The Cardinal Rules of Bookstagramming

The beginnings of @the.bibliophiles.guild

On a frustratingly boring night, when I was preoccupied with studying for my finals which was lamentably scheduled in the first week of the New Year back in 2017, my restless fingers kept wandering off to my phone which I placed next to me (bad idea guys…) and almost on a whim, I set up a new Instagram account dedicated to my love of bookish things. I had only discovered the community a while ago and had been following some amazing bookstagram accounts from my personal Instagram page. I was simply enchanted by their creativity in capturing beautiful bookish images; flat lays, book towers, books in enchanted forests, levitating books, clean crisp minimal shots… you name it! Before long, I was already considering setting up my own account to post similar pictures because heyyyy… I already have books in abundance! Thus, @the.bibliophiles.guild was BORN!

I had so much fun the first month, experimenting and figuring out my style, scavenging for things around the house to be used as props, arranging and rearranging books and figuring out camera angles. I read some useful blogs by big bookstagrammers to get an idea of how to get on with this impressive new community. Everyone in the community I had met that far had been so sweet and supportive which was and still is the best thing about this community. You’ll discover that very soon if you’re new.

Downhill from there

To cross the first 100 followers mark has to be one of the most difficult and frustrating things I’ve ever done! The annoying “follow and unfollow” trend wasn’t helping either. I was a small account starting out yet I just wanted to be with the big league. “So soon?” you ask? Yeap… I was motivated to get to the 1000s and the 10 000s league in a jiffy and that was my sole motivation. I soon leant that it was the wrong reason to be doing this. The steam in my engine soon wore off. The joy I had in the first couple of months of bookstagramming began to wear off and before I knew it, I went on a loooongggg loooongggg hiatus.

Within that time of going on a hiatus, I began to rethink my motives. I was quite frustrated at how bad the follower count was. There was even a time when I crossed a mark in follower count only to discover that I had lost more followers than the numbers I gained the very next day. I was a horrid feeling! I pondered upon what went wrong and dissected my own photos and scrutinised each one. After learning some new tricks, reassessing my motives and with a new determination, I returned…

Cardinal Rules of Bookstagramming: YAYs and NAYs

Because do’s and don’ts are overrated. Let’s get to it!

I learnt some stuff the hard way including rethinking why I started this whole account. It hasn’t been easy and it perhaps never will be, especially crossing the gorge of follower counts but there are so many things that make being a part of this community worthwhile. Here are some of the things I’ve learnt:

NAY

Focus on Follower Count

Oh, I could tell you stories! This was my biggest downfall and it would have almost caused my account to shut down. When I first started out, like I mentioned earlier, gaining new followers was the most difficult thing and unfortunately, my primary focus! I remember how I felt when I crossed the first 100 follower count threshold; like finishing a never-ending marathon! I was stuck in the last few digits for more than a month before crossing that mark. I thought that it would only get easier from there but NOPE! Every milestone was more and more difficult. It’s embarrassing to admit but YES, I was THAT person. We’ve all been there, with or without realising. Only later did I stop obsessing over my follower count and this piece of wisdom came to me while I was away from bookstagram.

Think of it this way, would you rather have 10 000 followers; 90% of which won’t bother liking your photos and are pretty much non-functional accounts or 1 000 followers; 70% of which responds to your posts and stories in an encouraging way?

In the end, it really does matter to rethink why we doing this; for the numbers or to share our love for books and all things geeky with a group of people who really care?

Follow for Follow?

Just NO. Please.

You see, there is a difference in returning someone’s follow and straight up hounding someone to follow you back. Many accounts out there would automatically consider following you if:

A) You put out great content and photos

B) You are relatable and friendly and are MOST DEFINITELY NOT a bot

C) Your Insta feed sparks joy. (Ehehehe… Get it? Get it? No…?)

D) You give them a follow or show some love on their feed.

