So who are book bloggers?
The only thing that we all have in common is that we love books; we love books so much that we have created blogs to express our thoughts about the books that we read. Book bloggers also have access to a computer. Other than that, they can be male or female (although in my survey there were many more females than males), they can vary in age, quite computer literate, or just barely holding their own as far as technology is concerned. They may be teenagers, sharing their love of Young Adult (YA) as they conquer their high school classes; they may be a stay-at-home mom spending her free time, sharing her thoughts on her favorite books as an escape from the kids. They may be budding authors using a book blog as a way to experiment with their writing. A book blogger may be a parent/child duo, with the parent encouraging the child to read more. They may be newly retired looking for a mental challenge and a way to share their life long love of books.
Book blogging is usually a hobby; it is something that is done in a blogger’s spare time. If book bloggers make money from ads on their blogs, it generally isn’t much—it might keep them in lattes. There are a few exceptions, of course, but book blogging and reviewing books is something that book bloggers do for no pay.
Many book bloggers started blogging to simply share their thoughts with other book lovers. Have a look at this selection of the answers that I received when I asked the question “Why did you start book blogging?”
“Because I wanted to be able to share great books with other readers.”
“I am very supportive of many changes taking place in the book industry. I am particularly supportive of ebooks and talented Indie and small press authors and LOVE helping spread the word about their books. I also personally enjoy discovering new to me authors who can help support my book addiction.”
“I love to read. This was a way to share what I like and to find new books and authors to read.”
“To talk with other book lovers, and to have a creative outlet online.”
“To have a place to talk about books, to be a part of a community.”
“To encourage my students, to share my love of books.”
“As a hobby/just for fun.”
“Nothing is better than finding “that” book. The one that rings your bell. I like helping people find it!”
“To share my love of books with the world.”
“Because I wanted to find new readers like me who are big romance fans to discuss books with and share this big passion of mine!”
“To create a space where my kids and I give our opinions about children’s books— we don’t always agree!”
My favorite of the list above is: “To share my love of books with the world.”
