Hello readers! Today’s post is for those people who don’t make book content. UNLESS, you do make content and you want to add to what I have to say in the comments.
I have been in the book community a really, really long time now. I have been everywhere from here to Booktube to Booktok and I want to convince those who have not, but are thinking about it, to make the jump.
Number 1: Community
Do you have someone in your life who enjoys reading? I sure don’t. Joining the book community will help you to find a group of people who loves the books that you do. That could be if you enjoy what is popular all the way to classic novels. Somewhere on a bookish platform, there are people who like (or dislike) the same books as you. If you like a niche genre, probably stick to blogs or Booktube, but don’t hesitate to join other platforms if you want to.
Another way to bring the community aspect is book clubs and buddy reads. You can be a part of something. Even if you don’t host a book club, you can be a regular member and make friends that way. Many people have discords for their book clubs where you can talk about anything, not just the books. I am in a book club right now on discord for people who like smutty books and want to to exercise more. We talk about spicey books and hype each other up.
Number 2: Free Books!
Depending on the size of your following, you can get free books. Let me know if you would like to see a post about everywhere I know of to get free books! I have a a few resources in my arsenal.
When it comes to indie authors, they usually don’t even care how many followers you have. They just want your Goodreads and Amazon review. However, you will eventually be able to get ARCs from big companies through NetGalley.
Number 3: A Creative Outlet
Most people who love reading have many other hobbies. We love being creative, at least the ones I’ve seen. You can do as much or little as you want in the community. I’m not even just talking about blogging.
When blogging, you can practice writing. I think it would be perfect for aspiring authors. Has anyone here written a book? I have. Not one I want to publish, though.
However, if you want to join the more visual side, you can be even more creative. I watch many people on Booktok who make skits and use a real camera to film. Or, you can just make sitdown content. You could choose to do funny or relatable content even. People love relatable content more than anything. Then, there is Bookstagram. If you love taking photos and have a knack for making things look pretty, you can go there. Or, Booktube is perfect for people who love to film as they read or do fun challenges like reading for their enneagram type. Book community content doesn’t have to boil down to just reading and then talking about it, unless that is what you want to do.
Number 4: Tuning Your Book Taste
This is something I know I couldn’t have done without the book community. That is finding what I actually love to read. This community will throw so many books at you and you will quickly learn exactly what your book taste is. You can choose to read within it or challenge it. It’s up to you!
I sometimes think about how I found books to read before finding Booktube, which was where I found book content first. I just went to my local Walmart and picked up a book at random. Now, I can glance at a cover of a book in a bookstore and gauge a bit about the book without even picking it up.
Number 5: It’s Not As Bad As You Think, I Promise.
I’m gonna be real with you. I was so scared when I joined this blog. I thought people would point out my grammar issues or if I misspelled a word. I would read and reread my blog post 5 to 10 times before hitting send.
Now, I’ve been doing this THREE years. I don’t do the rereading thing anymore. I will read paragraphs over to make sure it make sense, but that’s it. In three years, I have never had someone bash me over my writing.
You may think, I’m not good enough at writing, not good at reviewing, I’m too old, not pretty enough, I don’t have beautiful shelves that sit behind me in videos, etc.. I’m telling you, it doesn’t matter.
I don’t know the ages of most of the bloggers I read from, but I watch Booktokers in their 60s. I’m sure having a shelf behind you with pretty lights will help, but no one is clicking off the video because you don’t have it. Sure, there can be rude people sometimes, but that’s true with anything.
Again, I’ve been doing this three years. I have over 200 followers here and have only done 2 dedicated reviews on the blog and that was in the first year. You don’t have to review books at all to be here.
I have a Tik Tok account where I sometimes talk about autism and stuff and I’ve been called fat on there as if I don’t know what I look like. Those comments don’t matter. There will be nice people who like you, your personality, and what you have to say. You can block all the rude commenters.
Lastly, don’t worry about being tech savvy either! I blogged for like 3 months before I figured out how to add photos. It gets easier the longer you’ve been doing it and with practice. Be yourself and the people who like you will follow!
This is what my thumbnails looked like in the beginning. I literally made these in paint on my computer because I didn’t know about Canva. They were so bad, but people still read my posts.
Where to find me: https://linktr.ee/Allithebookgiraffe
Add this user on Goodreads for all your trigger warning needs: https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/86920464-trigger-warning-database
Alli the Book Giraffe 
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