In part three of my “Thoughts From a Book Reviewer” series, I chronicle the process of starting my own book blog where I get to decide the format, guidelines, and the books that I read. Not only did it reshape my views of the indie book world, but it also allowed me to build a personalized platform based on my tastes and review style. Check out my book blogging history and process below!
Starting a book blog
I started interviewing indie authors back in 2014 on HubPages. After going through the indie publishing process myself, I wanted to give them another free place to promote their work. I never read the books that I promoted. I just wanted to feature as many authors as I could.
But eventually, these authors started to ask me if I would read their books. Flattered, I agreed and started to read any book that was offered to me. Many were just not for me, and they were tough to get through. I also felt compelled to give a better review than I wanted to, just to support their work.
When I started this blog in 2018, I reached out to a bunch of the authors I’d interviewed and asked them to write a guest post for me. Many of them agreed, and they helped me get my blog up and running.
Eventually, it transitioned into a traditional book blog, especially after I listed it on some indie reviewers lists. It all happened so organically, and it evolved into a personalized process in which I only publish positive reviews and will only read books after I have thoroughly researched it and feel confident that I can give it a positive review before I start reading.
Other book blogs
There are tons of book blogs out there, and I like to see how their style and design compares and contrasts from mine. Many book blogs have a very feminine color scheme with pastel pinks and flowery script. They’re really eye-catching, but I keep my color scheme blue with plain black font to give it a more neutral aesthetic.
Many book bloggers stick to one genre, such as fantasy or romance. So, they draw in other fans of these genres with a specific niche. I’m all over the place, reviewing a picture book one day and a gritty mystery the next.
I’m disappointed when a book review is 75 percent a book summary with a paragraph or two at the end expressing the reviewer’s general thoughts. This seems to be a popular book review format.
A lot of book reviews are really short, only a few hundred words. I like to take note of that since I tend to ramble, but I also like to expand on some of the story’s strongest points or notable moments. So, these shorter formats inspire me to keep from rambling but still give a thorough review.
Many also don’t bother to break up the text. They write in long paragraphs and don’t use subheadings or photos in between sections. However, they often take really nice bookstagram-worthy photos of their current reads. It has definitely inspired me to up my game and pay more attention to my images.
They often use a rating system which I don’t have. I have a hard time grading books and always question my ratings on Amazon. But I like to see other reviewers’ ratings. I especially like when book bloggers include half stars in their rating system. It can soften the blow of a low or mediocre rating.
Giving indie books a good name
The word “indie” may sound like a synonym for bad writing. After all, if it’s so good, why didn’t a publisher pick it up? That’s a good point, but a better point is to look at all of the terrible books that are traditionally published each year. How many times have you bought or checked out a best-selling book and couldn’t get through it?
So, yes, there are bad indie books out there. I’ve come across plenty. But there are also some really good ones. If you look at my top 10 lists at the end of each year, you’ll see that my list encompasses a mixture of indie and traditionally published books, and the indies have started to snag the majority of spots on that list.
Publishers have to turn down 99 percent of the queries they receive. That means that a lot of good stories slip through the cracks. And indie authors, including me, are terrible at marketing. We short change certain areas of the process and don’t have the name to back up the quality of our work. But the quality is there. And anything I can do to elevate those good books is time well spent.
And if I decide to pass on a book or find after I start reading that it’s not for me, I still like to feature them via an author interview or guest post. Because I dole out so many of these, my schedule fills up fast, but it’s a good problem to have.
Choosing books to review
I have to turn down many of the 7-10 book review requests I receive each week. The demand is too high for my part time gig, and I get a lot of requests for books in genres that I typically don’t like to read, such as fantasy.
My main focus is on children’s, middle grade, and YA books. Since I write middle grade, I like to support fellow middle grade authors, who I feel often get lost in the shuffle of the indie world.
But I do read a multitude of genres now, and I even make exceptions for books outside of my preferred genres if it grabs me the right way. And I’m often surprised by how much I like them.
So, I don’t discourage anyone from submitting a request. It just increases your chances if your book meets my preferences. And I answer every request I receive.
So, what do I look for when deciding what to read? Here is my basic criteria:
- I prefer books under 400 pages, either in e-copy or hard copy format.
- I like to read some sample pages to get a sense of the author’s writing style. If there are no sample pages on Amazon, I’ll ask for some.
- My favorite genres are memoir, paranormal, picture book, middle grade, and YA.
- Some genres I don’t like include sci-fi (especially set in space), fantasy (generally no dragons), or trashy romance.
- I often pass on stories about overcoming drug addiction, fiction or non-fiction.
- I’m not a big animal lover. I’ve made exceptions for children’s books and the occasional memoir but generally say no to the fur baby stories.
Other reasons why I’ll pass on reading a book
- The pitch email is poorly written.