But nobody is under ANY OBLIGATION to follow you back just because you followed them. Of course, it would be nice if they could return the favour but here’s the rule I live by; you like it, you follow. It’s as simple as that. Instagram is undeniably a competitive platform. YES, it’s a struggle to get people to follow you but don’t follow someone with that ‘FOLLOW FOR FOLLOW’ mind-set. This is only going to set you up for frustration and you may even end up losing interest altogether.

I was once approached by a bookstagram account whose feed I went on and just gave some love because I am a “like” fairy and it is one of the most encouraging thing you can do for a bookstagram account or any account for that matter. After thanking me for the likes in my DM, this person went on and point blank asked me if I would go and give them a follow or give them a shout out because they “wanted to grow as an account”. I didn’t know how to respond to that; especially considering I didn’t know this person and they didn’t even bother getting to know me nor did they do anything in return to give me the vaguest glimpse that this person is interested in making actual friends. Thankfully, I’ve not met another one like it.

Guys, we are ALL here to grow and expand as an account but that tactic is not going to work because the first impression you are giving is that you ONLY CARE about hiking up your follower count and nothing else.

They even pressed on to ask me why I didn’t oblige. Whoaaa… Yeahhhh… No.

If at all you are seeking exposure, there are MANY accounts who do SHOUT OUT FOR SHOUT OUT (SFS). Of course, there has to be some give and take. Accounts that follow you will see the ones you shout out or feature in your stories and the hosting accounts will return the favour. The focus here is not to be selfish and to grow TOGETHER. This is an excellent way to put your account out there for potential new followers.

Never EVER follow and then unfollow. It's is a horrible technique and contrary to popular belief, people can remember if you followed them previously and unfollowed them only to follow them again after a while.

Post for the Sake of it!

People can see your love for bookstagram through your photos and captions. Don’t put up a random image that you’ve barely given a thought about to fulfill your daily post quota. We can all hit a creative block sometimes and trust me when I say that it happens to the best of us; including major accounts.

There are many ways to come out of it. I have grown to learn that Instagram is a place of discovery. This is why you should follow accounts that truly inspire you. It doesn’t only have to be limited in terms of great photos. Some accounts do a fabulous job of connecting with people, sharing their woes, worries and joy in such a transparent way. In days where you feel down, it helps to see that you are not alone.

Take photos consciously. I find that it helps when you are inspired or excited by something like a book you’ve just read or borrowed, a prop you just got or even something that reflects on what’s been happening in your daily life.

You don’t have to buy something new every week to keep things exciting on your feed. When you are stuck or running dry on inspiration, explore new accounts or check out accounts you already follow. There is no harm in replicating or applying ideas in your own posts inspired by other accounts or their aesthetics but remember that there is a fine line between ‘inspired by’ and plagiarism. Be honest and give them credit if they were the inspiration behind your photo. There is no shame in that. In fact, it makes one happy to find that their photo was well received and inspiring even, encouraging them to keep putting out great work. I also turn to Pinterest mood boards to help me think of new ideas.

The Phantom of the Bookstagram

The PHHHHHAANNNN- TOM of the bookstagram is HEEEREEEEEE…

Sorry, I just had to sprinkle a pinch of my POTO obsession here (as if it’s not enough on my Insta feed).

Nobody wants to follow a faceless, generic account. I don’t mean to say that if you choose to keep your face out of your bookstagram account, you’re not going to be well received. NO.

What I mean is nobody wants to follow an account that posts up random pictures with a vague caption. Believe me, I was a “Phantom of the Bookstagram” once. It’s completely fine to not put your face there for as long as you find a way to connect with fellow book worms; be it through the books you read or by sharing your excitement about the latest book or movie release. It can even be about you sharing about your day. Don’t just post and disappear or post and creep in the shadows, silently scrolling through your feed. That ain’t going to help your growth.

I view my account as a personal diary, a mini blog, a photo gallery and chatroom all rolled into one.

