Is starting an Instragram account only for writing worth it?

Splendor

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I cannot convince myself to join twitter or Instagram no matter how hard I try. My spirit isn’t in it. I don’t want to be on various social media sites period but a part of me feels I HAVE to. I am doing a Pinterest story board for my picture book coming out in Feb 2020 & I’ve set up my goodreads profile. I’ve actually noticed several writers solely doing Goodreads. I know in good conscious I won’t check in and post regularly so I’m going to stay true to me. Oh and I am working on a webpage that also has an old blog I imported. I think that’s good enough for me.
 
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Carissa

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I love Instagram! I'd say it's my favorite social media platform. That said, I am a firm believer that you should only spend a lot of time on the platforms you love.

I'd also say that if you are joining IG as a writing account primarily, you'll seriously miss out on an amazing community of readers on there. I am on Instagram first and foremost, as a reader. I post pictures of books, talk about books, post mini reviews, and have met so many amazing and passionate readers that way. We've formed a sci-fi book club, host discussions, and generally have a lot of fun. The "Bookstagram" community is great, and very supportive at promoting books. It's not the place for excessive self promo, as you won't get anywhere with that, but what it IS good for is making friends with readers who might one day love your book. It's highly worth joining in my opinion, but you'll only get out of it what you're willing to put in.

If you do get on there, DM me and I'll add ya! (I'm carissawrites on there)
 

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I have Instagram and recently went into Bookstagram and found out it's now been replaced with . . . . Bookfam? And it's all in German ....???? And as much as I try I can't get the language switched to English. Does anyone else have issues?
 

Kyrin Sturdivant

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I'm told on a discord server for writers having an Instagram account is useful for building a community of writers. How accurate is that? I started a blog in late September this year to give my hand at that kind of writing. See if I can build my name and voice with it, alongside writing projects. I'd rather not start yet another social media account to keep track of yet another website. But...if this can work, I would consider it.
I too have this question. I've seen successful Instagram poetry accounts, which is something I'd like to pursue to become more known as a writer, but I'm unsure how they reached the success they did. Albeit they are talented writers, it just seems harder to build a name for yourself online these days.
 

lizmonster

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I don't understand why anyone would choose to be bombarded with ads on IG when they could microblog on the Fediverse without ever seeing a single ad.
Audience.

Mastodon is a solid social media platform, but when you're promoting, you have to think about eyeballs.
 
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Mevrouw Bee

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I tell myself that 2023 will be the year I take Instagram more seriously but up until now I couldn't. I've been locked up in the house with my sick dad for three years, rarely going out, buying anything, so have had little to take pictures of other than my desk. I was also completely dependent on Wifi for those few times I could escape.

I scroll through and heart stuff but it's all selling selling selling and drives me bonkers after awhile.

Also, at 61, I have a great face for radio.

Hence, Twitter's my social media home.

But we'll see once I'm back in Holland...
 

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I tell myself that 2023 will be the year I take Instagram more seriously but up until now I couldn't.

Despite what I said above, I don't see Instagram as much of a selling/promoting/visibility platform for writers. I find it lovely for images, and if you're inclined to microblog mostly in pictures, it can work well for that.

My kid and her friends - late high school, early college - use Instagram Stories most frequently. These are ephemeral, and usually (for these kids, at least!) involve memes understood mostly by their friend groups.

I am told there's a vibrant book community on TikTok, but it's mostly focused on reviewers, and is most beneficial for YA and romance.

Every social media platform works differently. I don't think any of them are necessary. What you're trying to do with your social media matters most, and not every platform is going to be a fit.
 
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Mevrouw Bee

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Despite what I said above, I don't see Instagram as much of a selling/promoting/visibility platform for writers. I find it lovely for images, and if you're inclined to microblog mostly in pictures, it can work well for that.

My kid and her friends - late high school, early college - use Instagram Stories most frequently. These are ephemeral, and usually (for these kids, at least!) involve memes understood mostly by their friend groups.

