build a book blog | tools for book bloggers

So you want to start a book blog, eh? But you’re not sure what tools are out there that help make book blogging a cinch? Well you’re in luck, then, because you’ve come to the right spot! Today I want to share the current tools I use, as well as some tools I’ve used in the past, that I think beginning book bloggers (and honestly any book blogger) could use on their journey!

for reading

• Libby If you’re in the US and are a member of any libraries in your area*, it’s likely that they use Libby as a kind of digital consortium of all the libraries in their jurisdiction and offer their e-books, audiobooks, videos/films/tv series, and digital content via the app. In other words, Libby is where libraries put most (if not all) of their e-books, audiobooks, and digital content. I’m fortunate enough to belong to several libraries, which means I have access to each library’s digital collection via Libby and can easily switch between libraries to search for and borrow the content I want. So if you, like me, do not have the money to spend on the latest hyped book releases, check in with your library through Libby!
• Hoopla This is another app that many US libraries use for their audiobook, e-book, film, tv series, digital comics/graphic novels, and music collections. Not every library has Hoopla, but I’ve found that most do and, though the collection on Hoopla is the same content for every library (unlike Libby, which is a consortium of what libraries have purchased and thus individual libraries have different collections), it does have a really broad collection with many recent releases.
• The Gutenberg Project and LibriVox Another internet godsend, The Gutenberg Progject and its partner Librivox offer free e-book and audio copies of works in the public domain. Note: The Gutenberg Project offers e-book copies, while LibriVox offers audio copies.

* pro tip: if you’re in the US and you feel your library doesn’t offer enough of what you’re looking for, oftentimes the libraries of neighboring/nearby counties and/or cities will allow you to get a physical and/or virtual card

for arcs/alcs

• Libro.fm If you’re into audiobooks and want to get advance listeners copies (ALCs) pre-publication, then Libro.fm is gonna be your go-to source. Each month they release a selection of ALCs (and they recently increased the number of ALCs per month that they release!) for bookish “influencers.” Basically, all you have to do is apply (which involves sending a basic email to them—it’s really simple) and there’s no follower count or engagement requirements nor are there any “review by” deadlines!
• NetGalley This site is, like, the main hotspot for requesting digital ARCs. Okay, technically, you can also use another (unaffiliated) site called Edelweiss, but in my and numerous other book bloggers’ long experience, you’re more likely to have your requests approved on NetGalley. ANYHOO! NetGalley is relatively easy to use: you set up your profile, select your reading device(s), and start requesting!

for design

• Codecademy, W3Schools, Tumblr Whether or not you’re self hosted, you have the option to write your posts in HTML and trust me it helps so much when formatting your posts and/or designing your blog to just know the bare bones basics of HTML and CSS. Like, if you ever find there’s something that your platform ALWAYS formats wrong, you can just go in and override it with code and—bada bing bada boom!—problem (usually) solved! When it comes to learning HTML and CSS, Codecademy is a free site where you can learn those two languages (and others) in an interactive and simple way and W3Schools is a free site you can reference for the tags you want. Tumblr is also listed on here too because there are many free posts from coders on there with links to free resources where you can learn to code.
• PhotoShop or Gimp Sooooo, if you want to get serious about design, you’re gonna need something to stand out and if you feel you have the eye to make it yourself, then I recommend investing in a PhotoShop subscription. If you’re new to design and don’t know how to use PhotoShop, I’d recommend trying out Gimp first, which is basically a free “dupe” of Photoshop. Both are powerful design tools that allow you to create photos and graphics that really stand out.
• Canva If you can’t afford and/or don’t want to use Photoshop, Canva is a good free alternative. They have plenty of free and Premium (a.k.a. paid) design templates for a multitude of platforms, including blogs. Canva is also very user friendly and easy to understand.
• Pexels and Usplash If you, like me, are not a brilliant photographer and/or just don’t have the time to take photos for your blog, both Pexels and Unsplash are websites where you can find free to use pubic domain and royalty free photos. Also, for those worried, both sites have photos that are really gorgeous and don’t look like stereotypical stock photos.

for writing

• Notion The only real writing tool I use is Notion, which I sometimes use for drafting and planning posts. I actually use my dear friend and fellow book blogger Sumedha’s Notion template for book bloggers primarily. It’s a really great template in that it helps me draft my thoughts and lay out all of the other things I need to do before hitting the “publish post” button. I also have copied book review templates from my favorite reviewers into Notion, so I have a format to follow when I’m entering a book into my Notion book tracker. This helps me to make sure I’m answering specific questions for the review and formatting it in a digestible manner before I copy it onto WordPress.

spill the beans, friends!

Are you a book blogger? If so, what tools do you find helpful? If not, do you plan on becoming a book blogger?

Learn more the author of this post:

Lila @ Hardcover Haven

Lila is a 30 year old anthropology student and lover of literature who's been book blogging for an eternity. Her hobbies include reading, singing, writing, arts and crafts, and snuggling her two cats, Snoopy and Clementine.