How to make money from a book review blog

That’s why book review blogs are always in demand. Although it might not be the highest paid blogging niche, many book reviewers are still making it work. So, if you dream about starting a book blog, don’t let money hold you back.

There are many ways to monetise a blog. Some turn to affiliate marketing, others are simply content with receiving free books from publishers to review. No matter what your goals are, there are a few things to consider when starting and running a book review blog.

In the context of book blogs, niche is your genre. If you are an avid fantasy reader, it doesn’t work if you tailor your blog for crime readers and vice versa. Finding a niche and owning that niche makes it easier to market your blog. That starts with thinking about your interests. Maybe you have a broad taste and want to reflect that on your book review blog, or perhaps you are geeky about something specific, like horror or classic science fiction? Once you know what books you will be writing about, you can get started with a great business name. Something that encapsulates your blog.

Another aspect, which is closely linked to your niche, is branding. You might think that is only for companies and advertisers, but writers need branding too. It’s your way of showing your readers who you are and what you stand for. Good branding evokes feelings and sets expectations. It gives people an immediate sense of what’s on offer when visiting your blog. Finding a motivational podcast can be a great source of inspiration when you develop your brand, as it’s good to learn from others.

Being a real voice within a field requires knowledge, passion and grit. Get into the habit of following the latest news about people’s reading habits, trends and new releases. This starts with being curious. Get to know what readers turned to in the pandemic, or how the book industry is faring overall. All this is useful knowledge if you are to write blog posts on a regular basis. Reach out to other bloggers, publishers and writers to make connections and, in time, you will be flooded with free books.

Making money from a blog requires a large readership. Once you have that, it’s easier to find sources of income, especially within advertising. One of the simplest ways to make money from a website or blog is to place pay-per-click ads on your site. This could for example be in one of your blog posts. Others choose pop-up ads or product reviews. For a book reviewer it makes sense to focus on book-related products. While this can be smaller companies, it can also be affiliate links to Amazon. It all depends on how much money you hope to make.