I understand that marketing is challenge to writers, but if they gave me little information about their book and don’t specifically request a review, I’ll reach out and ask them what they’re looking for. If they seem too unfriendly or guarded (not answering my questions or clarifying their request), I usually just pass.
- The request is poorly timed.
This is out of the author’s control, but if I’ve been reading too many books in that genre or I’ve taken on too many books to read at once, it might influence my decision not to review their book which may seem too similar to something I’ve already read or just doesn’t seem as appealing as the others I’ve recently agreed to review.
- The author is on a deadline.
Again, this is not their fault. I can understand their wanting a review to coincide with their launch, but my schedule doesn’t work that way. My schedule is often a few months out from the current date, and I operate on a first come first serve basis. That’s what works for me, and I can’t continually shuffle my schedule around and push back authors whose books I agreed to review first.
- The cover is terrible.
My first two books had terrible first covers. So, I’m guilty of this myself. But images are crucial in the blogging world, and I’ve featured some books with awful covers. But as the blog grows, so does my desire to have more professional-looking book reviews with images that I can easily promote. The same goes with author photos.
Why I’ll stop reading and not review a book
Like I said, sometimes I agree to read a book and then find out that I really don’t like it. I try not to let this happen, but sometimes they slip through the cracks. Reasons why I won’t review a book I’ve agreed to read include:
- The writing is not polished.
It’s full of typos, grammatically incorrect sentences, and just doesn’t flow well. The author obviously needs to sharpen their mechanics and writing style, and I can’t honestly say that it’s good writing.
- I misinterpreted the story or genre.
Sometimes I think the book is about one thing but then it turns out to be something else. It might suddenly change genres or focus on a different topic other than what was summarized online or in the author’s book review request.
- The tone and writing style isn’t working for me.
Some authors think they’re hysterically funny, edgy, or worldly, and this might work for them in might be, but in print it doesn’t translate. I’ve read pages of books where the author was trying to be funny, corny, or even intentionally offensive. I don’t want to bash the author’s personality because it doesn’t gel with mine. So, I usually just quit while I’m ahead.
- The story isn’t going anywhere.
The plot is bouncing all over the place or nothing has happened for 50 pages. If I start skipping ahead, I know it’s time to call it quits.
The frustrations of promoting book reviews
The worst part about modern writing is how much work you have to put into self-promoting. Not only do indie authors shoulder this burden but so do bloggers. And I’ve put a lot of time and effort into learning and executing specific marketing techniques. I create several social media posts, custom graphics, and a monthly newsletter where I feature the posts from the past month.
What’s frustrating is when authors don’t help to promote their blog. They’re not on social media, or they have an account with just a handful of followers and never post. So, promotions fall solely on me.
I also tend to get ghosted by authors after I agree to read their books. They send me a copy, and then I don’t hear back from them, even after I send them a link to their published blog post and tag them on whatever social media they do give me.
It’s so discouraging to put so much effort into reading a post, writing a review, and marketing their book without even a word back. Sometimes I can get a short response back after a few emails, but it can come across like I’m bothering them. Again, writers are bad at marketing.
The book reviews that do best are the ones with giveaways attached to them. I don’t require that an author give away copies of their books, but it does help to drum up attention. Readers love free books, indie or not. Even then, a giveaway doesn’t guarantee interest from my readers, but it can’t hurt. Hard copies do better, of course, and giveaways with extra prizes, such as gift cards, attached do the best.
When it works
When a book review does well, it’s super rewarding. Not only am I gaining interest in my blog and writing, but I also help to promote a fellow author. My favorite moments are when authors pull a quote from my review and share it on Twitter or another site for me to read.
I also love to hear feedback from those who read the review and express a genuine interest in reading the book. I don’t know how many, if any, readers have bought a book based on my reviews, but the opportunity is always there. Even if the book isn’t listed on my affiliate site, bookshop.org, I always make sure to add a link to buy from Amazon or the author’s website.
As time consuming and tough as it can be to maintain this part time gig, if I didn’t love it, I wouldn’t do it. Reviewing books allows me to stretch my writing muscles and gives me a platform to voice my opinions about stories in my own distinct way.
Reviewing for other sites has allowed me to get my name out there and even make a little money writing. I love supporting the writing community, whether mainstream or indie, and in return, they have often supported me as well. But in this competitive blogging world, you have to earn the attention of others. You have to be worthy of the clicks, reads, shares, and sales.
Best of all, though, I get to read stories and discover new authors. I love finding the hidden gems within the indie world while still being able to read what I want. And maybe one day, it will turn into a career.
Have some thoughts on book reviews that wasn’t covered in this series? Leave your thoughts in the comments below!
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Loved getting your perspective as the person on the inside! In collaborations, I love it when the people I am collaborating with want the post we are all working on in some way to do well, and help promote it. It is frustrating when you are left to do all the work yourself.
The authors who really care about their books usually stand out from the rest. A good cover and gripping blurb at the back are good signs they have written something they care about.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts!
Thanks for reading and sharing your thoughts!