For those who love to read, write and take pictures — bookstagram is for you! So, what is bookstagram? There’s no definite definition of the term, but it’s commonly known as a community within Instagram that is generated toward book lovers. Those on bookstagram typically have an account with aesthetically composed photos of books and frequently post all things bookish such as hauls, reviews and recommendations. It’s a wonderful community where everyone can share their mutual love for reading with each other. I’ve been on bookstagram for almost a year now, and I’ve picked up on a lot of helpful pointers along the way. So, if you’re thinking of making one, here are four tips on starting a bookstagram:
- choose a bookish handle
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First things first, you need to create a new Instagram account and choose a bookish handle. Some of the most common words that bookstagram accounts include are library, books, reads, literature and bookshelf. If you want your account to lean towards a certain genre, you might want to include words such as romance, fantasy, fiction, historical and so on. Try mixing and matching some of these words, adding your name or include other words into it. Get really creative until you come up with something you like!
- develop an aesthetic
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Once your account is ready to go, it’s time to start posting! I believe that one of the best parts about bookstagram is how different everyone’s accounts are. There’s no specific style that you have to follow which is why the options are endless. My account is more of a casual bookstagram theme so I like to look on Pinterest for inspiration. Next are the filters. The best app to use for filters is Adobe Lightroom. You can create your own filters to make it the exact tone you like. It can be a struggle to find your own aesthetic at first, but the key is to just experiment until you find your groove.
- use hashtags
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Hashtags are essential to use to grow your account. This way you can be discovered by more accounts just like yours. Instagram allows for 30 hashtags per post so I recommend utilizing this to the max. I recommend using a mixture of basic hashtags and more specific hashtags so that your posts don’t get lost with a bunch of other photos.
- Interact with others
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Interacting with others in the community is the best way to grow followers. Find accounts that are similar to yours and take the time to read their captions, make meaningful comments and like their posts. This engagement can lead to some great connections which are how I discovered so many good friends via bookstagram.
If you decide to start a bookstagram, try to implement these tips! Bookstagram is perfect for discovering new reads to add to your TBR while also keeping up to date with new releases in the book community. It’s such a positive community that allows people to be creative while also sharing a love for books. The most important thing is to have fun with it!