I started my bookstagram page at the end of September 2020. In under half a year, I have amassed 3,400 plus followers, held conversations with some of my favorite authors, and made many bookish friends. There are many bookstagram “secrets” only accessible to those engaging with other accounts, consuming a lot of content, and running an actual bookstagram account. Thus, I have gathered my most useful tips and tricks on how to operate and brand a successful bookstagram account.
Reviews
A Marketing Tool for Indie Publishers and Authors Alike
By Hannah Boettcher
Goodreads allows users to keep track of books they’ve read, books they want to read, and the reading journeys of other registered users. While Goodreads is a wonderful resource for readers, it also houses a very lucrative market for indie publishers and authors. Through the Goodreads author program, Q&A groups, word of mouth, and the Goodreads recommendation engine, indie publishers and authors are able to establish a presence among the bigger five guns in the publishing world.
Writing Review Requests
By Elise Hitchings
Reviews are an important part of marketing a book, but how do you get those reviews?
Why the Publishing Industry is Thriving (Not Dying)
By Kristen Ludwigsen @kludlitup
When I told friends and family that I would be pursuing a graduate degree in book publishing, I was met with varied reactions. Some people thought it sounded wonderful—the perfect niche degree for a bookworm like myself. Many others were surprised and pessimistic: “Isn’t that a dying industry?” I admit it made me question my choice at times. Was I really about to go thousands of dollars into debt to hopefully get a career in an industry that would soon cease to exist?
The Generosity of Time: Editing at Small Presses
By Kristen Ludwigsen @kludlitup
At Ooligan, we only publish three books a year. Every manuscript we acquire is treated with extra special love and care, and receives developmental edits, line edits, and several rounds of copyedits.
Creating Contact Lists for The Ocean in My Ears
By Erin Bass
Contact lists are painstakingly cultivated and relentlessly revised until, from the blood, sweat, and tears put into its conception, a list of names, emails, and resources is birthed. This process is exhausting and often seems never-ending for those working on them. Here’s how we made it and what happened after.