I am told there's a vibrant book community on TikTok, but it's mostly focused on reviewers, and is most beneficial for YA and romance.

Every social media platform works differently. I don't think any of them are necessary. What you're trying to do with your social media matters most, and not every platform is going to be a fit.
Thing is, it's easy for me to fluff off at the moment. But as my life changes rather abruptly this year, it might become more relevant.

I really don't know. Trying to get my son to make me more TikTok aware, but it's awfully noisy and busy. I guess I prefer to rely on my words rather than my less-than-visually interesting face and lifestyle.
 
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lizmonster

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Thing is, it's easy for me to fluff off at the moment. But as my life changes rather abruptly this year, it might become more relevant.

I really don't know. Trying to get my son to make me more TikTok aware, but it's awfully noisy and busy. I guess I prefer to rely on my words rather than my less-than-visually interesting face and lifestyle.

I side-eye TikTok not just because of content, but for regulatory reasons. I can imagine it's a useful platform, and I've seen some good content there, but if I ever post there I will be very, very careful.

As one should everywhere on line, I suppose. :)
 

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I almost posted yesterday on the question of IG, but held off.

It seems less useful than it had--maybe? It's pretty old by this point, and even tiktok is no longer the new thing, though it's having a long moment.

I've never figured out how to wrangle IG. (Twitter was great for networking).

But, FWIW, AFAICT, the indie authors who are successfully selling on SM seem to use the platforms in a networked way. EX: They post on tiktok, take that video and scrub the logo (some app does this), and make it a reel on IG at the same time. They also do live events in whatever iteration each platform has. This kind of multi-posting reportedly boosts audiences across platforms.

Mevrouw, I've yet to put my face on the TT videos... I worry this step is necessary to achieve virality, but OTOH I'm seeing a few pennies trickle in without virality. I think we all feel like there might be security risks with tiktok, and I'm not sure what to do there. We thought twitter was safe enough, then a billionaire bought it and changed all the rules.
 
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Fuchsia Groan

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But, FWIW, AFAICT, the indie authors who are successfully selling on SM seem to use the platforms in a networked way. EX: They post on tiktok, take that video and scrub the logo (some app does this), and make it a reel on IG at the same time. They also do live events in whatever iteration each platform has. This kind of multi-posting reportedly boosts audiences across platforms.
I do this. Well, not the live events—that’s too scary. I’m waiting to find an author in my genre to team up with before trying that. But I screen record my TikTok videos and post them on Reels. They perform completely differently on the two platforms.

I have no idea if any of it leads to sales. Hardcovers and ebooks at trade prices aren’t easy to sell to random folks on the internet. Anecdotally, I’ve had a few followers who said they were buying the book, including a bookstore owner who really liked it and suggested we set up an event. So … cool! It may not move the needle to a degree that publishers care about, but it makes me feel like I’m doing something. (Full disclosure: I don’t look at sales reports anymore because it distresses me, and even if I did, I would have no way to know where sales are coming from.)

I’m glad you’re seeing some pennies trickle in, Woolly! That’s encouraging.

The TikTok success stories I’ve seen are mostly KU authors of spicy romance and/or fantasy retellings with familiar characters. They make their videos all the same—most swear by “page-flips” and showcase tropes from their books without ever showing their faces. Uniformity and regular, frequent posts are their gospel. The trade authors who do well on TikTok use a completely different method: They show their faces and give writing advice or lip-sync to sounds. One author interviewed in PW said she had amassed 80k followers without meaningfully increasing her sales. I keep this in mind.

God help me, I really enjoy watching people gush about books on the platform. I’ve gotten some smart recommendations there; it’s just a question of finding and following the right people who are reading beyond the standard “BookTok books.” I like it better than IG because it’s less polished, more appreciative of anything that seems raw or earnest. But this is probably more than anyone wanted to know.
 
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Woollybear

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Yep, I am thinking that making all the videos the same is part of the sales success.

