The Top 5 Reasons Why #Bookstagram Makes Instagram a Better Place by Kristin Rockaway

2. The community is incredibly supportive.

As an author, there’s no better feeling than being tagged in a beautifully styled photo of my book, especially if it’s accompanied by a kind review. But it’s also really lovely to see the support bookstagrammers give to other authors, as well as to each other. Encouraging a love of individual stories – and of books, in general – helps to strengthen the entire literary community, from readers to writers to publishers to libraries to indie bookstores.

3. What you see is what you get.

Technically speaking, bookstagrammers are Instagram influencers – but that doesn’t mean they’re posting fabricated sponcon. Sure, publishers will sometimes send them free books, but bookstagrammers aren’t obligated to write glowing reviews. In fact, I’ve found most #bookstagram reviews to be fair, unbiased, and extremely thoughtful. They’re never trying to sell me something I don’t need; they’re simply talking about books and sharing their love of the written word. What’s not to love about that?

4. My TBR pile has grown exponentially.

Admittedly, I don’t need much help adding books to my reading list. Still, #bookstagram has managed to broaden my literary horizons. Bookstagrammers read widely, and feature books from genres I’m not always paying close attention to. Plus, they don’t limit themselves to featuring the most buzzworthy books out there; they also champion indie authors, secondhand finds, and backlist books that aren’t getting a lot of current media coverage.

5. They’re not just “doing it for the ‘gram.”

I’ve had the pleasure of meeting so many bookstagrammers in person, and let me tell you: these are real people with a real fondness for books. Even if Instagram disappeared tomorrow, they’d still be reading stories, sharing opinions, and fostering a love of literacy. They’re not doing this simply for likes and follows. They’re doing it because they’re bookworms – just like me.

All that time I’ve spent on Instagram hasn’t been a complete waste, though, because it helped to inspire my next book. In She’s Faking It, Bree regularly escapes from her daily routine by scrolling through Instagram, losing herself in the carefully curated feeds of models, celebrities, and influencers. As a delivery girl drowning in debt and living in an illegal dump of an apartment, the glamorous life seems totally out-of-reach for her – until she crosses paths with Demi DiPalma, a self-help guru whose empire is described as “GOOP meets The Secret for the Instagram generation.” Suddenly, Bree views her Instagram account as more than just an easy way to procrastinate as she attempts to fake her way to beauty influencer stardom. But her plan backfires in a major way when she sparks up a romance with the famous surfer-next-door, and she quickly realizes you can’t put a filter on reality.

In my opinion, Bree would’ve been much happier if she’d just started a #bookstagram account.