I love reading book blogs.
I love their diversity, the shine of everyone’s personality making this community an incredible melting pot of people I want to squeeze together and hug always because I adore them all. And you know, in a community of a million, it’s hard to stand out. It’s hard to have that extra spark, that little thing that make you stand out and make you feel remembered in the sea of book blogs you read.
I read over 20 book blogs some days and there are some that always, always make an impression on me. They add their personality, their shine, their little spark to every single one of their blog post and I love it.
Today, I thought I’d talk about that extra spark.
If I’m being completely honest, personally I’m not always certain I have that extra spark. That being said, after reading tens of thousands of blogs over the course of over four years, I have noticed that there are things I love. Bloggers I love for that little extra spark they add.
So if you’re looking to read about book blogs and their content, these little things that, for me, make a blog post good, stand out and, most of it all, makes me want to keep on reading, commenting on a blog, follow them and make me remember them, keep on reading.
Side note: obviously, these little personal notes are what works for me, they could be slightly different for everyone else.
? Best blog post practices: what makes me NOT want to read your blog post
When it comes to a blog and a blog post, first impressions matter. The biggest thing that make me automatically want to turn away, or just really discourage me to read any blog post, is if there is just one huge block of text.
I read books, a lot of books, so what’s the matter with one big block of text, right? Well, on book blogs, I don’t feel like reading them. I like paragraphs, ideas clearly stated out, bolded text and bigger and smaller texts. I like small separators, images, GIFs or whatever strikes your fancy. I like to breathe when I read.
My personal advice whenever I finished typing a blog post, or whenever I’m brainstorming ideas, or drafting a blog post, I always ask myself that question: would I read my blog post, would I want to comment on it, would I want to chat about it, share it and more? If I wouldn’t, it means that there’s something missing.
☂️ Related post: How to: write a great blog post
? Content ideas: types of blog posts for book bloggers
There are some typical blog posts you will find on any and every book blogger’s blog and, obviously I’m going to miss some particular things, but today I’m just focusing on 4 types of content we most often see on blog posts.
Some basic advice applies to all of these ideas and personal thoughts, obviously, like making clear paragraphs, leaving your text room to breathe, putting in some images, graphics or GIFs or things to make your blog post great to read and not to discourage your readers.
? Book Reviews
Book reviews are the heart and soul of book bloggers. Okay, maybe they’re not that popular at times, maybe they are a little bit forgotten, maybe they are the black sheep of the community, at times. Yet, book reviews are, for me, always, one of the biggest parts of book blogging, Hell, they’re why I wanted to blog about books, after all. If you’re stuck for content ideas, why don’t you review books? You don’t necessarily have to review books you’ve just read. Give yourself a challenge and try to review books you’ve read ages ago.
How to make your book reviews shine
There are many things that make, for me, book reviews shine and stand out.
- My first advice here is to not tell me the entire book story, because this bores me (and HELLO SPOILERS mark your spoilers if you do people). I have the synopsis, more often than not directly in your review, so I don’t need you to tell it all to me again. I’m here for all of your feels and screams and rants about a book.
- The little things like being inclusive, mentioning trigger warnings and diversity in stories that make me happy and are SO very helpful.
- Your reviews can be small or big, lists or texts. Don’t be afraid to play with it, according to your mood and inspiration. It’s refreshing to read different formats of reviews.
- Make moodboards, playlists, take pictures of the book to make your review pop. Tiffany gives out recipes or moodboards with her reviews and it gives them this very extra spark I love.
☂️ Related blog post: How the hell do you review a book?!
☂️ Lovely resource: the wonderful CW put together an incredible guide to help you review books.
? Discussions
Discussions are some of my favorite blog posts of all times to read. If they had their moment of glory in the community and, lately, they’ve been a little less frequent, they are still such incredible posts that allow me to reflect, make me think and really, really give me an insight on the blogger. Honestly, they’re some of the blog posts that make me fall in love with bloggers, too.
How to make your discussions blog posts shine
Before getting into the advice-part of this, there’s something you need to know. Every discussion has been done once at least. There’s nothing new, original or unique in this world no matter how you might think it is. I know, this is very depressing, when you think about it, but, for me, no matter whether or not your idea has been done before, there are still ways to make it pop.
- Put bits of yourself in your discussion posts. This is what I wanted to do here. I’m giving advice yes, but also giving my personal thoughts on what I personally adore, trying to put bits of myself to, hopefully, make this blog post stand out. You can take any discussion post on any matter: if you share your own personal thoughts and frustrations, you will make it unique, because you are unique.
- Don’t be afraid to tackle the hard topics, your blogging struggles, your blogging truths, your reading struggles and more. There might be some controversial topic that you have an opinion on, or something that might scare you to share. Be honest, let us know your frustrations and your thoughts, give us an insight on your mind. This will bring you traffic because people are curious, and this will bring your opinion to the table, raise interesting discussion for sure. Caitlin has been doing a fantastic job of it lately, talking about blogging statistics and genuine commenting.
