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Booktube vs Book Blogging // Pros And Cons

- Bunny 8 Comments

Hi Friends,
For months, I have been going back and forth on the struggle of Booktube vs. book blogging, and which is right for me. If you don’t already know, I started out as a Booktuber, but the struggle to keep up with videos and the YouTube algorithm turned me off. It wasn’t very good for my mental health. I had always been an avid writer, so I turned to book blogging. I wouldn’t say one is more cost efficient than the other, since money goes into both of them. Also, for a planner like myself, both seem to take a lot of time and effort to keep up with every week.

I never really felt like a part of the book community, and I noticed that after stepping away, I was reading more than I ever had before. Watching new Booktubers growing, while I was stuck at 100 subscribers after more than two years took its toll on my mental health. I do, at times, get upset when my blog isn’t performing as well as I might hope. But I feel more involved in the blogging community, which helps. Also, I think my writing is way better than my camera skills. I will say that I sometimes get the urge to film a video, and some topics are just easier as video content, rather than blog posts. However, I like owning my work, which isn’t possible with YouTube.

I know that Booktubers get more recognition than book bloggers, which is a bummer. Another big thing is that Booktubers are the go-to for sponsorships and paid promotions. I am not sure if book bloggers get these opportunities as well, but I know that it is a huge thing in the Booktube community. I thought that it would be fun to give you some personal pros and cons of Booktube vs book blogging, just in case you were stuck on the decision too.

Booktube  Book Blog

Large community, with a lot of original content

Smaller community, with a lot of content inspired by Booktube

Your content is owned by YouTube, and can be deleted at any time

You own all your content, and nobody else can censor you

Need a good camera, lighting, and a background

If you want to do it long term, you need to buy a URL and hosting

You have opportunities for free books and paid sponsorships

Much harder to get noticed by authors and publishers

You have to be on camera, and able to clearly communicate your point

Can write a post in your PJ’s, from anywhere

I hope that this list might help some make the decision between Booktube or a book blog, or at least make it a bit easier. I think that I might start posting Instagram (or maybe Booktok) videos, if I ever feel the need to film anything bookish. That way I don’t have to commit to a Booktube channel. I would love your support on my little bookish corner of the internet, so like and share this post! You can follow me on Twitter and Instagram as well (@bookswithbunny).

Until The Next Chapter,
Bunny

Book Blogger Myths & Blogging Tips

- Bunny 2 Comments

Hi Friends,
Today, I am going to be shattering those myths of being a book blogger. I think these are Booktube myths as well, but I could be wrong. I am including a few blogger tips for all you new bloggers, or those of you thinking of starting a blog.

No Books Necessary
A lot of people think that book blogging is all about having a huge personal library. We see bloggers posting their rainbow bookshelves on Bookstagram, and we think the first step to being a book blogger is to buy books. This is completely untrue. Many book bloggers use the library and borrow books from friends. You can even use apps such as Libby and Overdrive to get audiobook and ebook copies of books from your local library. You can still share your love of books without owning a single book.

Book Hauls Aren’t A Requirement
This is piggybacking off the last myth, but book hauls don’t matter. Yes, it is cool to see the book people buy or receive, still, there are tons of minimalist book bloggers out there. Also, a lot of book bloggers go on book buying bans until the clear their tbrs. I don’t typically buy books, so most of my collection is books I’ve received as gifts. Library hauls are a great option, or buying discounted books from a local thrift shop is an inexpensive way to grow your collection as well.

Reading, Reading, Reading
I used to think that I couldn’t be part of the book community because I was an extremely slow reader. Luckily, that isn’t a problem anymore, but truthfully, it doesn’t matter how many books you read a month. There are tons of people in the book community that only manage to read one or two books a month. You are not alone in your struggles to read, so don’t get discouraged if you don’t hit your GoodReads goal. As long as you have a passion for books, and you engage in the community, you are golden.

What Everyone Else Is Reading
This might shock you, but you’d have to read the same books as all the other book bloggers. It is a common mistake that all book bloggers have to read the same books and genres. At times, I am guilty of trying to read what’s popular. I’m not saying it isn’t nice to read multiple opinions on the same story, but people, including myself, read book blogs to discover new, underrated books. Don’t be scared to read for yourself, and not what people except you to read.

Want An ARC
I am sorry to break this to you, but if you want to become a book blogger just to get arcs, you’re wasting your time. Yes, sometimes book bloggers are fortunate enough to receive ACRS of books. But this rarely happens, especially for physical copies. Publishing companions are very selective about sending out review copies. Most of authors and publishers are turning to Netgalley for ARC releases. I have been using the platform for a while, and I can say that getting approved for some ACRS aren’t easy. Don’t start a book blog for money or gifts.

Tech Savvy
The last myth I want to shatter is that you have to be some web design wizard to start a blog. True, there is a learning curve when starting any kind of blog. But a lot of sites, such as Squarespace or WordPress, are pretty straight forward. Also, there are tons of articles and YouTube videos on how to navigate just about any platform.

