Hi guys! Welcome to another attempt at a discussion post.
This month’s topic is: bookstagram
I think everyone knows how much I love bookstagram. What’s amusing is that it took Christina and Michelle months to convince me to even start using the IG account I had, but eventually they won {like normal} and I used it casually.
Eventually, it became a dedicated bookstagram account and it’s safe to say I’m mildly obsessed with it. I deleted some of the more personal non-book or publishing related photos and opened up a second account for all of my Disneyland photos. I am constantly on the lookout for props and I see everything in terms of how it will look in a photo.
Recently, Instagram started an option for a business account.
I didn’t realize that’s what it was at first, I just noticed that some people had a “contact” button on their profile. If you clicked on it, there was an option to send an email or {if the person had included their phone number} call. Even without really knowing what it was, I debated signing up. Even though I would never include my phone number and my email address is already listed in my profile.
But then I realized…my account is not a business.
I don’t try to rep for people. I’m not taking photos to get free things. I like my photos to be on the minimalist side and if I include a bookmark or bookish swag, it’s because I love it. Not because I’m obligated to include it. Honestly, I’ve stopped reading a lot of captions because the eleventy billion discount code/shout out things have gotten severely overwhelming.
I’m not saying that these things are bad or wrong or whatever, it’s just not for me.
For me, bookstagram is about sharing the books I’m reading, I’ve loved, and I’ve gotten. It’s a way to thank publishers for sending me things and hopefully get something I’m obsessed with into the hands of a reader who maybe hadn’t heard of it before. It’s another avenue for me to get rid of the piles of books in my apartment before I’m a confirmed hoarder {because, let’s face it, I love having giveaways, even if it’s not a “natural” way to get followers.}
I would be lying if I said I didn’t like the idea of having tens of thousands of followers and epic recognition from all of the publishers, but I’ve recently realized that I need to keep my eyes on my own paper. My instagram account isn’t going to take the place of my blog. I like to think it compliments what I’m already doing. If other people like it, that’s an added bonus. And if people don’t, that’s cool too.
It’s so easy to get jealous and greedy in this community and I am definitely guilty of being both at one point or another. It’s taken me some time to stop being envious over results for something I don’t want to participate in. Never in a million years would I have thought taking photos of books would be so much fun or that I would have the amount of followers I do and I’m truly grateful for what I have.
If you’re a follower in some way, thank you thank you thank you.
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What is your opinion of bookstagram and how it has evolved?
This was a really great post that we enjoyed. Our favourite part was when you talked about jealousy and greed and how you realised there’s absolutely no reason to be jealous of something you don’t even truly want. Thanks for writing it, it was interesting and different :)
Thank you!! I’ve had this one drafted for a couple of weeks and I kept changing and adding things. I’m so glad you liked it.
Thanks for reading and commenting!!
I love your Instagram, Stacee! I just recently started Bookstagram and I’m always trying to get better. Sometimes it’s such a frustrating process, because you want it to look a certain way and then it just won’t, you know? Maybe it’s because I’m such a perfectionist. :’)
Thank you!! I definitely know the feeling. I have horrible natural light in and take all of my photos on my apartment balcony. It’s frustrating!! Have fun with bookstagram, it’s a great community!
Thanks for reading and commenting!!
This is an AMAZING post! I just started bookstagramming and I LOVE it so much. I don’t think the true intention of your post was to inspire, but that’s exactly what it did. Your instagram pictures are also gorgeous!
Thank you so much!! I hope you have fun with bookstagram, the community is so amazing!!
Thanks for reading and commenting!!
This is exactly how I feel about Instagram too! I don’t read many of the captions either because I always feel like I’m being sold something and that’s not what I use Instagram for. I like for the books to be the focus and to share little images from our lives. I stopped using it for a bit once because it just felt like one giant ad. It also helped remind me that I can only be who I am on Instagram. I can’t be someone with all the stuff and a million followers. And that’s okay too. Great post! And your Instagram is fantastic!
Thank you!! I definitely struggled with content for a bit, but realized that I need to do what I love and if the following happens, great. If not, that’s fine too. I can understand walking away for a while.
Thanks for reading and commenting!!