? Bookish lists, Book Memes, Book Tags & Book Recommendations
These are some very, very popular blog posts on the blogosphere, for many reasons. If you ask me, the main reason is that they’re fun. I personally love writing and reading book lists and recommendations. Yet, given that they’re so popular, there are so many of them and it’s hard to feel like you can do something different. As often, though, the answer here is YOU.
☂️ Related blog post: Why are book tags and memes so popular?
How to make your bookish lists & recommendations shine
- Don’t JUST give me a book, tell me WHY you picked it out. I want to know you. You don’t have to write a 1000 paragraph for each book you picked out, especially when you’re making a list of ten books or more, but…. when I read a list, I’m looking for something. Like “WHY is this a contemporary that will make me cry”? Or WHY did you pick it in your 10 favorites books of the year so far list? I need to know. Nothing more frustrating than to see a book list without any comment on it, for me. This advice goes for any type of book list, memes, Top Ten Tuesdays, Waiting on Wednesday posts, book tags and recommendations as well. Give me something more to think of. Cait wrote excellent bookish lists lately.
? Author interviews, spotlights, cover reveals, blog tours
This is a moment for me to reveal the truth: I’m not usually a fan of author interviews and spotlights and little things like that on book blogs, because I find them a little…. well, a little boring, at times. But, Marie, you’re doing author interviews on your blog, so are you boring yourself?, you might ask. Well, no, I’m having an absolute blast with it all and here’s why: because I feel like I’m doing my best to make them shine.
How to make your author interviews, spotlights, cover reveals and blog tour posts shine
- I’m a fan of interviews digging deeper with interesting questions or fun questions, especially like fun questions. I’ve been doing a lot of interviews on my blog lately and it’s been a blast, especially because I sometimes spend a long, long time trying to think of an interesting questions readers will love and that, hopefully, will make my interview stand out. We’re all a little curious and I want to know what kind of food my favorite authors adore or what they’d do stranded on a deserted island.
- When we’re talking about spotlights, whether it’s an excerpt of a book, a cover reveal or some extra quotes or something…I’m going to say the same thing that I said for book lists, which is to give me something more. I love discovering a new book cover, for sure, but I also love to hear the blogger’s thoughts on it all. Same goes for the excerpt, quotes, etc. Give me a little bit of yourself and what you think of that exciting excerpt! Vicky writes excellent author interviews, spotlights and excerpts always.
? How to make your blog posts stand out: MY TOP 2 ADVICE
- Bring yourself into the blog post. No matter what the blog post is, give me a little bit of yourself, give me more of your personality, your brand to make it stand out. I’m not saying that you should give me your social security number and credit card number here, I’m saying that I want to hear your voice. Honest, unapologetic, unique. What do you think? What do you like? What makes you happy? Let it all out.
☂️ Related blog post: How to find your book blogging voice.
- Invite us to participate to the conversation. When I’m reading a blog post, I want to feel like I’m welcome to chat with the author in the comments. I want to feel included in what they’re saying when it’s a discussion post or a list, I want to feel, not like a guest, but like a friend already. You can invite us by finishing off your blog post and giving some questions prompts to answer, this works well and always makes me feel like I can participate in the conversation more. I’m here to be in the community and a big majority of the time, I’m here because I want to talk with you.
Extra resources:
- if you’re stuck on blog post ideas, Xandra recently shared discussion topics she’d love to read from you.
- Aimee shared some excellent book blogging prompts.
- Shruti has some excellent blog post ideas on her list.
- Christine shares 67 blog post ideas for book bloggers.
What makes a blog post stand out, for you? What do you love seeing more on book blogs?
Do you have any tips and tricks to make your blog posts unique and unforgettable? I’d love to hear your advice in comments!
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Ooohhh I love this post!
I’ve given up on taking good pictures of my books (bookstagram) so I just jazz up my posts with a good post banner, some GIFS, small cute pictures that are related to the book or topic.
I think this is the first time I’ve encountered a moodboard (yeah been hiding under a rock). **now Googling moodboard**
Laurel | Tales Past Midnight
Ahhh thank you, I’m so happy you enjoyed this post, thank you Laurel! 🙂 I hope this could be useful and moodboards are so much fun to do! 😀
I completely agree: putting a little piece of yourself in each post really helps bring out the personality in a blog <3 It can be scary to talk more about your own opinions, but it's definitely worth it and it gets easier the more you practice. Such a lovely post!
Agree, it gets easier the more you practice for sure 🙂
Thank you so, so much Holly, I’m so happy you enjoyed this post <3
This is such a great advice, Marie! Thank you!
I’m new to blogging as I set up this blog only last month so I’m mostly experimenting still and try various things but I like to think I’m getting closer and closer to what I want to archive here. I still need to work on my graphics (I’m not really good with those…) and some things are new to me but I’ve been always told that my writing style is quite distinctive and I don’t post anything that isn’t edited to be clear and easy to read as wall of text are incomprehensible to me so I think I’m on a good way!
