hi! i have been thinking of starting my own bookstagram, any tips? i have no idea how to start or if i should even do it!
Start out with low expectations. I can’t even begin to tell you how stressed I became when I first started and my photos weren’t turning out like the ones I’d seen all over Tumblr and Pinterest. I still sometimes get stressed when it comes to posting daily, simply because I feel pressured to post wonderful pictures because I know I have that capability. So, the first and most important tip of bookstagram is to not panic or worry about the quality of your photos if you’re just starting out. No one became “insta-famous” over a single post!
1. Know your audience.
Odds are pretty high that most of the people following your are going to be looking for book recommendations and reviews. It’s perfectly fine to post photos of random books (ie. not showing the cover) and occasionally the non-biblio centric pic, but remember who you’re dealing with. Your followers want information just as much as they want the pretty photographs! Let those two things balance one another (maybe even add a link to your bio that allows them to see your blog or Goodreads?)!
2. Try to make a name.
Okay, okay. This seems silly. But I swear it worked for me! I used to be an account dedicated to Cassandra Clare books only. My usernames varied, but I was known for a humorous one which, until recently when my friend brought it up, I’d forgotten all about! It was “shippingincest.” Ha ha. But then some of my followers called me out on being vulgar, saying that it wasn’t moral to have a username that promotes incestuous behavior. At the time I was really annoyed because the name came from a bad joke more than 99% of the book fans already knew, but I saw where the comments was angling. So, I tried out a new name…and I kept it to this day! Seelie Knight is in reference to Meliorn from the Mortal Instruments series, however I also adore faeries and folklore so I kept the name when I swapped over to posting a variety of books. I also kept that username because it was what I was known as and people could find me easily! So my advice to you will be to come up with a unique and memorable name, something that people can recall when they think of your account :)
3. Quality and quantity.
“Quality is more important than quantity” yes, we’ve all heard that one before. And it applies to bookstagram as well! If you’re not feeling motivated or lack the mental strength to write about books to a large number of viewers, then don’t attempt it! I’ve taken my fair share of “hiatus” from bookstagram, and I don’t regret a single one. They’ve all made me feel replenished and more aware of the type of reader I am.
4. Become familiar with others.
MAKE OTHER BLOGGER FRIENDS. THERE IS NO OTHER WAY AROUND THAT. BELIEVE ME ON THIS ONE, IT WILL ALWAYS WORK IN YOUR BENEFIT. TALK. TO. PEOPLE. ABOUT. BOOKS. You can thank me in a year when you’re planning to visit your soul mate who lived across the world. Also, your friends can help spread publicity about your new account and thus get more people to follow you/ befriend you! It’s a really happy and helpful cycle.
5. Abide by the policies.
This last one is more for awareness than a tip. Simple things like being polite to authors and not bashing other readers seems self-explanatory but I sometimes wonder if it’s not (due to some of the arguments I’ve witnessed…yikes). The author cannot control most of what goes on in the publishing realm, so you should NEVER affront them for something out of their reach. Publishing houses and those who work for them are very busy people. They all have jobs, and sometimes these jobs get in the way of responding to an email on time. You have to be courteous and patient. One last thing, remember that not everyone will share the same options as you do (on any site…bookstagram, booktube, bookblr etc) but you must remain professional about that because 1) publishers can see your petty arguments 2) it’s rude to the author and 3) everyone is entitled to their own opinions!!
6. Have fun!!!
Hope this could help you! I lost myself at the end a bit *nervous laugh*
