Anjali and Gayathri

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

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. 

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

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. 

At what stage of my book publishing journey should I consider social media promotions? Pre publishing or post and How?

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. 

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

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. 

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

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. 

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

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. 

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

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. 

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

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 

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

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. 

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.

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. 

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.

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