Let’s talk about anything bookish!
A few months ago, I wrote about commenting on blog posts. However, in the last few weeks, I got to thinking. I don’t really get many comments on my book reviews. And this IS a book blog, right? So, this got me wondering, do you leave comments on book reviews?
This made me think – do I comment on book reviews on other blogs? Why yes, I do… sometimes! I have also found that a few bloggers comment on my book review posts! Ultimately, book review posts are not popular on my blog if I just base them on comments. I usually have 2 or at most, 3 comments on a review post, and this is not on every review post that I have written! Many of my review posts don’t have comments.
But does this mean that I shouldn’t write review posts on my blog because I don’t get interaction from those posts?
No. Not at all. I love writing book reviews. In fact, I love sharing my thoughts on the books that I read. To the point where I review older titles and not all my reviews are ARC copies.
I love commenting on book reviews, too. But I don’t comment on all the book reviews on other blogs, though. I either comment on reviews on books I’ve read or reviews for books I want to read.
Reasons Why I Leave Comments on Book Reviews
- Discussion. Sometimes talking about a book with another reader who read the book is awesome! This is very true when the book was sooo good and you basically have a #bookhangover. Chatting via the comments section is a great way to connect with fellow readers! While this is easier done with other forms of social media, I still like commenting via blogs!
- Interest. There are books that I am curious about and I tend to read reviews on book bloggers that I feel have the same taste as me reading wise. There are a few book blogs that I comment on reviews regularly because I want to know if I will enjoy the book or not. Easy peasy.
- Negative Reviews are a plus! I know for some, they don’t write negative reviews. I do! So reading this type of review on blogs is another way for me to find out if I will enjoy the book or not! YES, negative reviews have made me click on a book and read it. For the most part, my reactions have been favorable, too!
I don’t normally comment just for comments’ sake because I want to leave relevant and memorable comments. While a lot of bloggers comment back, I don’t want to leave a nonsensical comment or a comment that says “great post!” I WANT to know my post is great. I want to know what made you read my post or if you will be adding the book I just reviewed to your TBR or not.
Yeah, it’s that simple.
While it’s okay to leave brief comments, I personally find it hard to reply to them. The standard comment is usually “thanks!” But I also don’t want to type “thanks” to all the comments that I respond to!
I know commenting on book review posts is a personal thing, I still think that a book blogger should try to leave a comment.
Please, please, please leave comments on book reviews. I know I do!
Do you leave comments on book review posts?
Do you love receiving comments on your book review posts?
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I pretty much comment on almost every post I read, BUT I will admit that I don’t read reviews as often as discussions or other types of posts. Usually this just purely comes down to time, though. I have such limited time to get to everyone—the discussions are the ones that grab my attention the most. When it comes to reviews, I almost never read reviews of books I’m not at least slightly familiar with. And if someone reads books that aren’t in genres I enjoy, I typically have a hard time finding anything to say about the book, so I don’t generally read them.
Nicole @ Feed Your Fiction Addiction recently posted…Make Me Read It Readathon Sign up and Poll
I know what you mean, Nicole! I am the same way. It’s really hard to comment on EVERYTHING especially if you have a lot of blogs that you follow!
I love reading book reviews, but when it’s a book I haven’t read yet, it becomes more challenging for me to write substantial comments because I don’t have much to relate to or references to throw in. I’m a bit anxious about looking like I comment for the sake of commenting, which is something I really want to avoid. I still try my best to leave a bit of comment love, though!
That’s true! I prefer you not comment at all if all you are going to say is “awesome review” or something like that.
I do try to leave comments to book reviews. Especially if the book sounds interesting. There may be some book reviews for books outside my favorite genres that are difficult to comment on, but I would think at least sometimes a book review deserves a comment.
I think the book reviews I get the most comments on are the ones where I’m fangirling, LOL.
Brooke Lorren recently posted…1,000 Years, 1,000 People, and 18 Years Late
That is true. I don’t comment on books in genres that I don’t read. It’s really hard to comment on something that you aren’t even remotely interested in.
