You all know I love doing interviews. So, I reached out to Book Blogger, Cielo Bellerose, back in October to chat books, reviews, and book blogging. Catch the interview below!
Eliza: So, I have been reading some of the posts on your blog from all the way back in June 2020. You have one titled “DISCUSSION: Are Book Bloggers underappreciated? (+see how much a book blogger earns)” that I really enjoyed reading. I used to work in marketing for a small publisher and I ran into this all the time. When I could find a book blogger that wrote out a thoughtful review and took photos of the books/eBooks for Instagram, it would have been so awesome to be able to pay them. Because it totally is work. But there’s also the issue that Amazon doesn’t let you pay reviewers, because of bias. You also brought up a great point that publishers wouldn’t have to pay for a review. If they are part of a blog tour, then just posting a paid review on their own blog means they don’t have to adhere to Amazon’s rules (if they aren’t posting the review there).
You brought up a great discussion that definitely got me thinking. Maybe there’s a middle ground for publishers and reviewers, like a co-op for blog tours. Each reviewer gets paid a certain amount for participating and posting a review or cover reveal on their blog. All that to say, thanks for bringing up the issue!
Cielo: I’m so glad you liked the post! It definitely sparked a discussion among the book blogger community and it’s a topic that definitely needs more visibility. Something I really want to stand out of my post is exactly what you said: there’s a middle ground that can be explored, where book bloggers would receive monetary compensation for giving promotion to a certain book without having to deal with the bias element. Book bloggers cover lots of other types of posts (cover reveals, spotlights, interviews, guests posts and other kinds promotional content) where an opinion isn’t needed, but the time and effort to put the post together is still there, and it’d be nice for publishers to see that and give us some kind of monetary compensation too.
Eliza: When I used to send out ARCs (especially eBook copies), I would sometimes send out like 200 and get a reliable 15 responses. I think part of the issue is that so many bloggers would stop blogging before they finished the review. There’s such a high turnover rate. Do you think lack of pay contributes to blogger burn out?
Cielo: That can be a factor, yes, but not the most important one. Especially because we’re well aware that we won’t be getting any monetary compensation from this. The majority of book bloggers start their blogs because they want to be able to share their passion for reading and connect with other readers through the blogging community.
I believe that what causes the burn out in bloggers is the lack of feedback (I made a post on this some time ago), because we spend so many time and effort in creating a place we feel comfortable with, and when you post something you’ve been working for days and receive nothing but two comments and four likes, that can definitely crush your motivation. You add spending money on self hosting, a premium theme, etc., and not seeing any of that money back and yes, it adds to the risk of getting burn out.
Another thing that causes blogger burn out is setting goals you know you won’t be able to reach, and that’s something i’m still working on to this day.
Eliza: So, I’m an Indie (self-published) author. What can I do to help support bloggers that help in a book launch? What if I don’t have a sizeable marketing budget?
Cielo: If you don’t have the means to pay a blogger for the promotional work they’re doing for you, you can always ask if the have a ko-fi account a buy them a coffee (a small 3$ tip) in the platform. Many of us have ko-fi accounts and even a small compensation helps us to feel more motivated. Alternatively, you can support bloggers by following them in all their platforms and sharing their posts in social media so more people can follow them and engage with their content.
Eliza: I know that topic can get kind of heavy, so I want to switch gears and talk a little bit more about you and your blog. What is your favorite type of book to review?
Cielo: Definitely Contemporary. I’m a mess remembering small details so my fantasy reviews can get a *bit* messy and unorganized. With contemporary books I don’t have to focus on the complex worldbuilding/magic system and instead I delve on what I think the author wanted to express with the book, the bonds between the characters and other less heavy aspects.
Eliza: How many hours a day do you spend working on your blog or social media related to your blog?
Cielo: That depends on how busy I am with college. A few months ago I used to spend at least 2-4 hours a day on everything related to my blog. Now I’m taking things easy and not working on my blog everyday, but still dedicating 2-3 hours on the days I do decide to work on it.
Eliza: Do you have any tips for book bloggers that are just starting out?
Cielo: Take things easy. I know that it might feel a little overwhelming seeing all the beautiful and professional looking blogs out there and thinking yours can’t be like that, because you can’t afford a premium theme or don’t know your way around WordPress just yet. I’d like new bloggers to know that two of the most important things to be ‘successful’ at blogging is giving quality content and engaging with other bloggers in the community. Make genuine connections and try to create posts that bring something different to the table.
Another very important thing is not to pressure yourself and always remind that this is a hobby and not a full time job. Always focus on what makes you happy when you blog.
Eliza: How often do you post weekly? And do you post that often because it’s the best for getting traffic or just best for your schedule?
Cielo: I post twice a week, on Wednesdays and Sundays. When I started my blog and made research on blogging tips, everyone was saying that having a consistent schedule it’s the best option if you want people to engage with your content. In part, I decided on that schedule because of those tips. But also, I don’t like to improvise and I work best with routines, so that was a key factor as well!
Eliza: How do you prevent burnout when you read and review so many books?
Cielo: When I get burnout, I try to find out the reason behind it and based on what was the cause, I look for a solution. I’ve had burnouts because I wasn’t enjoying the book(s) I was reading, so in those cases I switch to a complete different genre. I have also started to DNF (did not finish) books that I’m not enjoying and that has done wonders at preventing burnouts.
I have also gotten burnout because I had a lot going on in my life, and then decided to stop reading for a couple days to focus on other aspects on my life. But figuring out what is causing you the burnout is always going to be the most important thing.
Eliza: Thank you so much for answering my questions. I really appreciate your perspective! Tell the people where they can find you and let us know about any upcoming posts or events to watch out for.
Cielo: Thank you so much for taking the time to interview me! On the future I want to keep boosting diverse books, giving book blogging advice and writing more discussion posts, so stay tuned for that!
People can find me at:
My blog: http://bellerosereads.wordpress.com
Twitter: @bellerosereads
Pinterest: bellerosereads
Goodreads: http://goodreads.com/cielobellerose
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