I will definitely be using your post as a reference in the future! ?
Ahh thank you so, so much, I’m so happy you found this post useful and welcome to blogging! I hope you will have tons of fun! 😀 and I definitely think you’re on the right path already, it takes a bit of time to figure out who you really want to be, what you want to achieve in terms of blog posts, writing, content, overall design. We’re all searching and re-branding every now and then, too, so it’s perfectly okay to take your time with it all 🙂
Thank you so, so much for your sweet comment <3
Thank you! I plan out all my stuff so it’s easy to change later because of that 😀 Re-branding and playing with your content is the fun part of blogging so I’m just enjoying the ride and I’ll see where it takes me 🙂
Exactly! We all should enjoy the ride and see where it goes without worrying too much… well, trying not to haha 🙂
I love seeing the blogger’s personality. The only thing that separates your blog from all the others is YOU. I also like when bloggers include photos in their posts. Taking good pictures is a ton of work, which is why I rarely do it, but I appreciate the pictures on other people’s blogs.
Exactly! That’s the one thing that makes us different, it’s..well, ourselves aha 🙂
Oh yes I agree, I love photos and great pictures, I’m not that great at taking pictures, but I love greatly illustrated blogs, too 😀
Thank you so much for your comment! <3
Lovely. I really enjoyed reading this and you have some great points. I’m trying to get away from the boand review voice and insert myself into my reviews. My last post was a story Bout being ill at YALC and it felt so good not to just be reviewing a book but putting my own personality into my posts. Something I plan on doing more of.
Ah thank you so much, I’m so happy you enjoyed this post! <3 and it makes me so happy that you enjoyed writing a post that was a bit different but a little more with bits of yourself, too. You're doing amazing! <3
Ahhh this was a wonderfully informative post!! I 100% agree that what gives a post a spark is that element of the writer in it! I read and follow blogs because I like that blogger’s voice whether I see it, for instance, in their writing style, header style, gif usage, etc.
As a side note, I find it’s harder to engage with reviews if I haven’t read the book myself. I mean, it’s not easy to say anything other than something like “great review! I think it inspired me to try to read it because I LOVE forbidden romances”.
Oh, and one thing I like to see in blog posts are wrap-up posts. There’s just my favorite thing to read and often if the blogger links to posts around the blogging world, I can also find new bloggers to follow, yay!!
Ahh thank you so, so much I’m so happy you enjoyed this post, thank you! <3 <3
I get what you're saying and I agree, sometimes it's hard to know what to say when you haven't read the book yourself! I always try to comment on what interests me in said book or what I appreciated about the review, but sometimes, we can't comment on everything either 🙂
ahh yes I love wrap-up posts too, they're so much fun to read 😀
Thank you so much!! <3
I love this post! ❤️ All of your book blogging tips and tricks posts are amazing (I loved the one about finding your blogging voice, it was so helpful!) and this post is an amazing addition! Thank you so much for sharing this Marie! ? ❤️
ahhh this makes me SO happy, this just made my day, thank you SO much for your sweet words, Surina, ahh <3 <3 <3
Omg this was SO helpful and such a great post in general. Even after 3 years of blogging, these tips still remain relevant for me. ❤
Ahhh thank you, I’m so happy you enjoyed it!! <3
This is all such great advice, I feel like my blog is stuck in a rut. I should really implement some of this!
Oh thank you so much! I really hope this helps a little bit! 🙂
WOW this is all such wonderful advice!! ? And all of these things you manage to do so effortlessly ? I especially love what you said about discussion posts, how it’s pretty much impossible to do something entirely original, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t write the post. I’ve definitely read multiple discussions on the same topic before, but each one brings some new perspective, so each one is important. My favorite blog posts are always the ones where I can feel the writer’s personality, since I feel like I’m getting to know them as I read! ?
Ahh thank you so much, and ahh you’re going to make me cry, you’re too sweet ??
I agree! I feel like every topic has been done already, anyway, but it’s our personality and our take on it all that makes it unique and that will make it stand out 🙂
Thank you so, so much for your sweet comment <3
Really good advice here. Strangely I have never asked myself, ‘ would I read this post?’ on my own blog. I will definetly start doing that from now on.
Amanda.
ahh thank you, I’m so happy this could help 🙂
This is a wonderful, practical, helpful, and inspirational post! This is why I love visiting your blog!
OH Carol you’re too good to me, thank you so much ahh. I’m so happy you enjoyed this, thank you!! <3 <3 <3
I’ve been reading through this throughout the day and I’m definitely more motivated to make my blog better! Thanks for all the tips ^.^
(https://mybookishfantasy.com/)
Ahh yay, this makes me so happy! I hope you’ll have fun blogging and thank you so, so much for your sweet comment, Tiffany <3 <3
This is exactly what I needed to read! I’ve been feeling burnt out lately and needed the reminder that blogs are a labour of love.