I definitely find that book reviews get less comments than other posts (like discussion posts). I comment on them if I have something to say! I mean, that’s why I started my blog in the first place – to talk about books I’ve read. It turned into more than that, but I still like to discuss books themselves.
That is so true. But yeah, my blog used to be purely reviews but now I have a mixed bookish content 🙂
I always try to comment on book reviews, even if I haven’t read the book or have little interest in it, I always am curious what others think about a certain title. Although certain books will get me more excited of course.
True Renee! I don’t comment on all book reviews and I only comment on books I’ve read or I’m interested in. Sometimes, a review can make me buy or not read a book 🙂
I LOVE leaving genuine comments on reviews for books I’m interested in–seeing different opinions is awesome! I guess it’s harder to get engagement on book reviews since not everyone’s interested in the same books? Like when I visit a blog that I love for its discussion posts, and I see a review for a book that I have no interest in, I won’t leave a comment since I know it won’t be heartfelt, so I just come back some other time. 🙂
Aimee (Aimee, Always) recently posted…Reading in Public: 7 Items (Or People) You Might Not Know Are VERY Important!
That is so true, Aimee! I only comment on reviews for books I like or I’m interested in. I also think it’s harder to comment on a review as compared to other types of posts! But it’s also a little ironic since anyone of us can discuss a book in person! 🙂
I think mostly when I comment on reviews it tends to be either for a review of a book that wasn’t on my radar before seeing the review, and now I’m excited to read it (“Thanks for sharing this review! Added to my TBR.”) or else on negative reviews that go into WHY the reader didn’t care for the book (“Hmm, guess I’m taking this one off my TBR.”) Honestly, I don’t tend to read ALL book reviews even on the few blogs where I try to read most of the posts. I am very much a judge-the-book-by-its-cover when it comes to whether I’ll read a review post, and then I tend to only read ones for a book that looks like something I might like to read, or something I’ve got on my TBR and I’m on the fence about if I really want to take a chance on it. I’m trying to comment more on the blogs I follow and be more engaged (rather than just reading and lurking like I usually do…) but I tend to find more compelling reasons to comment on discussion type posts (like this one!) than reviews. Top 10 and other “meme” posts are probably my least favorite and I tend to just not click on them. :/
I also don’t. I do pick the book reviews that I read but for those that I do, I try my best to leave a comment. I think other types of posts are easier to comment on as opposed to reviews. I think that’s why they are getting less love than other posts!
Great discussion! I try really hard to leave comments on reviews, but I don’t read all that many of them because I am so busy and the other types of posts are the ones that I tend to stop for… its sad I know :/
Me too! I only pick the ones I comment to but I do try my best! I think it’s easier to comment on discussion posts rather than reviews, which may also be why they don’t get a lot of love.
Love reading others thoughts and take on stories. Other bloggers introduced me to books I would of not read if not for comments. Still having problems with my blog and comments, it’s very, very frustrating! Thanks for the blogger love! ♥️♥️
Me, too! I don’t have a huge following so it definitely makes my day when I see a comment on any of my posts! I’ve learned not to stress out too much and comment on other blogs and not expect a comment back 🙂
I am with you, I don’t comment for the sake of commenting. I comment, because I have something to say or a question to ask or I was entertained by the post and want to let the blogger know I read it. I do feel like I make an effort to comment on book reviews, because let’s face it, they get less interaction than other kinds of posts, and book reviews are hard to write (at least for me). I will comment if it’s a book that I have my eye on or a book that I have read. I just am not good at being random.
Me too! I absolutely think that comments should be meaningful!
I leave comments on book reviews sometimes!
Awesome, Flavia! I do as well!
I try really hard to comment on reviews. I think reviews get fewer comments because fewer people read them. Reviews on my blog get around 70 pageviews. All my other posts get around 200 pageviews. If fewer people are reading reviews, that would explain why they don’t get many comments.
Aj @ Read All The Things! recently posted…The Sunday Post #156
That is true, too! I know there are fewer views on reviews and definitely fewer comments!
I comment quite a bit on book reviews. What really gets me to comment is if it’s a book I’ve read or is interested in reading.
Me too! I just don’t comment on any review!