Surabhi

How and when did you come up with the idea of being a bookstagrammer? Tell us about your amazing journey as a Book Influencer.

The bookstagram happened to me very unexpectedly. I didn’t know something like bookstagrammer existed. In November last year, due to certain reasons I was feeling a little anxious and stressed. Those days I was reading a lot and I decided to post a picture, I took one of the books, on Instagram and I just did that. The welcome I received from the community on that post was overwhelming and through those comments, I realized that a community like this exists and I felt enthralled to be a part of it.

What are the top social media platforms available in India and the USA for book promotions?

I personally feel there are very few social media platforms for book promotions. Some of them that are available both in India and USA are Goodreads, WordPress, Pinterest, Scribd, Instagram, and BookLikes.

Your feed looks aesthetic!  What are the difficulties faced while shooting such artistic portraits?

Thank you. For me, this is the toughest part of maintaining a bookstagram account. After posting my first picture, I did my research. I looked into what kind of theme I wanted for my feed, what props I needed etc. I knew for sure that I wanted a white background for my pictures and the rest I kept adding and removing till I got the results I was looking for. I don’t use anything fancy in my pictures, though. I decide very carefully how I want my pictures to look like. I still feel doubtful about how my pictures turn out and want to keep exploring new themes for my feed. I’m taking inspiration from all the book accounts out there and maybe soon I’ll be going for a new theme. 

What are the common mistakes made by first-time authors while promoting the book on social media?

I have reviewed the works of a lot of first-time authors on my page. The one thing that I feel they don’t take into account is how less they want to pay a bookstagrammer. Most of the time, many of them don’t consider the efforts a book reviewer takes into promoting their work, from clicking the best pictures to writing an honest piece for their work. They pay minimally and expect premium results, which lands them nowhere. Though I’ve met some great and supportive new authors, the bad experiences still keep haunting me whenever I get a new assignment. If they invest in a good book reviewer and trust them, these horrible experiences can be reduced for both of them.

You are doing a pretty good job in your niche. What are the top 3 things you consider while reviewing a book?

Thank you. I’ve got a long way to go before I can say so for myself. The 3 things I stick by while reviewing a book are honestly about my views on the book, then grammar(social media is very cruel to you if you get this wrong) and then, a personal touch to bind the whole review together. I never sugar-coat my opinions on a book but also never insult the work of an author even when I don’t like it. 

What are the 5 most effective ways to promote books on social media?

First thing is to take good pictures.  Nothing fancy but it should be neat. 

Then, updating your audience on your thoughts while reading the book goes a long way in keeping them interested in a book you are reading.

Interaction with authors if possible also helps in promoting a book on social media.

Writing a good review with final thoughts and sometimes gifting your favorite books to your fellow bookstagrammers help in bringing the book to your audiences’ radar.

What are the things an author should be cautious about before finalizing a social media handle (page) for promoting their book?

We all know that authors give their all to the books they write, so they should be very cautious when it comes to promoting a book online. It can make or break their hard-work. First thing is to prevent themselves from falling into traps of fake accounts and fraud reviewers. As I said before, doing thorough research for the bookstagrammer is the key. When you find the one that matches your compatibility, your work in promoting your book will be a piece of cake from that moment. Most bookstagrammers need not be told twice when doing a review job. They put their heart and soul into a book review and always deliver good results. 

Also, please don’t buy good reviews for your books. It will be a disaster in the long-run.

What impact does bookstagram have on your life? Are there any negative sides to it?

Bookstagram helped me and even changed me for good in a lot of ways. It has given me some great friends with whom I can discuss books to great lengths which was something I was lacking in my real life. Then, it also introduced me to lots of books that I would never have known if not for the bookstagram community. I started reading more after joining bookstagram.

But, yes it also has negative sides. The amount of effort and time you have to give for engagements here is much more than any other community on Instagram, I guess. Also, it is so difficult to attract an audience here. You can put all your heart into a post and it’ll still go unnoticed due to all the algorithm technicalities of Instagram. So all in all, if you don’t organize your thoughts and time well, you are most likely to feel drained all the time while running a bookstagram account. 

What is the Vision & Mission of your social media handle? Tell us a bit about, the Kind of books you promote, your biggest strength as a book influencer, popular authors promoted so far, years of experience, any testimonials, etc.

I never started my account with any big goals or vision. I just wanted to share my reading journey with like-minded people, keep a record of the books I read and a record of my thoughts on them. It started as a hobby and after too much pondering I’ve decided to keep it like one till I get the time to convert it into my full-time profession. 

I’m a lover of historical fiction, magical realism, mental-health, and contemporary fiction. I also like to read political histories/satires, anthropology books, world histories and much more.

I like to promote books that aware us as a human, inform us about our roots and stir our deepest emotions so that we can try to be a better person every day and understand the gravity of the steps we take. In this dynamic world, I want to read and talk about the books that help us connect with our true selves and share our insecurities with each-other so we can all be in a safe-place at least in our hearts and minds.

I feel my biggest strength as a book influencer is my honesty in the words I put forward and the way I always read a book with lots of emotions. I write without holding myself back and that connects me with my audience, even if we don’t share a common opinion. 

I’ve written reviews for the works of Jahnavi Barua, Nguyễn Phan Quế Mai and Sairish Hussain. I felt overwhelmed while reviewing their books as they are on Instagram and they interact with their audience with utmost sincerity. That makes this platform more fun and worthwhile.

At Sharing Stories, we have an ongoing campaign ‘Let’s Empower Our Kids’. Please suggest some books here that you would want your child to read before the age of 15 which could help him in understanding certain dimensions of human life like empathy, sympathy, relationships, etc.

1. The Mountains Sing, by Nguyễn Phan Quế Mai

2. I am Malala, by Malala Yousafzai

3. The Namesake by Jhumpa Lahri

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