Two Years In: What I’ve Learned as a Reviewer on Bookstagram

When I set out to start a book-focused account on Instagram two-and-a-half years ago, I hadn’t even heard the term Bookstagram. But when I retired from my busy professional life and rediscovered my love of reading, the idea of a book-focused social media venture took hold and wouldn’t let me go. I wanted to share my passion for all things books with others, so I made my first ever Instagram account, and I haven’t looked back.

I’ve since found a wonderful community of like-minded readers on Bookstagram, the book-focused corner of Instagram where avid readers, writers and reviewers meet to discuss all things literary and exchange bookish content.

If you’re considering a Bookstagram account, a good starting point is to identify your goals. Each of us is different. Maybe you’d like to read a couple of books per month, photograph them, and write a brief caption so that you can remember them. Perhaps you only read classics, or cosy mysteries, and want to design your page that way. That’s the magic: you can make your Bookstagram page your very own.

As a Bookstagram neophyte, I knew that I wanted to read and review each book that I read. I had no idea what I was doing, but I dove right in! It’s been fun but there was a steep learning curve. If, like me, you’d decided to try your hand at reviewing books on Bookstagram, I’ve discovered some tricks and tips along the way.

Starting and Growing Your Account

My first challenge in starting a Bookstagram account was to create an online identity that would define and encapsulate my vision. I soon realised this was more difficult than it sounds. It forces you to think hard about how you can showcase your literary life by choosing a handle and image that is easily identifiable, and using a tagline that captures your vision.

For example, I tossed around several ideas for a good Instagram handle, testing them out on friends and family members. I learned how to design a basic graphic on Canva for my icon, using my moniker, and selecting colours and fonts. It was worth taking time for this because I use it across several platforms like Goodreads, The Storygraph and X. I came up with a tagline, typed a few words about myself and activated my Instagram account. Done!

With zero followers. Hm.

After I got all of my family and close friends to follow me, I had about 10 followers. Double digits!

It turns out that there are lots of ways to grow your followers on IG. I discovered the world of follow trains (where a group of Instgrammers mutually follow each other) and engagement groups (where a group of you commit to liking and commenting on each others’ posts). I flirted with both of these strategies, and you can too, but ultimately I decided against them. They can increase your followers, but generally lead to a decrease in meaningful interaction on your page.

I have found that the best way to grow my followers is through genuine interaction with other Bookstagram accounts. I try to put out great content regularly. I post a review several times a week, with daily stories about my bookish adventures. As a reviewer, I make sure to post about all of the books that I receive in the mail, and highlight them again on their publication day if I have received them in advance. I follow other Bookstagram accounts whose taste in reading overlaps somewhat with mine and I try to scroll through them daily, liking and commenting on their content.

It’s like anything in life: you get back what you give, and this has led to amazing and genuine interactions on Bookstagram. My account may have grown more slowly than many, but I value every follower, and every account that I follow.

As to the number of followers? It does matter, to an extent. It will depend on your goals.

One of my goals is to share my love of books and my reviews with others. To do this, having a dedicated group of followers, and following accounts in turn, is vital. It's genuinely amazing when people read and comment on what you write or pick up a book you’ve suggested. Interacting with authors has been a huge bonus.

I also like to access books before publication so that I can read and share my thoughts in a timely way on my page. You may think you need to have thousands of followers for this type of access. Not so! By the time I had about 500 followers, I was able to join publishers’ influencer programs and request books from publishers that I wanted to read and review, with decent success.

Find Your Book Reviewing Niche

I’m an eclectic reader. I’ll read almost anything, but I’m happy to report that Bookstagram has broadened even my reading horizons. I’ve always been partial to horror and literary fiction, but the world of book reviewing has spurred me to take up genres that I’d left neglected for years, like poetry and graphic novels.

Many Bookstagrammers dedicate their pages to reviewing horror, or romance or even centre their reviews around literary prize winners. Go with what brings you joy! I read and review anything that takes my fancy, from pulp fiction to literary prize-winners, but I’ve discovered that it helps to identify a couple of overarching goals to shape your review page.

These are some areas that are always front of mind for me:

Canadian literature

It’s always satisfying for me to highlight Canadian publishers and authors and the amazing books that they produce. I’ve learned so much about my own country, and championing both new releases and Canadian backlist books has become a constant on my Bookstagram page.

Small Presses

An independent publisher (small press) is a traditional publisher, but one that publishes independently of a large corporate entity, so they’re apt to pursue works that don’t fit with a conventional publishing house.

Self-Published Writers

Some authors forgo a publisher and self-publish. Discovering a hidden hem by a writer who’s flown under the radar is bookish magic.

Genres outside my usual comfort zone

I hadn’t read poetry for years, but I’m loving it for Bookstagram. I find it takes a different skill-set to review poetry. Reviewing outside of my comfort zone is refreshing and keeps me growing as a reviewer. Your focus may be different, but consider what challenges you.

Beware of the Overwhelm (Or, there are SO MANY BOOKS!)

When I started my BG account in January 2022, one of my goals was to get one free book. That’s it. I thought that would be the be all and end all of my book hobby. I would have arrived.