YES blogs are a labour of love for sure <3 I hope you'll feel a little more motivated, take your time and some time away from it all might do you good, too. sending you love! x
You nailed it when you said: there’s noting new, original, or unique in this world. It’s SO hard to think of something creative and fun that hasn’t been done to death. For me, it always comes back to aesthetics and personality. I don’t like reading a post unless it’s pretty– and that’s just me. If the font is a weird color or style, if it’s cluttered, if it looks like a GeoCities page from 2001, I’m not going to read the post. If it’s a boooooring post, I’m not going to read it. If I don’t FEEL the person coming through, I’ll probably not comment or not finish reading. And those are my blog reading habits 🙂
Agree! I spent tons of time thinking about being original, unique and finding topics that no one has ever talked about, only to realize that it was… well, impossible haha. It’s us and our own thoughts and personality that brings some difference to it all, all of the conversations have happened at some point or will happen. We shouldn’t let that slow us down 🙂
AGREE. It might seem shallow, but I just don’t have time for the kind of post that doesn’t appeal to me, aesthetically, first, I’m right here with you on that 🙂
Thank you so, so much for your sweet comment, Michelle! <3 <3
Brilliant tips, as usual, Marie!
I find the biggest advice given here is the “would I want to read my own blog post?” That’s certainly my main concern when producing content – although it can usually backfire. For instance, there are some blog posts I absolutely loved writing, creating the layout, etc, that don’t perform as well as some posts I didn’t actually spend that much time on xD It’s actually funny to think about, and only shows how different everyone is.
BUT putting yourself in someone else’s shoes and looking at your content through fresh eyes really helps.
For me, the other big part of it is also the spaced paragraphs, dividers, images, and general aesthetic. I’m a very visual person so I’ll consume visuals first, text second. Your content may be amazing, but if it’s not pleasing to the eye then you will probably lose me.
Thanks so much for sharing this insightful discussion, hon <3
Ahh thank you so much Sophie, so happy you enjoyed this post, thank you! <3 <3
I agree, sometimes we can't really predict how it will all work out. There are some posts I adore that won't work out as well as some others and… I guess it's a mystery, but as long as we create something that makes us happy, it's good 😀
I agree with you on the visuals, too. There are way more chances for me to give a blog and a post a try if they're aesthetically pleasing and just, readable with paragraphs and everything 🙂
Thank YOU for sharing your thoughts and for your sweet comment, Sophie <3 <3
Loved this post! With blogging having been around for such a long time, you’re right, nothing is ever 100% new. But it’s so easy to make it new by adding your own spin!
Ahh thank you so much, I’m so happy you enjoyed this post 🙂 and agree! 🙂
Great article! I agree that the best book blog post is the type you also want to read. Confession: it was actually your blog that inspired me to start bolding the important text (I’m very chatty so I get carried away) Hehe <3
Oh Frankie ahh this makes me SO happy to hear, ahh <3 I'm so happy if I could inspire you a little bit and ahh thank you for your comment. This just made my day <3
Marie! This is an absolutely GOLDEN blog post! You’re advice is really great and I agree with preferring reading posts where the text is broken down into readable paragraphs. I also love it when people have fun and let their voice come through. For me, I always try to use whatever style of writing will best convey how I want to talk to my readers, so I often use *stars* to show actions and format my text in different ways. I also completely agree that images and gifs are great for breaking up text and making a post more engaging. Fantastic post!
YES! I love it when people have fun writing and somehow I can feel it when I read a post? It might sound weird to say that, but I do haha and I love it 🙂
Thank you so, so much Kate, you’re too sweet! I’m so happy you enjoyed the post <3 <3
This is such a great post and I agree with everything you mentioned. After two years, I sometimes feel like I’m still trying to find my voice, but I also feel like I’ve learned so much. Sometimes it’s scary, but I’ve been trying to improve and include more discussions.
Ahh thank you, I’m so happy you enjoyed this post <3 and we're all always learning, I know I am too even after four years of blogging, that's the fun of it, too 🙂
It is. I love growing and changing, trying to find my voice. It’s also really cool for me to see how new bloggers are doing with that. Some seem to be amazing right away and know exactly what they want. I was not that person.
Oh yes, some bloggers seem to have that little “thing” right away. It took me ages to find that and to feel at ease with how I write my posts haha. Some people just get it right away for some reason haha 🙂
🙂
This is a brilliant post Marie, I’m definitely going to bookmark this so I can look back on it and help with my own blog (especially now I’m jumping back into blogging again)
When it comes to my reviews I have changed the way I write them, I’ve always added quotes because like you said it breaks apart the text, but I’ve also started including aesthetics just because I love creating them so much. 🙂
I think blogging is definitely a learning curve, I can see how my posts have improved over the hears I’ve been blogging; it took me a while to even start discussion posts and I try to always ask a variety of questions to invite the reader into conversation. Posts like these help develop us so I wonder where my blog will be in another couple of years!