If you are uncomfortable posting about your personal life, then, it’s completely fine not to. Your bookstagram, your rules. Feel free to connect with other accounts in their comments and reply or ask them their thoughts or opinion on something under their post comments or DMs. I’ve yet to meet a bookstagrammer who ate people for breakfast. The bookaholics are a friendly and peaceful clan and are always up for some fangirling.

YAY

Make New Friends

The most difficult thing to overcome for me was getting over my introversion and putting myself out there. I’ve always struggled to make friends in real life but it is definitely easier to do when I don’t actually have to meet complete strangers face to face. It cuts down on that anxiety-inducing risk factor. Bookstagram makes it easier considering that people you meet in this community already share a common interest with you; BOOKS and all that are vaguely related to it.

It took me about a year to fully overcome my apprehension of chatting up fellow booknerds and being the one to make the first move in doing so. Three years later, here I am, shamelessly obsessing/ ranting to bookstagrammers I’ve just met about BBC Merlin, Narnia, Phantom of the Opera, Marvel and Stranger Things among many others.

Shout out to @merlin_feels , @the.little.bookling , @iron_fangirl , @elysian_booksish , @foalsfictionandfiligree & many others for putting up with me and my random fangirl spurts and rants. Special thank you and hugs to @amelia_booklove & @iron_fangirl for always checking up on me and for keeping my family & me in your prayers when things got really tough earlier this year when my dad met a horrible accident though you guys barely knew me. Forever grateful! <3

ENGAGE!

Here’s an advice you may have heard before; increase ENGAGEMENT. Just how exactly? We are all aware of how horrid the algorithm on Instagram is. Go out there and show some love to other bookstagrammers. Use your hashtags to discover new ones. Like posts, comment on them, respond to IG stories and answer IG polls, ask your followers a question or even play simple games. Do it and enjoy doing it because once you do it as a mere obligation, it won’t be as fun anymore. PLUS, you get to subconsciously collect ideas, the know-hows and prompts to use in your own posts while exchanging opinions and boosting up engagement! BINGO!

Develop YOUR Style

This one is a bit tough especially if you are starting out. Not all accounts that start out will have an appealing aesthetic or a strong style of photography. I myself struggled when I started out. You can scroll all the way down on my bookstagram account or just see some cringey samples of some of my earliest photos that I’ve attached here for your viewing pleasure (*winces*). Sometimes I wonder how on earth I found that appealing but, we all evolve and change. At that point of time, I really liked how vibrant, bright and in-your-face my photos were while now, I like pictures that allows you to feel the atmosphere.

How my photos looked like in my 1st year of bookstagramming

The more we are exposed to an element, the more we learn inductively. The more I was around great aesthetic photos, the more I developed my personal style.

Likewise, look at some great accounts. You may like the way some look more than others. Note how they feature books and other items. Think about the space that is the most comfortable for you to take pictures in; it can be your room, your kitchen, your yard, your floor… just somewhere you can consistently do it. It helps if you stick to one or several primary location because it helps in establishing your aesthetic and style while providing you with a reliable background/workspace without tiring you out. If you wish to shake things up a bit like go outdoors or take some photos while you are on vacation or a stroll, go right ahead!

Filters and presets are great ways to keep your content appear curated while maintaining your visual style.

Most importantly, when you are taking pictures, be very aware of what's in the frame and what can be seen in the background. Dirty laundry in the background doesn't exactly scream professional or aesthetic appeal.

Improve & Evolve

And that brings me to my next point. After a while, you may want to see a change in your photo style or simply try a different approach or change up your aesthetic a bit to fit with the season. It 101% fine if you go ahead and do that. I was quite hesitant myself when I thought of changing my style (that bright, in-your-face, over-exposed photo? Yeshhh) because it was the style I first established and people who had been following me may have been used to it and that leaves the question of how they’d react to a change in style.

