This is Tanjim, a full-time HR Professional, a book blogger and you will find me over Instagram as “tanjim1”. I am a big-time coffee lover, and you can totally get the vibe from my Bookstagram account along with my book reviews and recommendations. Aside from reading, I love journaling and listening to music - there’s always a background music going on at home or even at work. I always believe that, amid difficulty we should always try to find small happiness through our passion and that’s what Bookstagram does for me every single day.
How and when did you come up with the idea of being a bookstagrammer? Tell us about your amazing journey as a Book Influencer.
Reading has always been a constant part of my life. Since childhood I have always been a reader and used to write down my thoughts in a journal/Diary.
My bookstagram account will turn one year old in November and almost within a year my follower numbers have crossed 10k which really makes me feel appreciated every single day! I’m so grateful for the day when I opened this account as I came across a lot of wonderful people who share the same thought like myself no matter which book genre we prefer.
I started my handle just to archive my reading journey during pandemic to keep myself motivated. At first, I had no idea there is a place called Bookstagram, for me this was just a space to keep track of my reading, post photos of my books, coffee and interact with people who loves reading.
What are the top social media platforms available in India and the USA for book promotions?
For me, the most effective platform for book promotion is still Instagram. The more someone sees a book in the feed, the more he/she feels tempted to read that one to find out about the hype even if he/she is not a reader.
At what stage of my book publishing journey should I consider social media promotions? Pre publishing or post and How?
Promotion mostly depends on the publishing houses but self-published writers can start with a “Book Teaser” to create hype around the internet and online events in Bookstagram can be helpful as well.
After publishing, appearance in social media for the author is really helpful. By engaging with the readers, appreciating them always work positively along the journey.
Your feed looks aesthetic! What are the difficulties faced while shooting such artistic portraits?
Thank you for the lovely words. I love editing photos, I am still learning though. But I always try to maintain few things, while taking photos I try to focus the books more on the frame than other props and while doing that lighting can play a big role which sometimes can be challenging.
What are the common mistakes made by first-time authors while promoting the book on social media?
Most of the writers open their Instagram profiles after publishing the book. But it’s always beneficial to open the page a few months prior the book release. They can share aesthetic book photos not only his/her own but their own reading journey as well, so that future readers can connect more with them. Having a warm & organized Instagram profile of a writer always works!
You are doing a pretty good job in your niche. What are the 3 top things you consider while reviewing a book?
Not all the books are for everyone no matter how popular that book is. Every reader has their own genre or preference for books. While reviewing a book, I always keep few things in my mind;
– Firstly, mention the genre at the beginning and summarize the story in maximum 3 lines.
– Secondly, I try to focus the general points by mentioning who can “Read the book” because I might not like a specific book, but some other person might love it.
– Finally, by adding my personal opinion along with a warm book cover photo. I love creating content and always love engaging with people.
What are the 5 most effective ways to promote books on social media?
– Connecting with readers
– Distributing ARC Copies by targeting readers from the same genre
– Publishing “Book Teaser” beforehand
– Collaborating with other authors for promotion
– Creating own “hashtag” for the book
What are the things an author should be cautious about before finalizing a social media handle (page) for promoting their book?
Having an aesthetic profile always works to draw attention. Authors can be cautious to not post stiff photos in the profile.
They can approach multiple book influencers instead of approaching to just one.
What impact does bookstagram have on your life? Are there any negative sides to it?
– I can say that, Bookstagram helped me vastly during pandemic to keep myself motivated and helped me in mindfulness. Through reading, I realized we were among those lucky people who had the luxury to read when the whole world was on a standstill and I am truly grateful for that.
– I met few wonderful people over here and now-a-days, this is my comfort place, my own created fictional world. I have been introduced to many books which I loved and every day my “TBR” list is growing which I love!
– While operating a handle, we need to be respectful and kind towards others as we all have our own preferences for books. Negative comments sometimes can be demotivating for new bookstagrammers, this is a community and we should support each other by positivity as at the end of the day, it’s all for the love of reading that we are in this platform.
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.
– When I started my handle (@tanjim1) last year, I mostly wanted to promote “Translated Books” by South Asian and East Asian authors.
– I am a huge fan of Haruki Murakami. His way of articulation for magical realism, storytelling really inspired me to get to know other authors from that part of the world.
– Along with him, Elif Shafk has a huge influence on my reading journey and in my handle, I mostly promote literary fictions, historical fictions, and contemporary fictions.
– Apart from my preferred genre, I try to read at least one newly released book in a month, so that my friends can be updated about what’s new in town!
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.
- Almond by Won-pyung Sohn
- A Friend by Shuntaro Tanikawa
- Once Upon an Eid by S.K. Ali
- It Might Be An Apple by Shinsuke Yoshitake
- Hi, Butterfly! by Taro Gomi
- NO KIMCHI FOR ME!, by Aram Kim
- Wonder by RJ Palacio