Within the first year, without trying, I had about a dozen books sent from authors and publishers who’d reached out to me and offered books for review. I signed up for a couple of mainstream publishers’ “influencer” programs, then got on lists to request books from some wonderful book publicity firms that send out books for review. Not to mention Netgalley, which is a platform for industry professionals and influencers to request Advanced Reading Copies (ARCs) of books.

Now, I am drowning in books. I love it, but it can be a lot. I commit to reading and reviewing every gifted book that I receive.

Of course, I also read the library books that I’ve put on hold, books from my neighbourhood’s Little Free Libraries, and any books that I’ve bought, so there is a balance to be struck between these books and gifted ones.

It can get entirely overwhelming. I’d recommend learning to be selective when it comes to gifted books. It’s nice to receive free books, but don’t forget that you need to read them all too! After reading myself out of a literary hole created by overenthusiasm, I’m now much better at saying no.

The Art of the Negative Review

There’s nothing more satisfying than posting a glowing review of a book you loved. As a reviewer, though, I sometimes read books that I don’t love and am faced with writing a negative review.

Sometimes I catch myself thinking, Who am I to criticise any author’s work? Especially in a public forum. My answer? We’re the readers! Like any piece of art, an author publishes their best work and then it is open to discussion. The beauty of a book is that it will resonate with different readers in wholly different ways, and that’s what makes sharing our literary views with each other valuable and interesting.

There are different ways to approach the negative book review on Bookstagram. One option is to post only the books you enjoy and forgo the negative review: it’s your page to curate the way that you like. However, if you’re like me and want to post on each book with honest takes, it pays to be thoughtful about criticism.

An honest review is important, even if it is negative. Having a range of reviews gives your followers a more accurate picture of your literary taste, and builds trust. In turn, I appreciate a thoughtful negative review from the reviewers I follow and trust, to guide my own reading

I’m still learning the art of the negative review, but here are some things I consider carefully:

Compare apples to apples

It seems basic, but I’ve found it valuable to rate a book as compared to its peers. A rom-com isn’t the same as a literary fiction prize winner, and it needn't be. It also shouldn’t be held to the same metrics. I’ll give a rave review to a rom-com that punches above its weight in its genre, and pan a prize-winner if it’s not up to that standard.

What did the book do well?

Maybe it's just me, but I do like to find the good in each book. Even if I didn’t like it overall, most every book has some redeeming qualities. I believe most authors have given us their all, so I want to find the best bits and highlight them. I see it as fair play, even if I give a negative review on balance.

Even if the book wasn’t to my taste, did the book accomplish its goals?

If a book doesn’t move me and I’m inclined to review it negatively, I ask myself if the book was true to its goals. Sometimes I just don’t connect with a book’s theme or characters but I realise that I’m not the target audience, or perhaps I was not in the mood for that book at that time. To me, it's perfectly fine to say that the book didn’t resonate with me, then speculate why this might have been so.

And if all else fails…

Usually, if a book is just terrible–genuinely poor writing, incoherent plot, ideas, or values that I object to–I decide not to finish the book and don’t review it. If I do persist, I’ll call it as I see it and write the negative review, but I’ve decided that I need to keep it civil and respectful. This can be hard to do on social media at times, but I’ve given a couple of slightly snarky reviews, and will try not to do it again.

Beyond the Bookstagram Review

Of course, there’s more to the life of a Bookstagrammer than reviewing. I had no idea that I’d have so many opportunities to try new things and meet new bookish friends. I’ve learned that I benefit from not only posting reviews, but also engaging socially on Bookstagram.

I've joined–and even hosted!–buddy reads and readalongs. Buddy reading is an opportunity for two to four people to read a book together and discuss in a DM group as they go. A readalong is similar, with a larger group of participants chatting as they read a book. I was shy at first, but there’s no need to be. This is a fun way to get to know other readers. And then you can all review the book together.

I also enjoy a good Bookstagram challenge. Reading challenges are true motivators, and there’s a challenge for everyone. Reading a short story a day for a year? Reading poetry all month? Reading literature in translation? There are challenges for that!

And for something truly beyond Bookstagram, I decided to start my own book blog. Sometimes a book simply begs for a longer, more in-depth review and the reality of a Bookstagram caption is its 2200 character limit. That hard limit has given me excellent editing skills, but I started my blog so that I could write longer pieces. My blog significantly enhances my Bookstagram reviews and vice versa; they’re highly inter-related and I’d suggest looking into this as you become a more experienced reviewer.

It’s been a great two years with Bookstagram and there’s no looking back! I’ve made friends and discovered new authors. I’ve revisited genres that I’d put aside for years, like poetry and graphic novels. I’m also reading more intentionally because I know I’m going to be writing about the book, which has deepened my appreciation for the text. Reviewing books is an art anyone can develop, and Bookstagram provides a great platform to try it out. Happy reading and reviewing!

Trish Bowering lives in Vancouver, where she is immersed in reading, writing and vegetable gardening. She has an undergraduate degree in Psychology from the University of Victoria, and obtained her M.D. from the University of British Columbia. Now retired from her medical practice, she focuses on her love of all things literary. She blogs at TrishTalksBooks.com and reviews on Instagram @trishtalksbooks.