How To Make Money As A Book Blogger

 

We spend so much time on our blogs anyway: wouldn’t it be nice to make some money by putting in just a little more time? Your blog is a great way to promote things you want to sell, because you already have a following! Read on to find some great ways to make money as a book blogger.

This is a slightly controversial topic, because some people believe that book bloggers shouldn’t make money, and some do. I, for one, think that there are excellent ways to make money as a book blogger- but those ways do not include paid reviews.

What’s up with paid reviews, you might ask?

Well, you can’t fully trust that the blogger is honestly stating their thoughts on the book. They might say they are, but you really can’t be sure.

And, publishers or authors just aren’t going to do it. If you want to be paid to promote a book, a publisher will just go to one of the hundreds of other bloggers who will do the same thing, but for free.

If you still want to try to do this, go ahead, it’s your decision. Just know that it might not get you very far. Especially if you’re a blogger with not a large following. Maybe if you were a famous book blogger, you could try this, but unfortunately, if you’re not, it’s probably not going to work very well. The whole concept of being paid to give your thoughts on a book has a negative connotation.

But, Ava, what besides paid reviews can I do to make money?

I’m glad you asked. I’ve compiled a list of lots of different ways, and hopefully one of these works for you, or if it doesn’t, it sparks an idea!

A blog is such a perfect way to make money. You can direct your faithful readers and followers to purchase something from you, if it’s useful and not overpriced!

#1: Affiliate links.

Affiliate links is when you promote someone else’s product or service on your blog, and if they use your unique link, you earn a small commission. I know Amazon does this, and I think Book Depository does too? There’s a lot more than just those, and if you find a product you love AND you can become an affiliate for it? BINGO!

Just remember to state that these are affiliate links, because otherwise it could possibly be seen as deceitful.

#2: Offer adds on your blog.

This is kind of similar to #1, but a little bit different. Companies pay you to put an add for their product on your blog. You might see it on the sidebar.

This could be a good way to make money- IF you have a large enough audience/following. Because the company is paying you money just to put the add on your site, they probably won’t even consider you until you have a huge following.

#3: Create your own physical product and sell it.

There are countless options for this! If you have a creative skill and want to make some money for it, use it! Here’s a few products that do really well in the bookish world:

• Bookish subscription boxes.

Like OwlCrate, you could start your own monthly subscription box! They have been all the rage lately, so you really could start a business with them. A lot of times, these boxes include a newly released book and some bookish goodies. Just make sure that your profit is greater than the expenses, it would stink to be losing money!

• Bookish merchandise shop.

You could sell bookish related things! How cool would that be? A lot of bloggers have Etsy or Society6 stores, and they do really well. These products are amazing!

#4: Create your own digital product and sell it.

• Write an e-book.

If you have knowledge in a topic that people might be interested in, write an e-book.

• Have an e-course.

I’ve signed up for e-courses before, and I loved it! I couldn’t wait to receive that email in my inbox each day, and it really helped me. (And, guess what it was about? Making money as a book blogger! This was a couple months ago, and it really made me start thinking about money from my blog.)

• Make a blogging planner or a printable worksheet like that.

I’ve seen a lot of blogging planners being sold lately, and they really help with staying organized with your blog. You could create your own blog planner, or come up with an entirely new idea for a printable!

#5: Create your own service!

Have you ever beta read for someone before? Did you ever think about charging for beta reading? You would offer feedback on someone’s unpublished novel, and maybe help make it good enough so that it gets published. How cool is that? If you’re a book lover and writer, this might be a great option for you.

How about if you’re great at coding or design? You could design someone’s blog for them!

The possibilities are endless. If you know something that people could pay for, do it! And if you start one, your blog is a great marketing place.

(I might be starting a beta reading service soon… I’m really excited about it.)

Edit 7/14/17: I have started a beta and sensitivity reading business! I love it. If you’re interested in using either of my services, please check out my services page. If you’re looking to create your own beta or sensitivity reading business and want to chat, are looking for tips, or have a question, feel free to email or message me on Twitter.

To finish off this post, I just wanted to say: There are HUNDREDS of more ideas of ways to make money as a book blogger. If nothing I’ve listed strikes your interest, don’t give up! Keep thinking about it, and eventually, you will have an amazing idea.

And if you start selling whatever it is, and no one buys it immediately, don’t worry. Promote it more, make it better. If it’s a quality product/service/etc, you will eventually get sales. If it’s your passion and you love the idea of selling it, don’t give up.

If you ever need help thinking of something, shoot me a message at bookishnessandtea@gmail.com, or a dm at @bookishwithtea on Twitter! I’m always happy to help you come up with an idea, or put an existing one into action.

Do you make money through your blog? If not, would you like to? What are your thoughts on book bloggers making money?

Thanks for reading!

Ava