Experiment a little before you change your aesthetic. Try different filter combinations or a new preset or even a completely different style of photo. If you end up liking them yourself, your followers will love them.

I wouldn’t have believed it if someone were to tell me in 2017 that I’d not only be doing photo manipulations but I’ll be showing my face and my entire being in my pictures someday. I am the type that rarely posts selfies and I have considered myself completely unphotogenic since I was in school.

I hate it when people take pictures of me especially when I’m completely unaware because usually I don’t exactly like the way I look in them.

Through bookstagram and this account, I’ve been slowly conquering that. I still may not like how I look in others’ photos of me but I’m growing more and more comfortable to be in front of the camera although my mum thinks I’ve gone bonkers because I often take crazy pictures staring at nothing while holding up air. My parents sometimes just stare at me with concern especially if I dress up and do weird poses in the living room.

“It’s for the love of bookstagram, mum!”

Take Hiatuses

“Wait… Is this right? Shouldn’t this be in the NAY section?”

Nope, you read it right. It’s in the YAY section. Here’s why. We all have our own personal lives and things can easily go from 0 to 100 REEAALLLLLY fast. Amid all this, keeping an active bookstagram account with fresh content can go from fun to burdensome.

If you have to take a break, then do just that. It’s completely okay. Come back in a week or two, several months even! Take a break for as long as you like. Sometimes it helps to think things over and like me, you may even learn more about bookstagram while you’re not actually in it.

You can still drop by and skulk around to see what the others have been up to. You are more than welcome to still chat with your bookish friends even if you’re not active! No obligations.

Remember: Bookstagram is your creative outlet. Don’t let it stress you out instead.

Stock Up Photos

Often, hiatuses happen because of our lack of time in our already tight schedule to take bookstagram photos. That was something I struggled with for the first two years of bookstagramming too!

I was a university student when I started and I had considerably limited time to do daily photo shoots with all the crazy due dates and projects piling up. I remember taking two hiatuses in 2017 alone and once I started working in 2018, it didn’t get any better. Like I said earlier, my photos were taken on a day to day basis or at most, I’d do 2 to 3 different shots in a day. It still wasn’t sufficient to last me while I was trying to keep myself from drowning in the sea of reality in my personal life.

I left on a hiatus while the momentum on my account was great and that may have costed me a little.

Nevertheless, I came back with a new game plan and once I had sorted out on how to cope with my work schedule and all the extra work that comes home as part and parcel of being a teacher, I dove back into bookstagramming.

I made sure to take several angles of a set up (whereas previously, I focused strictly on flat lays) and stocked up on some different photos with different sets of books and props in one sitting to be used on days where I may not have the time dedicate to taking new pictures. It worked brilliantly!

I’m glad to say that despite the chaos and whirlwind that 2019 threw me in especially in the 1st half of the year, I managed to stay hiatus free so far!

I’ve certainly made a great company of friends too!

Consistency

Here’s the key to it all: CONSISTENCY.

The best way to do this is to give your followers an idea of what to expect. It could start as simple as fixing a posting time and frequency. Some accounts may be comfortable posting multiple photos per day (2-3) whereas others may prefer sticking to posting once a day.

It will be very helpful for you as well if you figure out a posting time that is suited to your schedule and is the most optimum for your followers to see and to respond to.

That way, they know when to expect your latest content and it’ll keep you in check as well and make it easier for you to assimilate bookstagram into your daily routine in a stress-free way.

Previously, I used to post anywhere between 12 am to 2 am (Malaysian time) because that’s when most of my followers were active but it took a toll on my sleeping schedule and working life; making consistent posting an obstacle. So, now I make sure I post by 12 or latest by 12.30 am so that I don’t wake up like a zombie in the morning.

So, there you have it! Hope this’ll help you grow and approach bookstagramming from a fresh new perspective!

Feel free to share this article and tag me if you do!

I’d love to hear your thoughts!

Love,

Anita Kumaran