I am joining bookstagram recently (started 1st August 2016) and I never thought taking picture of book would be so much fun :D I feel related so much about feeling jealous and greedy in bookstagram community. I though you did not feel like that since you have so much followers, Thank you for sharing your experience :D Now I know I am not the only one :D
Btw, I love your bookstagram account :D It is beautiful :D
Thank you!! It’s always easy to see what you don’t have. I hope you enjoy bookstagram, it’s a great community!!
Thanks for reading and commenting!
You are right! It is easy to see what we don’t have.
Thank you so much :) I am pretty much enjoying bookstagram :)
Your welcome :)
I don’t have a smart phone, so I do all of my personal internet “stuff” on my Kindle Fire tablet (I sit at a laptop all day for work, so it isn’t what I want during free time). Anyway, There is no “regular” IG app for Kindle. *huge frowny face* There is a knock-off app, PadGram, where I can save my ten favorite accounts, and I can view accounts, but I can’t follow, like, or comment. :( :( :( I was all excited when I say an email from Amazon that said a regular IG app was available, but then it turned out it only works on the Fire Phone. Poo. I do go to people’s accounts and enjoy the Bookstagram photos and admire your creativity, but I can’t let any of you know! Here’s hoping Amazon steps up and gets a tablet app that works. :)
Boooooo!!! I’m surprised Amazon doesn’t have one that works.
Thanks for reading and commenting!!
your words present a good argument in favor of Instagram for business. If that’s someone’s intent, then it’s nice to know that up front. I’m always in favor of transparency.
If the extra options are what you’re looking for, then yes, the business feature is good.
Thanks for reading and commenting!
ILY THE MOST, JS!
Great post with lots of insight. I dig your simplicity, but you already knew that. <3 Keep doing you, bb!
IWLYMHFMHFTSTTMFSFMH!
Thank you, PA.
IWFLYMHFTSTTMFS
I loooove bookstagram! IT IS MY LIFE. I have passed the 10K follower mark, but I haven’t really got people asking me to rep stuff. Although I do rep some bookmarks for a friend, which is fun. But yeah! I LOVE all the creativity and just general awesome on bookstagram. Everyone is so creative with their photos and nice?! Plus I feel like it’s a much more positive community over there because were all just there drooling over pretty book photos. SO MUCH FUN. hehe.
It’s definitely more welcoming than other social media platforms and I like seeing all of the creativity. It’s awesome to see everyone’s take on how to feature a book.
Thanks for reading and commenting!!
I love your account! It;s beautiful in the simplicity. :)
I agree with you on many fronts, while at first I was one to want to rep for EVERYONE, I’ve come to realize that it’s no something I really want to do (if that makes sense), and I personally dislike seeing so many material things on my feed. It really bugs me to that no one follows FTC guidelines, too. But I digress.
I’ve found that Instagram has being very commercial and I’m aiming to get my feed back to where I want it, a tool for my blog!
Thank you!! There is only one account that I would want to rep for and she just held an opening for it, but I still couldn’t bring myself to enter. I’m happy to buy the stuff.
It has definitely gotten commercialized and I’m interested to see how that changes things in the future.
Thanks for reading and commenting!!
Gorgeous post Stacee. <3 YOU ARE AWESOME :D And I aaaadore your instagram. And all the bookish and not pictures that you post :D I am so not good at bookstagram. Sigh. I just don't have all those props that everyone else have, lol :) And no real white background, and so little light. Sigh. But I do try a little bit; as in, I take pictures of books the way I want to, haha :D Aaanyway. I adore you. And your pictures are the best :)
Thank you!! Yeah, I don’t have the best lighting either. I take all of my photos on my balcony. My neighbors must think I’m crazy. :D And as long as you’re happy with your photos, who cares what anyone else thinks, right?
Thanks for reading and commenting!!
Same for so many of the things you talked about in this post! I agree that it’s so easy to get lost in the different not-so-great parts of blogging. About a week ago I had to explain to a marketer (multiple times) why I won’t accept money to promote something on my blog, and I remember wishing that he would just understand that’s not what my blog is about. This year, I’ve been having a lot more fun with my blog and stopped caring so much about the numbers game / what other bloggers are doing, and it’s been a great experience ^-^
It is so easy to get caught up in numbers, it’s awesome that you’ve stepped away from it. Having fun is the best way to have a successful blog because it totally shows in the content.
Thanks for reading and commenting!!