5 Book Blogging Topics That Aren't Reviews

by Donna Huber

I'm wrapping up my de-stressing your blogging with 5 topics you can write on either to expand the focus of your blog or when you don't have a review to post.

1. Genres. There is a lot you can write about on this topic. For the last two years at Armchair BEA we have had daily genres for discussion topics and each blogger had a unique view and method of handling the topic. You can take about changes taking place in the genre or books that are great examples of the genre. You could plan your week or month around that genre. Right now, new adult and how it just seems to be a way to make young adult more erotic is a hot topic and sure to do well in search.

2. Publishing news. There is always plenty going on in the publishing world for you to write multiple posts. Right now weighing in on the Amazon vs Hachette controversy or Amazon's new service Kindle Unlimited would have your blog showing up in search. There is also plenty of indie news to share. Following Publisher's Weekly and Dear Author will help keep you in the know and allow you to put your own spin on the news of the day.

3. Adaptations. This is a particularly good topic for bloggers who want to expand their blog's focus but not get too far outside the book blog niche. You can discuss latest movie news and many books are being made into movies, particularly those that are for young adult. You could also discuss fanfiction and other fandoms (forums or other online sites), though that may lend itself more to the next topic.

4. Pop culture. How is today's society changing plot lines and genres. And conversely the impact books have on life. I'm thinking about the Slendarman headlines and Fifty Shades.

5. Author focus. While this may be a bit more gossip column than you want to go, but there are classy ways you can approach this topic. Do more indepth interviews - go beyond the "what inspired you to write" questions and delve into the meat of who the author is and what they write. Or you can scour the internet to piece together a "Who is" piece like I did for my post on Sylvain Reynard. This topic could also focus on a book series and you can post bookish news - movie deals, who's narrating the audio book, where the author is appearing, any news about the next installment, etc.

While these topics will require a bit more work, they can pay off well in the notice your blog will get. The variety may also add a bit of fun to your blogging which will lessen the stress and the burnout that stress leads to. I hope you found this series helpful. I'm always open to suggestions for future tips posts, so if you have a topic in mind just drop me a line in the comments.