Have you ever thought about creating your own Bookstagram? If you have but you’re not part of the community yet, what are you waiting for? Social media is bigger than ever right now and that doesn’t just include selfies and TikTok dances anymore. No matter what your preferred social media app is, there’s a bookish community there just waiting to welcome you.

How I Got Started

While I’ve always been a reader, my personal Instagram was a page of little pictures that perfectly captured my life, including what I was reading at the time. You know how it is, when you just want to scream from the rooftops how much you loved a book and want everyone to know all about it. And what can I say, I’ve always loved a good aesthetic! Back then, I would have friends come up to me when I was out socializing with friends and tell me they loved the book I recommended and ask me for more recommendations. It wasn’t too long before a friend showed me other Bookstagrammers and I decided to give it a try. I’ve been a Bookstagrammer since January 2017 and it has been an amazing experience so far.

A lot has changed in the Bookstagram world from 2017 to now, but if anything, these changes have been mostly for the better and have created the perfect time to join the community! Now, people are building their own aesthetics and doing what they want with the platform and there are so many amazing resources to make your page a true representation of who you are as a reader.

While Instagram is known for its photos, people create amazing content in Canva and Photoshop, take cozy pictures of their books and e-readers, and show their life as a reader. Compared to 2017, I believe people thought it used to be all about taking the most beautiful picture to gain attraction and now, people take more pictures of e-readers and other media that they enjoy within the bookish world. While Bookstagram may be just a part of the Instagram world, there’s a space ready to welcome you no matter what you love to read. Photos have evolved from single books to stacks, to flat lays of a bunch of books that you love to read, a post about your ever-growing TBR, and so many other trends!

Getting Started on Bookstagram in 2024

If you want to give Bookstagram a try, here are some tips I have that can help you make this the best experience for you!

1. Post what you want. You don’t have to always post the newest and most popular book. Post a picture of what you enjoy and what you love to read. You’ll find your people and they will find you.

2. Don’t compare yourself to others. Again, post what you want. Don’t compare followers and likes and the things that don’t matter. Do what makes you happy with your page and this platform. Putting too much pressure on yourself can result in you not enjoying the platform as much and even deter you from reading.

3. Be consistent. Whether you want to post once a week or once a day. Be consistent and try to include 4-8 hashtags with your post that are specific as possible. I usually recommend the genre of what you’re posting and the author.

4. Make it personal. Include a profile picture of yourself you love and put some info in that bio that will attract your ideal audience!

5. Connect with others. Find accounts you like and comment, send them a DM, follow new authors and new friends! The best thing about social media is you can befriend so many people with similar tastes as you and even authors that you may not usually get to meet.

6. Use your discover page. If you feel a little lost at first, just start posting and see what happens. Don’t get discouraged if you don’t get a ton of engagement for a little while. The discover page on Instagram (the magnifying glass) is an amazing tool that can help you reach different accounts that you may have similar interests in based on your likes and the accounts you follow.

Still looking for more? When it comes to building an aesthetic, bringing great things to the Bookstagram community, and engagement with others, here are some of my favorite accounts that I think are perfect examples of how you can personalize your Bookstagram to showcase exactly who you are!

@shellysbookcorner
@booksovrbros
@holreadsmm
@scaredstraightreads
@novelgossip
@cindyheartsbooks
@fashionably.late.books
@wherethereadergrows
@jessicamap
@thegirlwiththebookonthecouch
@marishareadsalot

There are so many others that you can find based on the genres you read and the authors you enjoy! So, what are you waiting for? Get your apps together and hopefully we’ll see you on there soon! If you ever need more tips or want to make a new Book Buddy, find me at @gareindeedreads