Great post. 🙂 ❤
Ahh thank you so much Beth, I’m so happy you enjoyed this post and once again, I’m so happy you’re back to blogging as well! <3 <3
I adore that you include quotes and aesthetics, too, this makes review "pop" a little more to me and I love it so much!! <3
Thank you so, so much, Beth! <3
That’s all right, and thanks Marie. <3
Yeah, plus it's so much fun creating aesthetics and I just love book quotes as well. 🙂
This is fantastic advice, Marie ?
I completely agree with you that big blocks of text are a no-no! Personally, I don’t have the patience or the will to read all of that, especially if there isn’t, at least, some bold text. There’s no time in the day to read so many blog posts, so I end up reading diagonally, and bold text REALLY helps.
Ahhh thank you so much, Catarina, I’m so happy you enjoyed this post! <3
I agree, I love it when there are paragraphs and bolded text, too, this always helps me because once I'm in the comments section, I forgot what I wanted to say, so it's so helpful to find the paragraph and elements I wanted to chat about, this way 😀
Thank you!! <3 <3
Oh, I really love this post, and found a lot of what you said helpful, and agreed with everything. ? It’s one of my pet peeves when I read a review to the end, and didn’t get anything out of it but a longer summary of the book. ? And I definitely agree with what you said about recommendations – if it’s only a title and/or cover without the blogger’s opinion (sometimes a blurb isn’t even included!) there’s little chance I’ll be interested in reading the books, or the post itself. ?
Oh thank you Veronika, I’m so happy you enjoyed this! <3
Right here with you on that, I always want to know all of the thoughts of feels of people on a book and, when I just get a summary, I find it so frustrating! 🙁
Thank you so much for your sweet comment! <3
WAHHHHH MARIE!!! I’m always a big big fan of your discussion posts, and this one is no exception. I think it’s such a great topic to talk about because there are only so many topics out there in the blogging world but adding personality or something extra really takes it to the next level and makes it so much more enjoyable to read. <3
SPEAKING OF…THANK YOU FOR MENTIONING MY REVIEWS WAHHHHH!! ? I'm so glad that you enjoy them and also the mood boards or recipes that I add on the side. I think it's always really important to make reviews enjoyable to read or more interesting than just writing a general summary. They can sometimes be really short too so adding something extra just makes the story a little more interesting.
I also definitely have to echo your thoughts on Caitlin's amazing discussions. I love how she tackles the harder topics, but it's honestly so refreshing to read (not saying other discussions or boring or anything but it's nice to read about a different topic sometimes) ?I think you do this as well with writing super interesting posts, but I especially love them because it's YOU writing them and I enjoy your voice + personality.
This was such an amazing post, Marie!! ?
AHH Tiffany thank you you’re too sweet, ahh I love you so much ah ?
OF COURSE! I immediately thought of your reviews when drafting this post and I always love all of your moodboards so much, you’re the QUEEN of moodboards and gorgeous aesthetics, honestly. <3
Agree! It's so refreshing to read about other discussions or just, discussions on topics we've seen before, but with a completely different angle or twist. I love that too <3
Ahh I don't deserve you ? thank you so much for your sweet words, this means so much <3
As a new blogger, this post was so helpful! I’ll definitely be keeping all of these tips in mind as I find my footing in the book blogging world. I love the point you made about telling the reader why you chose a book, rather than only talking about the book. The person behind the blog is just as important as the books we blog about!
Ah this makes me so happy, thank you so much! I’m so happy this could be useful and I hope you’ll love blogging 😀
As I continue to wade deeper into the world of book blogging, I’m always looking for ways to make my bookish content stand out! I found this so helpful, so thank you for that. We’re so lucky to be a part of such a creative community, and I get so inspired by the other kinds of bookish content that I read!
brineandbooks.com
Oh you’re so, so welcome, Macey, thank YOU for your sweet comment, I’m so happy this could be helpful <3 <3
I agree, there are so many incredibly creative people in this community and I'm inspired and in awe every day of what others create <3
Eeeep, I am going to have to bookmark this post so I remember all of these tips, because they are GOLD (I definitely try to incorporate a lot of this already, but this will be something really lovely to reference, as well). Also, I 100% agree about getting bummed when someone does a Top Ten Tuesday that doesn’t give me the why they chose those items from their list, but instead is just a…list. I mean, I get it when we don’t have time to write out details and rationales or if that’s just your style, but my favorite part about list posts is reading the whys and learning more behind the book and the blogger!
Ahh Nicole thank you for your sweet comment always, they always make me so happy ahh <3 <3
I'm glad you agree about lists! I LOVE reading lists, they're so much fun and there is so much variety, too, but… I need more than just a book cover, I want to know the hows and whys is this book here 😀
Thank you so much for your sweet comment <3 <3
But of course! <3 You always write such incredible content and I always want to make sure you know how much I appreciate it!
