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Starting a blog about anything, including book reviews, is quite simple these days thanks to a number of free host sites. I myself have a blog dedicated to book reviews, and I have learned plenty since starting the blog two years ago. As a beginner, I would suggest using a free blogging site such as Xanga, Live Journal, or Blogger, rather than paying for a site to host your blog. I use Xanga myself, and it is a great site, along with Live Journal, especially if you are looking to receive a lot of traffic on your site.

Once you choose your host site, you will need to register and choose a name for your blog. Simplicity is key here-you want to make a "household" name for your blog so that people will remember it; humor and wit can come in handy here too. Make sure that the subject of your blog, in this case book reviews, is apparent from the name you choose - creating an obscure name for your blog will only confuse your potential readers.

After choosing your name and registering for your site, you will have the chance to customize your blog. Most sites have templates that you can choose from, and you can even google templates for certain blog host sites. If you aren't familiar with HTML, then I would suggest sticking to the templates that the site provides for you. Feel free to have fun designing your site, but still look somewhat professional-remember, neon text is hard on the eyes and not very appealing.

In addition to finding a host site for your blog and setting it up, you need to make sure that you can handle the time commitment. In order for your blog to be a success you need to post entries consistently, and this can be a problem for people who are starting a book review blog, as it takes time to actually read the books first. One thing that I have found that works for me, is to start off by reviewing books that I have read years prior, while simultaneously reading a new novel. This enabled me to post frequently, and then have material to post later on, on the new novel(s) that I had just read. Also, if you find that you are having trouble posting on a consistent basis (2-3 times per week), be sure to write an entry informing your readers that you haven't abandoned them or dropped dead. I did this frequently throughout the school year because I found it hard to find the time to write for fun amidst all of the essays and novels that I have to write and read as an English major, and found that I was able to maintain all of my loyal readers when I did get back into the "groove" of writing.

For your first entry, I would suggest writing an introduction. Tell your readers about you as a person, and as a blogger and be sure to inform them about what you plan to do with your weblog. You don't have to tell them your life story, but keeping them in the dark about who you are isn't good either. I would then suggest posting a second entry, your first actual book review so that readers can get a taste of for your work.

Starting a book review blog is a great experience. You'll learn to love everything that comes with writing: the praise you receive from readers, and knowing that people are interested in what you have to say generate some of the best feelings. Enjoy it!

Learn more about this author, Mercedes Czlapinski.
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