How Book Blogging Has Changed My Life

I started blogging almost two years ago, and it has definitely changed a lot about the way I live my life.

I’ve always been a reader, but honestly? I didn’t know there were people on this earth who read 100+ a year until I joined this corner of the internet. I thought that was impossible! I would have laughed in your face if you told me that was a thing! But now I am simply in awe. 😌 There are so many things about this community that surprised me when I started, but that was probably one of the first. 

In many ways, book blogging has changed me as a person, even if these changes will only last until I stop blogging.

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The Best Community 

One of the best parts of book blogging is the community! 

I know I’ve talked about this before, but the community is one of the biggest part of being in this, well… this community. (I guess I should have thought out that sentence more, huh?)

I love this community for many reasons. In a world where I don’t have any real-life friends who like to read, this book community has been such a refreshing group of people to talk with! Everyone in this community feels different about books, and they all read and/or blog in different ways, but we all share a love for words, and that’s a truly beautiful thing sometimes. 

us, talking about books every day

My book friends here are so cool. You all are amazing. 😊 I love chatting with people in this community, because it’s so comforting to know that there are so many other people like me! Honestly, it’s a bit scary how many of you are so much like me, but I’ll take it over feeling like that One Booksh Person on campus any day. 😌

Also, this community is not shy when it comes to discussing important book or blog-related topics, and they will not hesitate to promote diverse books and authors in any way they can! 

The book community is what you want it to be. If you want to interact with others for hours a day, do it! If you want to have a blog just to keep track of your books and keep to yourself, do it! Be a part of this community however you want, but no matter how much you contribute, I hope you have fun!

Remember, blogging here is a hobby, and you should put however much work you desire to put into it. Everything is up to you, and you alone!

Great Books

Obviously the book community knows how to recommend a good book or 200. But you’ll never understand the sheer joy of finding out just how many books exist in your preferred genre or age category until you join the community! 

Through this community, I have learned so much about books. Before I got here, I could walk down the YA section of the bookstore and recognize just a handful of books, but now? I not only recognize 3/4 of the books in the YA section, but I also know about their authors and publishers, and the general reviews based on ARCs and hype. I don’t believe any other book platform can make such promotions so accessible!

Also, I’m reading more than ever before. I used to read like maybe seven books a year, but now I read 50! That’s such a huge improvement for me, you have no idea. It’s amazing! I’m so proud of me. 🥺

Wonderful Connections 

There are so many different kinds of connections you can make with your book blog!

Obviously, you can meet other bloggers. But another connections include connections with publishers, agents, authors, and other book-world people.

For example, I got an internship with a literary agency a few months ago, and my boss was so happy to see that I had a book blog when she reviewed my resume! (I’m pretty sure it’s why I was hired, tbh.) She was so impressed that I had my own book blog, and she was happy to hire me because she trusted that I knew a lot about the YA book community and book trends. Which is true! If I did not make this blog, and I did not join the community at all, I would not have gotten this internship experience.

me, feeling professional on my computer all day

Depending on how you choose to connect (via blogging, Twitter, or Instagram), there are so many opportunities for connecting to others because of the quality of the posts you can make on your own blog. While yes, I don’t necessarily need a blog to make connections and network, I believe my blog is what has brought me closer to so many aspects of this blogging world. I am closer to my audience/book friends because they can know me more in-depth though my posts, and to the outside world, I can talk so much more about books than just saying, “Yeah, I heard that one was on the NYT bestseller list” like I used to.

(plus, if i were to get published someday soon, i would have all of you to cheer me on and possibly buy my book! 🥺 wouldn’t that be great? i couldn’t do anything like this without you!)

Why Make A Blog? 

“So,” you ask. “Why should I make a book blog?”

Well, I’m glad you asked.

Make a book blog for yourself, for your dreams and your bookish desires. But only make a blog if you really want to. If you’re on the fence about it, give blogging a try! Entering the blogging world has opened up so many possibilities for me, personally.

Because of blogging, I know how to: post consistently, manage my time, manage my social medias, start relevant discussions, design and edit graphics using a palette and consistent designs, reach out to publishers, reach out to others like me, promote books and authors, and learn about coding and website managing from trial and error, in addition to other personal things I’ve picked up along the way.

Blogging can also take up a lot of time, and I understand that. But if you really want to blog, I feel like the best time to start is now, in the present. You’ll never know what it’s like until you try, and it might just be one of the most interesting experiences of your bookish life!

quick PSA: I will be updating my How to Edit Instagram Photos With A Digital Book Cover // …and other bookstagram secrets post next week! I found an easier way to edit covers for photos, and I want to make sure that if you liked that post, you see the next one as well!

What about you? How has blogging changed your life, if at all? Are you thinking about starting a blog right now?

Chat with me about it!

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You can also be my friend on Goodreads!

Happy reading, everyone! Have a lovely day! Please stay safe and healthy!