As for my tips, I only have a few, so don’t stop reading yet.
1) Write Before Publishing: This is something I wish I had done before publishing my blog. I think you should write at least 10 to 20 blog posts before launching your blog. This way, you have a lot of posts that will go up so that you don’t have to worry about writing a new post every week. You can focus on reading and writing as you go.

2) Set Schedule: Some people might say this is due to my need to plan everything, but I think having a posting schedule is important. Whether you post once a week, month or even once a year, you should pick one day for your post to go up. This way, your readers know which day to visit your site for a new post. I don’t think a set time is as necessary as a regular day, but having both couldn’t hurt.

3) Always Edit: I didn’t do this with my earlier posts, but I found that editing and proof reading is a must. You should read over your post at least twice before publishing it. Also, if you suck at grammar like myself, it couldn’t hurt to use an editing software or subscription. I hear that Grammarly is a great resource for bloggers. But keep in mind their subscription is quite expensive.

I hope that you liked this original post. It was fun exposing book blogger myths and sharing some of my blogger tips. Please support my little book blog by liking and sharing this post. If you want to join my mailing list, you can subscribe via email.

Until The Next Chapter,
Bunny

Hallmark & More // Update

- Bunny Leave a comment

Hi Friends,
As you all know that books are a big part of my life. However, I am a shameless Hallmark movie lover. I thought it would be fun to incorporate that into my blog. I want to start reviewing Hallmark movies for you all. I will be reviewing old and new movies from the network just as I do books.

I know this seems random, but I think it would be a fun addition to my blog. I could review Netflix and Lifetime original movies as well. I understand that this wont be something everyone will enjoy, but it could be pretty fun. I would love to know your thoughts, and some Hallmark movie recommendations.

In July, Hallmark does Christmas in July, which means a lot of Christmas movie reviews coming your way. But don’t worry I will still be keeping up with my book content as well. I think that this added content will be a lot of fun and I’m excited for it.

Until The Next Chapter,
Bunny

The Book Blogger Newbie Tag

- Bunny 1 Comment

Hello bookish friends,
I thought that I would do the classic “Book Blogger Newbie” tag post. I know that this tag is a time long tradition when becoming a book blogger. I hope that these question help you to get to know me and my little blog better.

Why did you start this blog?
I had a booktube channel, but I just didn’t love the video format. I have always been a writer so I thought a blog is much more my style. I want this to be a place where I can share my love of books as well as other things. I want to talk about TV shows and maybe even some first time mommy content in the future.

What are some fun and unique things you can bring to book blogging?
I know that there are so many blogs out there and you want your blog to stand out. However, I don’t know how fun or unique my content will be. I guess something different is that I haven’t read a lot of the popular books from the 2000s. Currently, I am reading the Harry Potter series for the first time and I haven’t read anything by Sarah J. Maas. Also, this blog will be 75% bookish, yet I want to talk about other topics on this blog too.

What are you most excited for about this blog?
Mostly writing content and sharing my bookish thoughts. I love connecting with others in the book and blogging community.

Why do you love reading?
It let’s me escape into different land. This quote by George R.R. Martinup sums up why I love reading perfectly “A reader lives a thousand lives.”

What series got you into reading?
I fell in love with the The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants books by Ann Brashares, which is a very underrated series in my opinion. After reading all of those books I never wanted to stop reading.

What questions would you ask your favorite authors?
I would love to know what they hope a reader gets from their books. Why do they continue write stories? Also, I read somewhere if author think their characters know about them. I think it would be interesting to know if author do think their characters know about them. As if the world they created is some alternate realm of sorts.

What challenges do you think starting a blog will be the hardest to overcome?
Probably staying consistent. Live has many ups and downs, so it is hard to stay on top of blogging. However, I have a lot of post planned and I will be trying to blog as much as I can each week.

When did you start reading?
I was not a reader as a kid at all. I was more of a television watching, Barbie playing kind of girl. It wasn’t until 2005, I was a huge Gilmore Girls fan and my brother mentioned that Alexis Bledel was going to be starring in the film adaption of the Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants. I decided I would read the book first, and I never stopped reading. From that day on I was a reader.

Where do you read?
I usually read at home in my bed. I cannot read in cars be I get motion sickness and I never really read when I am out. I just like being cozy in bed with a book or audiobook.

What kind of books do you like to read?
I am a huge YA fan! I will try to read a lot of different YA genres, but my favorite is contemporary. I am a fan of middle grade books, yet I haven’t read as many of them. I want to expand my reading taste this year, still I am kind of set in my ways when it comes to the books I read.

Wow! Does doing this mean I am an official book blogger? If you are a blogger of any kind let me know in the comments. I want to connect with blogger and just readers in general.

Until The Next Chapter,
Bunny