will find something interesting and decide to look more into what else you may tag because they fit right along with it.
28) Book Lists:
Are you currently reading a series? Perhaps an author has multiple series out that you’re interested in reading. What about a specific topic such as ‘Books to Read Before You Die’? Lists are great because they can help readers find something that is just what they may be looking for! It can also give them an idea if there’s anything they want to try and look into without having to go through all of the countless books themselves (or it may even get them more excited than before!)
29) Categorization:
I know I didn’t personally do this, but making sure everything is organized so nothing gets missed or goes forgotten is important when it comes to blogging. Some of you may have different ways of how things are done; perhaps a post on why yours works best for you would help others discover something better for themselves.
30) Tips:
Literally anything that can help someone who is starting out or even just trying to find some way to improve their writing so it flows better or whatever they may be looking for such as a book blogging routine, reading challenges and more!
31) Lists of what you’ve read:
Self-explanatory; this can either be something you post at the end of Ask the Blogger guest posts or otherwise. This will also help anyone who reads your blog realize what you’re currently in the mood for, which will make it easier to recommend books still if it’s requested from your readers instead of having to search through everything yourself.
32) Reading Challenges:
If not hosted by another party, then why not start one of your own? Do you like setting goals? Plenty of others do too! You don’t have to set it up as something difficult either. Even just trying to read one book a week can help immensely when you make it public and keep track of the titles you’ve read; maybe even check in with others who have decided to try this out at the same time so you can encourage each other along the way.
33) Top Ten:
Make lists for anything that comes to mind (ideally ones that are related to your blog)! They’re great for getting people involved if they find themselves agreeing or disagreeing with what you’ve come up with, which is usually fun for everyone else to get into as well. This can help readers discover new things as well, and knowing that you have a list of something specific they’re looking for can make it easier for them to get ideas!
34) General blogging tips:
What works best for you when it comes to running your blog? Be sure to share these with others so they don’t feel too alone. Tell them about the resources you use, tricks you’ve picked up along the way and more. You may even decide to add these into a full post on your own later on if they’re popular enough!
35) Events/Conventions:
Having been to multiple events myself, giving an overview of some of my experiences at each is always fun because I like being able to look back at everything I did during my time there. There are also a lot of people who would love to go to some but don’t really know what they’re in for, or that it’s even an option!
36) Anything you want:
Really, anything goes with blogging! You can always alter and adjust things as you find them fitting for yourself on the way; just remember that being able to keep up while finding ways to improve is important as well.
If you do find yourself struggling to get anything written or just need some help starting out, feel free to check out our blog post on getting started with book blogging !
Try writing an article where you give each section its own heading like in a poem, create artwork inspired by a photograph you took on your last vacation (or any old photographs), write up a review for your favorite classical music album from the 20th century, interview someone who has an interesting story about reading, or discuss from a literary perspective why you like the work of certain contemporary artists.
Bottom Line :
Incorporate creative writing into your book blog as well with some stream-of-consciousness writing. Or be inspired by one of your favorite novels and write a poem! You could create a listicle (article comprised of lists) in which each item references an important character, theme or symbol in your novel. Whatever floats your boat. The possibilities are endless!
This will make you more mindful about the books that you’re reading and those that interest you most. It won’t feel so much like work and it’ll add something new to what might become monotonous for some people who have been doing this activity for a very long time.
A professional artist will make sure that you stay on a framed path to avoid distraction by anything or anyone, but in the book blogging world we sometimes lose sight of the bigger picture and our creative outlets can become stagnant.
Blogs are an excellent way to see if there is another artistic side to you that you may not have known existed because of your intense focus on reading voraciously or writing scathing reviews of books none too subtly hinting at what you wish the author had done in their next work.
Remember: Art is subjective! You may love one particular novel but someone else might hate it. The beauty of art is decision making so don’t let your opinions be overshadowed by those who don’t agree with you.
With these book blogging ideas, you can be more creative while still doing your own thing. You may find yourself coming up with new book review strategies or branching out into writing more creatively.
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