Okay, not that NO one reads, so let me explain.
I am a book blogger. I review books on my blog. It’s how I got into the book world as more than just a reader. It’s my bread and butter when it comes to blogging. And yet, you know what posts receive the least amount of views?
Reviews.
It’s not that people don’t read them, but more that they don’t read them on the blog. Personally, I receive interactions on my reviews on Goodreads and even Amazon. Yet book reviews are the core of this blog. It’s where it all began and what continues to be a standard feature despite everything else changing through the years.
And I get it.
As a reader, I don’t care about book reviews on blogs.
When I look for reviews on a book, I don’t generally go to my favorite blogs first and search to see if they posted one. I go to Goodreads where all those reviews are in one place. If I’m looking to buy a book, I’ll also check Amazon. Blog reviews just don’t even register as a good option.
That doesn’t mean I don’t read them. Especially if one comes up in one of my social media feeds. But often it’s for books I’ve already read and want to see what someone else thought (did they agree, did they not, etc) or for one that I’m on the fence about reading.
As a reviewer, I avoid reviews for books I want to read.
That might sound a bit silly but I don’t want my own opinions influenced by someone else’s. This doesn’t mean I ignore ALL discussion of a book I’m considering reading, but I generally don’t read any reviews beforehand if I plan to review the book myself. Reading for pleasure is different but that goes back to looking at reviews as a reader.
Okay, Austine, where the hell are you going with all this?
I was talking with another blogger today about how reviews get the least amount of interactions and/or views on our blogs compared to all other posts. And it got me thinking… who are we posting these reviews for?
If the readers aren’t looking to the blogs for reviews, then why don’t we just post our reviews on sites like Goodreads and call it a day?
Has anyone thought about this too?
I think it relates to the industry in a way. Many bloggers receive ARCs (Advanced Reader Copies) of books, whether they’re print or electronic, that they are in turn asked to write a review for. And often, in my own experience, publishers are looking for these individuals to have a platform outside of just a Goodreads account.
But now we have bookstagram and booktube and neither of these things are a blog but seem to serve the same purpose. So why post reviews to blogs for a handful of views?
For me, it’s all about where I started. Book reviews are what kept me blogging through thick and thin, and I can’t imagine not posting them to my blog (as well as the websites I cross-post to). It comes down to a level of loyalty to how I began.
What do you think about reviews?
Do you think bloggers should bother posting them? Is it worth it? Leave your thoughts in the comments!
I’ve put several books NovelKnight reviews on my TBR list. And I’ll get to it someday! lol.
Lol well that is wonderful to hear 🙂 Glad we have readers like you here to make it all worthwhile!
I totally get this post. I always notice that my book reviews never get as many views or interactions as my other posts. The thing is I love writing reviews. It’s a way for me to share my feeling and vent about my latest read! I know you can do this on goodreads but I much prefer writing them on my blog. I use goodreads sometimes (like if i’m reviewing an arc) but majority of the time I prefer my blog! I feel like I can personalise it more and make it look nice aha! I read a lot of reviews by other bloggers as well, it gives me some great recommendations!
Definitely being able to personalize the reviews helps. I love writing them too and it’s why I’ve kept at it regardless. I still cross-post everything I review to Amazon and Goodreads and all those types of sites but the blog is definitely the source.
LOVE getting recs from other bloggers. Found some amazing books just browsing different blogs.
I think it all depends on the blogger. If you enjoy writing reviews - have at it. It really doesn’ matter whether the audience is big or small. I don’t write traditional book reviews, but instead focus on lists of books and give a mini-review every time a book lands on a list.
Oh it’s definitely blogger-specific, and I obviously can’t speak for other bloggers. I write reviews because I love it regardless but just food for thought.
That’s an interesting idea!
I think that this is 100% true for 90% of our viewers. But then I remember the blogger that inspired me to make my own blog - before I created my own, I had her blog bookmarked (I didn’t even subscribe via e-mail!) and I would literally visit it EVERY DAY to see when she had new reviews posted. I read SO MANY of the books she recommended, and even today whenever she has a new post I feel like a little fangirl again and get all excited. I know a few of my followers (aka real life friends) read each of my reviews and they always tell me when they bought a book that I recommended. Even though it’s just a handful, it’s those few people that make it worth it for me (: Other friends tell me that when they’re discussing books with their families they’ll pull up my blog to figure out a good fit for whoever - and man, it’s those little things that totally make it worth it. You’re right - it’s where these blogs all started, and it’s fun to hold onto those roots (:
I completely agree! Every time one of our blog readers leaves a comment or interacts with us on social media, it’s like a little burst of sunshine and it’s all worth it. Having been in that place before as well, it’s hard to NOT get excited over those little things.
I agree that reviews always get the least amount of views, which is sad because I LOVE writing them! I’m the opposite though, my blog reviews get more interaction than my goodreads review, which is kinda weird hahaha but I don’t read reviews of books I plan to read either. I don’t want to be spoiled and influenced so I always read them after I review the books myself hahaha
I completely agree! My review posts always get less views than others. However, interaction varies too, some reviews get lots of comments on my blog and others receive more interactions on Goodreads. I don’t tend to read reviews of books I need to review, but if I recognise a title I’ve been thinking of reading for enjoyment then I will read any reviews if they appear on any blogs I follow.
Lauren @ My Expanding Bookshelf
I’m the same way. I’ll read reviews if they pop up on my Twitter feed but when I’m looking for one I got to GoodReads. I’ve recently started cutting back on my blog reviews, only posting reviews for indie authors or advanced copies I get. The others I just post on GoodReads and Amazon now.