“Join bookstagram,” they said. “It’ll be fun,” they said.
I honestly can’t tell how it’s going to work out yet, but here are the common bookstagram setup mistakes I made when starting my book Instagram account – so you don’t have to repeat them when creating your own bookstagram content.
1. I Did Everything in the Wrong Order When Starting My Bookstagram
I wanted to build a social media presence for my writing project and was intimidated by TikTok. Instagram seemed easier for book lovers, but I completely fumbled the bookstagram setup process.
First, I grabbed a book-related Instagram handle and started following other bookstagram and romantasy accounts. But I had no profile picture. No first post planned. Just an empty, suspicious-looking account trying to connect with people – a classic beginner mistake for new bookstagram accounts.
Looking at my sad, barren profile, I panicked and started creating content…but not Instagram posts. Instead, I spent days writing book reviews I planned to link from future posts, completely avoiding the most important part: visual content.
2. My Bookstagram Content Creation Strategy Was a Mess
How hard could taking photos of books be? As any experienced bookstagrammer knows, book photography tips are essential. I pulled out my old Canon EOS Rebel and started shooting my bookshelf, expecting Instagram-worthy results.
The first photos I took were disastrous:
- Out-of-focus images that looked amateur
- Wrong dimensions for Instagram’s preferred formats
- Terrible lighting (too dark or glaring on book covers)
- Missing books I’d already reviewed (who knows where I put those??)
After days of struggling with my fancy camera, I tried my iPhone on a whim. The phone photos were dramatically better – sharper, better lighting, perfect focus. Days wasted when the solution was in my pocket the entire time.
3. I Had No Clear Point of View
Only when I started writing consistently did I discover my actual perspective. My message isn’t just “I like romantasy” or “this book good, that book bad” – anyone can drop generic opinions online.
What really interests me is world-building and escapism. How do talented authors create worlds I want to escape to and characters I want to befriend?
Meanwhile, my Instagram sat empty with a username and description that no longer matched my vision.
4. I Got My New Facebook Account Flagged as Spam
Because I created this new account with a fresh email address and took too long adding friends and posting content, Instagram’s algorithms flagged me as a bot. I had to navigate their dispute process (still pending).
You’d never guess my day job is marketing, because this was embarrassingly sloppy. Social platforms need warming up – connections ready, content prepared. I feel like a complete novice.
What I Learned About Creating a Bookstagram Account (After Messing it Up)
Create bookstagram content before setup: Start taking photos (or, even better, videos!) before getting too far into account setup. You’ll learn as you go and discover what actually works for your bookstagram content strategy.
Don’t overthink your first bookstagram post: Nobody’s going to see it anyway, and once you’re established, it’ll be buried too deep for anyone to find. Just start posting and improve with each new piece of content.
Have a bookstagram launch plan: Prepare 3-5 posts before going public, know which other book lovers to connect with, and be ready to engage immediately with the bookstagram community.
Use what works for book photography: Sometimes the simplest tools (like your phone camera) outperform fancy equipment. Focus on good lighting and composition for better bookstagram photos.
What about you? Have you struggled with how to start a bookstagram account? What bookstagram tips for beginners worked for you? Would love to learn from other folks’ experiences and share the best advice!
Want more social media and marketing tips for writers? Join my email list (below) or follow my romantasy bookstagram journey at @bookswithloveandmagic. Next week I’ll be sharing how I improved my book photography with just my phone!