A book blog can be a wonderful way to express how you feel about your favourite novel. Many people enjoy discussing their preferred authors and book series but lack a place to meet and share ideas.
Starting a book blog creates a space for book fans to gather, share experiences, and inspire one another to read and learn about even more books.
With the help of WordPress, you can easily create a stunning book blog, even without a background in coding. Here are the steps you can use to create an interactive book blog.
Register a Domain Name
Every blog must have a domain name. This name is what people will type into the URL to visit your blog. It will also give your site visitors a general idea of what your site is about. Pick a name that relates to literature and one that people can easily remember.
A great domain name will be an asset to building an audience. Come up with a few names and check their availability on a domain checker. With this tool, you can see which names are taken and the prices for registration.
For more suggestions and ideas, use Hostinger and try out their blog name generator. Simply type in the keywords that you want to use and choose from their awesome answers.
The most popular TLD (Top-Level Domain) options tend to be .com or .net. However, if it isn’t available you can try ccTLD (country code top-level) domains, for example, .us for the United States or .au for Australia.
Once you settle on the right name, you have to register it. The simple process includes a bit of information and payment. Then, congrats, the domain name will be yours.
Find a Web Host
Your domain will need a web host. Look for a hosting provider that has good performance, security, customer support, and other additional perks.
Luckily, these days there are many budget-friendly hosting companies offering high-quality services.
Once you choose your web host, you need to decide on your hosting plan. There are a few options to choose from, but if you are just starting, we recommend shared hosting. This will give you all the services you need until your site’s traffic increases. Then, you can think about upgrading to a virtual private server (VPS), cloud hosting, or other types.
Pick a Platform For Your Site
A platform is a Content Management System (CMS) that allows you to write, edit, publish, and manage content.
There are many CMS to choose from, but the most popular is WordPress. With this platform, you’ll have access to several plugins and themes that are the easiest way to customize your site to your book blog.
It also has impressive tools for editing, which makes it easy for you to write reviews, interviews, and even articles.
The best part is, WordPress is free! Take advantage of all its features with no added costs. If you wish to upgrade your themes and plugins, there are paid options you can add on too.
Customize Your Blog
Choosing the perfect theme for your website, and one that matches a book blog may seem a bigger task than it should be. Luckily with WordPress and over 50,000 themes and plugins, you can change your mind whenever you want to try something new.
If you don’t find what you are looking for, you can always upgrade to a paid theme, or download one from a third-party provider.
Once you select a theme, use WordPress plugins to customize your site to your liking. Some of the most popular plugins at the moment are:
- Contact Form 7 – create and manage multiple contact forms with reCaptcha verification
- YoastSEO – optimize your content for search engines and higher rankings on search engine result pages
- Wordfence Security – protect against cyber attacks, including malware, virus, and backdoor scanning
Create Content
Once your site’s foundation is set, you can now come up with content and start posting. The content you write will depend on what your blog focuses on. Some areas to consider include:
- Reading challenges
- Author interviews
- Roundups/Reviews of new publications
- Top lists of specific authors or genres
- General book reviews
There are many angles you can touch on. You can also experiment with a variety of content to see which one attracts the most viewers.
Also, decide on the schedule of your posts. For instance, you may choose to publish two top lists and four book reviews per month. Experiment with different combinations and see what works best.
Take Advantage of Social Media
With a book blog, a strong presence on social media can be beneficial so people can know what you are up to and what’s next on the agenda. Try to be as active on social media as possible, so you can keep your audience engaged.
You can either use your personal social media profile to promote your blog or create a profile that specifically deals with advertising and promoting your book blog. In this case, the social media profile should have a name similar to your blog’s domain name.
Whenever you post an article on your website, you can share the link to your social media platforms. WordPress makes this sharing easy, having Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram sharing buttons easily accessible.
In fact, Facebook and Twitter are great platforms to use because they give readers opportunities to interact and start discussions about your posts.
Instagram can be useful if you like promotions with photos. You can take artistic photos or show off book covers to excite your followers.
Final Words
WordPress provides an easy way to create a book blog. This platform has tools that will help you create a website even if you don’t have any web building skills.
Once the blog is set up, you can use it for whatever you want. From interviewing authors to reviewing top books, or reading challenges to genres.
Not only will you gain new knowledge, insight into books, and how different people perceive them, but you’ll also learn how to create a blog too. So good luck!