YES, exactly!! I swear I was blog hopping after reading this post and saw that happen and I was just like, "Case in point." 😛
Ahh Nicole, this means the world thank you <3 <3 <3 <3 <3
I think these are great tips and ideas. I’m always trying to figure out how to do certain posts so they are more interesting and/or fun to read. I do like knowing things about the blogger behind the blog, so yes, bring yourself into it when and where you can.
-Lauren
http://www.shootingstarsmag.net
Thank you so much Lauren!! <3 I agree, it's always fun to get to know the blogger a little more 🙂
This is such a lovely post, Marie. I absolutely agree with all the things that you have said. I think I already try to include almost all of these things in my posts already but recently there have been times when I’m not giving my 100% to my posts. Not proud of that.
I love when bloggers put an extra effort in their posts to add some personal touch. Those things always make a post most enjoyable.
Oh thank you so, so much Sim, I’m so happy you enjoyed this post <3 and I'm sorry you don't feel like you're writing your posts at 100%, I get that feeling every now and then too and it can be so frustrating 🙁 don't be scared to take a small break or try something different, that might help <3
Thank you so much for your sweet comment <3
I so agree with the big block of text or telling the entire story in a book review. I don’t like reading long paragraphs at all. Like 6 lines max lol. And only if it has a variety of text styles. Also, when book reviews include a self-written version of the storyline/synopsis, I usually skip it. I feel so mean but I just get bored reading those >.<
I’m glad you agree with that! I know that sometimes I tend to go a little overboard with my paragraphs when I’m inspired and I’m trying to pay more attention to that too 🙂
Thank you so much for sharing your thoughts 😀
Such a wonderful post as always, love! <3 These are all such great advice, and I think that something in particular that always draws me towards book blogs, is when the content is thought-provoking, and personal for the writer! It always just feels so genuine, and I love being able to have a conversation in the comments! <3
Oh thank you so much <3 <3 I'm right here with you on that, I always love reading genuine blog posts, the ones where you can just see they're coming from the heart <3
Thank you so much for sharing these tips! These are really helpful, and I’ll definitely be thinking about these things as I work on growing my blog! 🙂
Ahh you’re so welcome, I’m so happy this could be useful <3 <3 Thank you so much for your sweet comment!
Thank you for sharing these tips! I’m always looking for ways to improve my blog and it’s always good to hear what readers enjoy! Plus your blog is one of my favourites 😉 <3
Oh thank you Alex, I’m so so happy you enjoyed this post and ahhhh you’re too sweet, thank you ahh <3 <3 <3
This post is SO GOOD. Everything you said was helpful, and thank you so much for thinking of me while you were writing! I’ve always loved reading discussions, but until now, I thought myself incapable of writing them. But when I actually tried, I had so much fun!
I regret not including gifs or making my text different sizes in my blog posts until now. (Actually, I’ve never done it in a published post yet, but I’m working on a post right now that has these features and I’m so excited to post it!) I agree that it helps break your posts up into pieces and make the reading experience more fun for your viewers!
oh gosh, I hate it when I click on a review, excited to find out what a blogger thought about a book, only for them to tell me the whole plot with maybe one or two of their thoughts sprinkled in.
this is an amazing post, and it has advice that I know from experience works and that I’ll have to try out myself. Also, I love the fact that you included resources from other bloggers! Thank you so much for being such a light in the book blogging community ❤❤
Oh Caitlin thank you for making my day with such a sweet comment I don’t deserve you ahh ?
I’m so, so happy you enjoyed this post and that you thought some of this advice was actually good ahh thank you! I’m glad you agree about the reviews, too… I’m so disappointed when all I get from a review is the synopsis. I don’t mind when people tell me a little bit about the book, but… I want to know about all of the feels, too, haha 🙂
Thank you for your comment Caitlin, you’re too sweet ?
I like that you said not to tell us the entire book. Actually I read book reviews almost as often as discussions so I see a lot of them. I’m always disappointed when I feel like the plot of the entire book is stated out. I do struggle sometimes to know how much to put in because I want to talk about some details but I try to restrain myself hahaha. ? And personal details really help. It’s taken me a long time to learn to add those.
I completely get what you mean: it’s so hard sometimes, and for some books, to find the right balance between talkin about the plot and talking about your feelings, especially when it’s a complex book to explain! Still, I think you’re doing AMAZING Dani and I love reading your reviews so much <3
Thank you so much for your sweet comment! <3
This is such a fantastic blog post that makes it really helpful for relatable content! Great post Marie, as always.
Ahh Jeann thank you, I’m so happy you enjoyed this <3 <3
Love this post so much, Marie! I don’t know if I’d consider myself a book blogger, but this is such great advice in general! You always inspire me to be myself and not try to dim down my personality as a blogger. Thank you for all the amazing work you put into this post. And thank you for always being so sweet and so genuine. ? Your blog is definitely a light in the bookish community.
OH Madeline thank you so much, your comment means so much ? I’m so happy you enjoyed this, thank you ah ? I think you’re doing so so very amazing with your blog and I adore everything you write so much!