My default videos are puppets (for fun) and little free libraries. These routinely get 25% like rate and occasionally get saved (which I'm told means people are bookmarking for a later purchase.) But they aren't really page-flips-with-hooks and I don't see a whole lot of sales from them. Pennies, yes. :)

I am trying to nudge toward other styles, for example author stuff, but those videos languish and no one likes them. They are off-brand, I guess? Still, keep on keeping on.

I posted a 'raw and earnest' video this morning that I love so much, and it's too different to my normal things, so it's got no momentum. No traction. Your post is prompting me to cross-post it to IG. I think I will.

Your bookstore connection is a fantastic win! That's really great! XO
 
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I am trying to nudge toward other styles, for example author stuff, but those videos languish and no one likes them. They are off-brand, I guess? Still, keep on keeping on.

I posted a 'raw and earnest' video this morning that I love so much, and it's too different to my normal things, so it's got no momentum. No traction. Your post is prompting me to cross-post it to IG. I think I will.

Your bookstore connection is a fantastic win! That's really great! XO
I love TikTok, but I imagine it's difficult to get sales and traction! Almost everybody I know looks at their FYP (For You page) which TikTok curates to be one-off viral videos it thinks I will enjoy. If I'm lucky, somebody I'm following will get a viral video and show up there, but I follow about 1300 people. I could browse the Following page for myself, but it just doesn't give me the same satisfaction.

The people who do regularly show up on my page and seem to get more consistent followings are those who do lives. However, I think you have to have about ~1000 followers to start them. Occasionally it puts me on Booktok but that's not really the type of content I interact with so it's rare for me to see videos from that side. If anything, it's people telling a crazy story and then going 'want to know what happens? Read it in my book!'

Ooo... I've never seen it, but I wonder if some people do lives where they crit work for gifts/free. I always get tarot reading lives or the ones that involve a ton of interaction with something for the viewer. I would watch a live of people providing advice just for the drama!!
 

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I can't imagine it really working, on the other hand I guess it does, according to some.

If I were a young thing using tiktok for fun, the last thing I'd want is for old people to come along and try to sell me stuff on it. I mean, I would not be using it for that. But it seems every platform devolves into a marketing opportunity. I imagine young people will migrate elsewhere soon. Like they keep doing. Soon, tiktok won't be the place anymore, if snapchat and IG and all the other ones are any indication.

Oh! But from what you say, Z, I bet this is why there's all this advice to try to get comments and reply. It's about getting onto the FYP pages, I bet. I don't often include a 'call to action' question, but I should do that in this afternoon's video and see what comes of it.
 

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I can't imagine it really working, on the other hand I guess it does, according to some.

If I were a young thing using tiktok for fun, the last thing I'd want is for old people to come along and try to sell me stuff on it. I mean, I would not be using it for that. But it seems every platform devolves into a marketing opportunity. I imagine young people will migrate elsewhere soon. Like they keep doing. Soon, tiktok won't be the place anymore, if snapchat and IG and all the other ones are any indication.

Oh! But from what you say, Z, I bet this is why there's all this advice to try to get comments and reply. It's about getting onto the FYP pages, I bet. I don't often include a 'call to action' question, but I should do that in this afternoon's video and see what comes of it.
Haha, yes, if there's any hint of it being an ad or something to buy I'll usually scroll past it! Now I'll even get ads that aren't for a product or service, just people wanting more engagement with their videos...??? It's very weird.

On the call to action, there's actually a technique I've noticed a lot, where you say something blatantly wrong or controversial JUST to get engagement. It's the same as people starting to tell a story and then saying 'look for part 2!' to get more engagement and keep them until the video ends...

I do engage with and LOVE seeing writing prompts! I follow @yourdailywritingprompt and really enjoy his videos! :)
 

Mevrouw Bee

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I can't imagine it really working, on the other hand I guess it does, according to some.

If I were a young thing using tiktok for fun, the last thing I'd want is for old people to come along and try to sell me stuff on it.
Seriously. What do I have to say that the majority would gaf about? My audience isn't there so I don't get the point.
 
