Unveiling the Mysteries of Bookstagram
As a debut author, Bookstagram has been a tough nut to crack until I finally realized it isn't about the authors, it's about the readers.
When I released my debut thriller novel, I expected Meta’s social media platform, Instagram, to welcome me into the fold of their book community with open arms. After all, it is the social media platform I’m most comfortable with, engage with the most frequently and use to post most regularly. But on the contrary, Instagram has taken me the longest to figure out when it comes to reaching out to content creators, otherwise known as Bookstagrammers. Again, it’s important to note this is limited to my own personal experience, and I would love to hear from other authors who have had more success with it. But in comparison to TikTok and even Facebook, Instagram has fallen short for me as a way to get word out about my debut novel to people outside my own network.
So when I reached out to Sasha, one of the many Bookstagrammers I’ve loved following, and read her responses to my questions it finally…finally clicked. Bookstagram isn’t about authors, it’s about readers. Duh. I now understand the opportunities Bookstagram presents are less about promotion and more about listening to what readers want, love, crave and hate. Their passion and response to books is the exact reason why we work so hard at our craft, and it’s a gift. I’m so grateful to Sasha, who you can follow on Instagram under the handle toobusyreadin, for giving us a glimpse into how she approaches creating content for the Bookstagram community and the boundaries she believes are necessary to preserve the honest reviews she shares with her followers. Over the past few months, we’ve connected over many shared life experiences outside of books (for my thriller author followers, sadly she isn’t much of a thriller reader.)
As a Jewish woman, during an extremely polarizing political climate, I’ve found much comfort and solace in her content. At times it feels like she gives me a voice. It reminds me again of social media’s duality, and the positive connections it can create amidst the toxicity. Thanks to Sasha, I’m looking forward to approaching Bookstagram differently—simply as a way to interact with other readers and genre lovers and not as a way of self promotion.
1) Do you think authors are a critical part of Bookstagram or should they remain completely separate? Why?
Yes and no. I think it's really cool to be able to interact with authors online, however, I think this also sets a weird precedent for readers that we are entitled to their time and thoughts beyond books. I think with bookstagram, each reader has a different take on what appropriate author engagement looks like so it can be difficult to manage these expectations as a platform.
2) Do you enjoy interacting with authors on Bookstagram? Is this the primary way you hear about new authors or is it from other Bookstagram accounts?
Usually yes! I love tagging an author when I love a book because I want them to know it meant something to me in some way. On the flip side, as both readers and authors, I don't think we value constructive feedback enough. No one is perfect, and author's are certainly not absolved from this but I feel like there's become a real narrative that as readers, we can't or rather shouldn't engage authors if the feedback we have isn't positive. I don't think it's appropriate to trash someone's work just for the sake of trashing it, or even simply because something didn't work for you, but I think this has gone a step beyond and has made readers feel like anything constructive can be misconstrued or is not welcome. There are author's who have been extremely vocal about not wanting to read negative reviews, but I think this has come to mean that anything short of a five star read (something that is completely subjective to each reader) is unwelcome. I could give a book three stars and still recommend it quite frequently, but the stigma around this has made it somewhat tedious to be able to engage in a true and authentic way.
I would say I typically discover new authors through other bookstagrammers. The only authors I really follow are those that I autobuy so I can stay up to date with their upcoming work and releases. I don't think I follow many others because at times the relationship between author and reader can feel polarizing and I want to be able to enjoy books the way I like to rather than how an author may think I should.
3) What is your favorite part of Bookstagram and growing your own following? What is your least favorite part of Bookstagram and putting yourself and your opinion out there for others to judge?
My favorite part about bookstagram is easily being able to connect with and discuss what I'm reading with other people. It's so fun to be able to gush over a book with someone, or even to sit and critically analyze something. Beyond just the connections, bookstagram has really pushed me out of my comfort zone in so many ways. From the genres I read to how I analyze books, I feel that I've been forced to question so many things that would've completely gone over my head prior to joining bookstagram and that has allowed me to not only grow as a reader, but as a human. I love putting my opinions out there because it gives me an opportunity to have different conversations. I love agreeing with someone just as much as I love disagreeing with someone about books. They're so subjective so I love to see how this can vary person to person. When I first started my account, I really cared about my numbers but after over three years, I've realized that I care way more about genuine connections, which is honestly impossible to have with thousands of people. I love meeting new folks and creating new relationships so I really love when someone new follows me and makes an effort to engage with my content.
My least favorite part about bookstagram is often the engagement. It's no secret that Instagram's algorithm can be challenging to navigate and oftentimes it can feel like we're screaming into a void (or to the same ten people). I think a lot of people in this space generally feel defeated by it and it is a constant conversation happening in this space.
4) What is a way you think authors can tap into Bookstagram? What stands out to you and breaks through the noise of the *likely* many authors who reach out to you?
I think authors have a real opportunity to tap into their fandoms through bookstagram. Just like with any niche, it's an opportunity to see what readers are interested in, what they like vs don't like and how the world of books is evolving. As much as seeing your work analyzed and critiqued can be difficult, I think hearing what readers have to say can prove to be invaluable to an author's growth.
In terms of how authors can break through the noise... I think it's important for an author to understand their audience. I personally hate when an author asks me to read and review their novel when it's clearly not a genre I'm interested in. As creators, we work really hard to curate our pages to reflect our interests, often for free, so I think it's important for authors to be mindful of what the creators they're reaching out to are interested in.
[Important Update] After my brief hiatus, I’ve decided moving forward all posts will be released bi-weekly. This not only keeps me excited about new content, but it also allows me to focus on other important aspects of my writing and family life (especially as we approach summer months and my children will not be in preschool). Thank you as always for your support and for helping spread the word about this newsletter!
Great insight!