I think that bolding certain things is especially key. I know that attention spans aren’t always the longest, so I figure if I bold all of the really important points, someone could skim my post and still get the gist of what I’m trying to say. Now, of course, I hope that my content makes people want to read it ALL, but I’m realistic enough to know that some people won’t — or that at least they need some breaks and highlighting to help catch their eye now and again so they don’t drift away. 🙂
I agree with you on that! I always feel like bold things manage to keep my attention, too and they especially help me when, after I read a particularily long post, or a post where I just have lots to say afterwards… well, I’m happy to have the bold things to help me find what I wanted to talk about again in my comment haha 🙂
Thank you so much for your comment Nicole <3
Another fantastic post Marie, I loved reading this SO much! ❤? I definitely prefer posts that have paragraphs, bolded texts and some graphics like dividers or gifs etc, it really makes the difference for me! Having an easy to read text is so helpful and honestly good for my eyes ? I also love list Reviews, because it also makes writing them easier and a lot more fun – that could be because I generally love lists though 🙂
Oh thank you so much Caro, this means so, so much! <3 <3
I agree, it's just so much better for our poor eyes haha and… I don't know, it makes me want to read it all more when it's nicely put together 🙂
Thank you so, so much Caro! <3
wow Marie I love all of your posts!!! <3 I have so many posts to catch up on so I'm not going to mention a lot but… I love you and your blog so much omg.
I don’t deserve you at all ahh, you’re too sweet <3 <3 <3 <3
Love this so much, Marie! I agree with most of them. “Honest, unapologetic, unique” this is my new motto now. <3
Ahhh thank you so, so much Pam, so happy you enjoyed it <3 <3 <3
Book blogs which have a few personal posts or discussions coming from their experience always make an impression on me. Because then, it’s not just about books. I want to know the blogger as well. When I visit a new blog, I usually look through two or more posts to get a feel of the blogger. I look for discussions, lists and such. I’ve found that reviews usually don’t have much of the blogger in them. I want to know who is behind all this content, and that’s what makes the blog rememberable.
Agree! I love getting to know the blogger behind the blog, too and I love when they have insightful discussions posts, allowing me to get a little deeper in their minds, too 🙂
Thank you so much for your comment! <3
I rarely comment on posts, but I just accidently came across your blog and I’m SO happy to have found this! I’ve had a book blog for awhile that I’ve been very non-committed to, but recently have wanted to dive deeper into the online book community and truly commit to my reading and writing. This post was exactly what I needed to see right now, and your suggestions will definitely be taken to heart as I continue to make the best of my blogging journey. Thank you so much for sharing!
Oh oh, thank you SO much for taking the time to leave such a sweet comment, this means so much <3
I hope you'll have a lot of fun going a little more into blogging and meeting the community, too! 🙂
Thank you so much!
This was great and I’m definitely saving it for later, Marie! I wanted August to be the month of me discovering what works for my blog but I got so caught up in the books I wanted to read, that I failed miserably with blogging. Unfortunately, I can’t predict how busy September will get, so I’m not sure if I’ll manage to do it now. However, I think there’s something missing on my blogging routine. I often get stuck, I don’t know if I’m making my posts 100% mine, as if when someone else reads it, they think of me … does that even make sense? haha I also always wanna come up with creative content, and get really unmotivated to keep blogging when that doesn’t turn out how I’d have liked. :/
Oh thank you so much Marta, I’m so happy this could be helpful to you <3
It does make sense, it feels like you haven't really found your "voice" just yet, or one you are satisfied with, but that's perfectly normal! It takes time to write the posts you feel like are 200% you, the posts you'd want to read on others' blogs, with your own personal touch. For that and creative content, the best advice I could have is to think about what you like to read on others' blogs: recommendations, reviews with personal touches, aesthetics, lists, blogging things…. and you can try to think of these and maybe an idea will rise to do one of your own posts, with your own personal twist 🙂
Thank you so much, Marie!! I feel like I need to sit down and do some serious brainstorming haha
Oh of course, always here to help if needed!! <3
I feel like you do have that extra spark ! Your blog posts are visually really great, you put so much images, and gifs, and the content is really really amazing. To me, your blog posts are really special, they make me smile and laugh and they always make my day better. You also talk about so many different things and that’s so great ! No matter what you write about, it’s always beautiful and interesting ❤️
I hope you’re having a great day Marie ❤️❤️❤️
Oh I feel like you’re going to make me cry ?? this means so, so, so much, thank you ?
I hope your day is incredible <3 <3 <3
I’m only telling the truth ❤️
ALL the love for you, really, you just make my heart so big and happy. thank you <3 <3 <3
I found myself nodding along to everything you mentioned! I am the same way when it comes to large blocks of text! I automatically love a blog 10x more when I see they intersperse gifs throughout their posts. And while I was reading through this post, I found myself thinking about the blogs that I feel have a spark. I think a lot of it has to do with how much a recognize it to be a *specific* blog. I frequently will have 7 tabs open and read several blog posts at once, and I love when I can immediately tell which blog I’m reading when I switch back to the middle of a post.