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I do engage with and LOVE seeing writing prompts! I follow @yourdailywritingprompt and really enjoy his videos! :)
I wonder about going this route.

One debate is whether authors trying to find their audience should be engaging with other writers, or readers. There's an overlap, but not absolute.

I'm thrilled to see fantasy doing better on tiktok lately, and it gives me hope that SF can as well. The marketing I focus on is the 'free on KU' angle so at least I'm not asking anyone to spend money. If they have KU, they can read for free and I get my pittance...
 
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Fuchsia Groan

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I love TikTok, but I imagine it's difficult to get sales and traction! Almost everybody I know looks at their FYP (For You page) which TikTok curates to be one-off viral videos it thinks I will enjoy. If I'm lucky, somebody I'm following will get a viral video and show up there, but I follow about 1300 people. I could browse the Following page for myself, but it just doesn't give me the same satisfaction.

The people who do regularly show up on my page and seem to get more consistent followings are those who do lives. However, I think you have to have about ~1000 followers to start them. Occasionally it puts me on Booktok but that's not really the type of content I interact with so it's rare for me to see videos from that side. If anything, it's people telling a crazy story and then going 'want to know what happens? Read it in my book!'

Ooo... I've never seen it, but I wonder if some people do lives where they crit work for gifts/free. I always get tarot reading lives or the ones that involve a ton of interaction with something for the viewer. I would watch a live of people providing advice just for the drama!!
That’s funny, I’m the opposite—I prefer Following to FYP, though I watch them both. I curate my FYP so that I see mainly BookTok and not random viral stuff.

Hah, I bet a Live where someone critiqued their followers’ submissions would be popular! But oh, the potential pitfalls. It’s one thing to do that on a blog and another thing to do it live on video with the writer watching. You’d have to be so careful.

I like your new video, Woolly! Definitely try it on Instagram, but without the TikTok watermark. It makes a big difference.

I hate feeling like I’m advertising, so I focus on trying to create entertaining content and then occasionally finding ways to mention my own books. I love the interface and love blabbing about books and doing would-be funny skits, so that’s where I focus. Am I acting my age? Nope, but I don’t really care, because this is the only social media platform where I’ve had even tiny success, and I’ve met some really cool people there.
 

Marian Perera

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As soon as I start getting the hang of a social media platform, it's either bought up by Satan or the world moves on to a different one. Happened with LiveJournal, happening again with Twitter. Now it feels like the latest hot thing is TikTok, but I don't really want to make videos. I did get on Tumblr, mostly because one of my favorite authors migrated there from Twitter, but... sometimes it just feels like too many social platforms and too little time or energy.
 

Kyrin Sturdivant

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I too have this question. I've seen successful Instagram poetry accounts, which is something I'd like to pursue to become more known as a writer, but I'm unsure how they reached the success they did. Albeit they are talented writers, it just seems harder to build a name for yourself online these days.
Now that I’ve started up socials for my professional work in writing, I can see how social media can be a motivator to write more frequently in order to have more content.
 

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I found if you get in when something starts the algorithm usually suggests you to friend (I did this with Shotime which long vanished) and in a few months I received 11,000 friend requests. But numbers mean nothing. Despite posting all my covers and books no one bought anything because they were there to advertise their own media.
I find it hard to see social media replacing the real world of meeting readers, reading your work, visiting groups etc. Then maybe people will recommend you,
 

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I have a writing/book account. I find the book appeal draws in readers/writers and my own writing stuff gets boosted in the process.
 
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Even though I'm new to the writing game; I too wanted to try my hand at using social media to boost my author image and get my name out there. I'd say that if you have the time to dedicate to posting regular content, then it might work for you.

I've only just started this month and so far I have around 45 followers. Not a lot but I'm working on staying consistent with posting.
 
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BabyBoomer

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I don't use Instagram, but I'm registered.
Instagram is a beautiful container, for images, that's why I keep it. I use it for writing practice. I save an image that I like, and I write a little story inspired by that image.
Personally, I never post anything.