Let’s Talk Bookish is a weekly meme that was created and hosted by Rukky @ Eternity Books and then cohosted with Dani @ Literary Lion. It is currently hosted by Aria @ Book Nook Bits and Dini @ dinipandareads. This meme has a discussion format, where participants get to talk about certain topics, share opinions, and spread the blogging love by visiting other posts. You can learn more about this meme here!

Hi friends and welcome back to another week of Let’s Talk Bookish! 👋✨

This week’s topic is one I’m really excited to talk about:

Do Blog Tours Build Community?

We’re chatting about whether blog tours actually help build community, or if they’re just another thing on the never-ending blogger to-do list. Spoiler: it’s a little bit of both!

Grab a snack, get comfy, and let’s get into it! 🍿💬

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Do you participate in blog tours?

Yes! I’ve participated in quite a few blog tours! There’s something exciting about being part of a scheduled event where bloggers all rally around a new book. I love creating content like reviews, a graphic edit or spotlights as part of a larger collective effort. Plus, deadlines really help keep me motivated!

What I Like About Blog Tours

Blog tours honestly feel like one big, cozy book party — and I’m always here for that vibe! 🎉 There’s just something so exciting about knowing a bunch of bloggers are all reading and chatting about the same book at the same time. It feels like we’re all part of this secret team, hyping up a book and getting ready to launch it into the world. 🚀📚

One of my favorite things? Blog tours have introduced me to so many books I probably would’ve overlooked. Sometimes I’ll sign up just because the blurb sounds kinda cool — and next thing you know, I’m obsessed and yelling about it to everyone. 😂 Major life moments, honestly.

Also, deadlines? Weirdly helpful sometimes. When life gets chaotic, having that “you need to post by Thursday!” push actually gets me to sit down, read, and finish the book instead of just staring at my TBR in fear. 😂

And the creativity! I love that tours sometimes encourage bloggers to get a little extra with their posts — playlists, mood boards, dream casts, aesthetic edits — I’ve seen it all, and it never gets old. It’s like every stop on the tour brings something a little different to the table.

Plus, it’s always so cool seeing how different bloggers interpret the same story. Everyone’s voice and style comes through, and it just makes the whole experience feel super personal and connected. It’s not just “here’s the book,” it’s “here’s why I loved it” — and that’s the good stuff. 💬❤️

What I Dislike About Blog Tours

Okay, real talk — as much as I love blog tours, they’re definitely not perfect. 😅

First off, the deadlines can sometimes feel like a lot. Like yes, deadlines can be helpful… but they can also sneak up on you real fast when life gets busy. There’s nothing quite like the mild panic of realizing you still need to read, review, and post by tomorrow. (Oops.) 📚😬

Another thing? Sometimes blog tours can feel a little too polished. I totally get that tours are meant to hype up the book, but once in a while it feels like everyone’s saying the same few nice things. It can make it hard to tell what people really thought. And if every stop feels like a copy-paste press release? Yeah… it kind of takes the fun and honesty out of it.

Also, some tours are so jam-packed with stops that it’s easy for posts to get lost in the crowd. Like, if 40 people are posting about the same book on the same day, it can feel less like a fun conversation and more like a big shouting match where nobody’s really connecting. 😅

And let’s be honest: there’s definitely a little pressure to be extra positive. It’s not like you’re forced to love the book, but when you’ve signed up to help promote it, it’s hard not to feel weird about posting a lukewarm or negative review. (Especially if it’s a debut author — cue the guilt.)

So yeah — blog tours are awesome in a lot of ways, but they can definitely have some stressful and awkward moments too. 💬

Do I Trust Blog Tour Reviews?

This is such a good question — and honestly, my answer is: it depends. 😅

If it’s a blogger I already know and trust, then yes, absolutely. I feel like you can usually tell when someone is being genuine, even if they’re part of a tour. Their personality still comes through, and they’re honest about what worked for them (and sometimes what didn’t).

But if it’s a blog I’m not familiar with — and the review feels super formal or basically sounds like a press release copy-pasted with a few emojis thrown in — then yeah, I’m a little more skeptical. 👀 I get that tours are meant to be positive, but I really appreciate when bloggers are honest about both the good and the not-so-good parts. It makes me trust their opinion so much more.

That said, I don’t think people are lying during blog tours — but there’s definitely a more “supportive and hype-y” tone overall, and I try to keep that in mind when I’m reading tour posts. It’s kind of like reading blurbs on the back of a book: they’re probably highlighting the best parts, not pointing out the messy middle or pacing issues. 😂

In the end, I usually look for reviews that feel personal and specific. If someone’s telling me why they loved the characters, or what made the story stand out for them, that feels a lot more trustworthy than just “This book is amazing!!!” over and over again. 🙌

Do Blog Tours Build Community?

I really think they can — when they’re done right. 💬✨

One of the coolest parts about blog tours is that they bring a bunch of bloggers together around one book. When everyone’s posting around the same time, it kind of feels like being part of a giant group project (but way more fun than the ones we had to do in school 😂). You start recognizing names, visiting each other’s blogs, dropping comments, and sometimes even finding new blogging friends you wouldn’t have met otherwise!

That said, I feel like it depends on how interactive the tour is. If it’s just a long list of scheduled posts with no real conversation happening, it’s easy for it to feel a little lonely. But when bloggers actually visit each other’s posts, chat about the book, and cheer each other on? That’s where the magic happens. ✨

Some tours even have group chats, hashtags, or comment chains, and those definitely make it easier to connect with other people. And honestly, when you’re fangirling about the same book at the same time, it’s kind of impossible not to bond a little, right? 🥰

So yes — blog tours definitely can build community, but I think it works best when everyone’s genuinely engaging, not just hitting “publish” and moving on. The real fun is in the conversations that happen around the posts!

✨At the end of the day, blog tours have their ups and downs — but I really do think they’re a great way to discover new books, meet new bloggers, and feel like part of something bigger. Sure, they can be a little stressful sometimes (looking at you, last-minute deadlines 👀😂), but overall, they bring a lot of excitement and community vibes to the bookish world.

I’d love to hear your thoughts too! 💬
Do you participate in blog tours? Have you ever made new blogging friends through one? Or do you avoid them altogether? Let’s chat in the comments! 🥰

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