I also find that I love blogs that invite conversation. As you can probably tell, I love leaving long comments, but I find I on;y do that when I find a blog inviting. Whenever I feel that a blogger is starting a conversation with me instead of just presenting facts, I’m much more inclined to leave longer (if slightly more rambling) comments. It’s part of the reason why I love when bloggers leave questions at the end of their posts. I find it’s a great way to invite people into a conversation and turn the reading experience into something more interactive!
Great post! It definitely had that spark for me! ?
Oh this this this I agree so much with what you said, Malka!! I always have way too many tabs opened when I blog hop and tend to wander from blog to blog and some of them just always stand out to me that way, too! 😀
YES. I so agree with that, I always, always worry about making my blog inviting and I always want to leave comments, long ones, and chat with bloggers whose platform and posts I find inviting. I agree, leaving questions at the end and things to start a conversation always make me happy, too 🙂
THANK YOU so much Malka for your sweet comment, I love how we feel the same way about this all! <3
Amazing blog post, Marie!
I am with you 100% on walls of text, but have to actively force myself to break up my paragraphs. For some reason I am so overly verbose and feel the need to include everything, which is why I try to stylize with bolding and italics as well.
I love the special spark though, for me it is almost always the personality shining through! I love getting a feel for the person behind the blog, especially when their passion shines through. It’s really special to read!
Oh same here, I…. I tend to write my blog posts with huge paragraphs, at first. I drafted a blog post today and I had to remind myself to just press that damn ENTER because otherwise I just write too much and too long and ughh haha.
I so agree, I love it when you can see their passion shining through <3
Thank you so, so much! <3 <3
Wonderful post, I love all of what you said here and you definitely have the spark that you’re talking about, your posts are always fantastic. I love book lists (: but I do agree, I much prefer them sharing a bit of info too. I find it hard to believe that you found author interviews boring as yours are always so intriguing. Some have been with authors whose books im desperate for but even when it’s a new book and/or author to me I always end up loving the posts. I think in those cases the book always ends up on my TBR.
I find discussion posts the hardest although I haven’t really tried any from the fourth category. I just guess I worry a lot over what to say. Plus I find them the hardest to stop from becoming text heavy.
Anyway fantastic post, as always (:
Ohhhh thank you Charlotte, you’re too sweet, thank you so much <3 <3
I get what you mean, it's hard to find your "footing", when it comes to discussions, I know I tend to talk A LOT and write a lot haha, but sometimes when I think this through, I realize that I have enough to divide all of my thoughts in different themed posts, for instance. And honestly, worrying is always, always part of my process, even after the post has been published haha, but I'm certain people would love to hear your thoughts. Speak from the heart 🙂
Thank you so much!! <3
It’s fine, it’s all true (:
That’s a fantastic idea for how to split them up. Plus like you said in the post paragraphs definitely help. One endless block would definitely be daunting, even if you know it’s content that you want to read. You have nothing to worry about, your posts are fantastic (: And aww thanks. I’d love to write about social anxiety one day but atm I’m way too nervous to. It just seems such an awkward topic to discuss.
More often than not, the awkward topics to discuss are the ones that bring people in. I know I’d 200% rush to your blog to read about social anxiety and mental health as it’s something that really personal and deep to my heart, too. No matter what you feel and want to write, write from the heart and you will do great <3 <3
Thank you so much ❤❤ hopefully I’ll post something about it soon it’s just hard knowing where to start. Plus I guess anytime that I’ve tried talking about it before has felt somewhat awkward. But I’ll try soon hopefully.
I get that, take your time with it all and with the words, when it will feel right, you’ll feel it. rooting for you! <3
Thank you ❤
What makes a blog post stand out, for you? What do you love seeing more on book blogs?
Excellent how-to post Marie!
Like you, I like to see some pizzazz on the blog posts I read. As far as the format goes, I like to see small paragraphs, bold/underlined main ideas, graphics, and images. Like you mentioned, I am not a fan of just a big chunk of text. With so many blogs to catch up on, it is hard to focus on a large amount of text only. I need these things to keep me focused.
Since most people are very visual, I think attention grabbing graphics, pictures, and layout is very important to grab attention, BUT personality and unique content will keep attention.
Oh thank you Amanda, so, so happy you enjoyed it <3
I'm with you, I need paragraphs and separators of some kind to keep my attention and to make me want to read the post, but what will make me stay really is the blogger's personality and the way they write their posts, too 🙂
thank you so, so much!! <3 <3
Hey Marie!
I really love this post! I definitely agree that having some white space and images/GIFs in a blog post makes a big difference. I also love discussion posts the most, and it makes me a bit sad that they aren’t as common as they had been before.
Thanks for your tips and for your blog recommendations as well!
Hi Sophie!! <3 Thank you so much, I'm so happy you enjoyed it and yes! I love a great discussion post, they're always so much fun to read 🙂