We wanted a platform to share our love for books and our reviews. That’s when we came across a few bookstagram accounts in 2018 and became inspired to start one for ourselves.
In India, the top social media platforms for book promotions are Instagram and Twitter. I think TikTok is an upcoming platform in addition to IG and Twitter in the USA.
The best stage to consider social media promotion is in the weeks leading up to publication and for the week after. It is essential to promote the book before publishing to drum up some hype for the book which will, in turn, boost preorders and sales immediately after publication.
Finding a good aesthetic does not happen immediately. It took almost a year to find out what works for us and what doesn’t. There was a lot of trial and error. Other difficulties during the shoot are finding good lighting since we mostly use natural lighting, setting up flatlays and editing. Sometimes out of a 100 pictures clicked we find just 3-4 pictures that are good enough to post. There’s also editing which can take a lot of time initially but once you have a preset finalised it can get easier. Finding the creative energy to come up with new flatlay ideas week after week can also be draining at times.
We are not experts but we think the commonest mistakes involve the ways in which authors approach bloggers or bookstagrammers for promoting their books. It would be a good practice to go through the review policies of the blogger/influencer you would like to approach and mail them with details of your book. To be polite and also to not expect only 5 star reviews.
The foremost things we consider while reviewing are the characters and plot. The writing, the world-building, etc. would be additional considerations. Character driven books are our favourite.
Book Reviews are a great way to promote books before publishing and immediately after. Most readers would appreciate getting early reviews before preordering books. Instagram reels, giveaways, author interviews, etc are also really helpful. Another great way to promote books would be by having it included in book clubs hosted by bloggers or bookstagrammers.
I think authors and publishing houses should focus on engagement and quality of content posted rather than follower count when finalising a social media handle for book promotions. A smaller account with great engagement and good quality content can go further in driving up interest in your book than a huge account with low engagement
Bookstagram had led me to read more and also spend far more on books than I used to do. It’s mostly been a good influence. Introduced me to lit of fellow readers who have become dear friends now as well as brought us in contact with some amazing authors and books we would otherwise not have known. The negative side is when we start focusing too much on the numbers like followers, likes etc. It can also be draining sometimes to come up with quality content day after day.
Our only mission is to spread our love for books and get more people to read. There are so many incredible books out there that somehow does not get the hype they deserve. So we make it a priority to highlight such books on our social media handles. Our biggest strength is our ability to convince our followers to read the books we loved. We live recommending books and somehow they all mostly seem to work.
Some amazing books for children we loved are :
Journey to the river sea by Eva Ibbotson
Raybearer Duology by Jordan Ifueko
Aru Shah and the end of Time by Roshani Chokshi
Anne of Green Gables by L M Montgomery
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