So you want to be a book influencer: Hints, tips and helpful links for getting started

I’m fairly new to the world of “bookfluencing” — that’s book influencing — and before January of this year, I’d only briefly tip-toed into Bookstagram. But four months later, it’s all but taken over my life. And while my account and follower count are still growing, I’ve learned a lot about what it takes to be a book influencer and have some very helpful hints and tips to share to help you get started, too.

While I’m fairly new to Bookstagram — that’s book content on Instagram, by the way — I’ve been around social media and web publishing for over a decade thanks to my job in games media. Dealing with PR and publishers is nothing new to me, except here I’m dealing with book content, not games. While the industries are wildly different, a lot of what I already know can be applied to creating content about books. I’ve also gathered a lot of useful information simply by being on Bookstagram in the last few months.

How to grow your following on Bookstagram or Booktok

1. Choose your platform(s)

There’s a thriving community of book lovers on both Instagram and TikTok: Bookstagram and Booktok, respectively. Some influencers — bookfluencers — have a presence on both platforms, while others may choose one. There’s also YouTube and, to a lesser extent, Facebook and Twitter/X. I’d suggest sticking with the platform(s) you’re most comfortable with, and most publishers/PR expect you to have a presence on Instagram or TikTok. Use Facebook and Twitter/X as an extension of your account.

If you prefer making video content, TikTok will be your best bet. Instagram is great for still images, although it does allow for videos too, and video content is very popular on the platform.

2. Make sure you’re here for the right reasons

If you wake up one day and think, “I want to become a bookfluencer and earn loads of money!”, sorry, it’s not going to happen. I’m not saying that people don’t make a living doing this – they absolutely do. But it’s rare: most of us are simply doing it because we love books. If you’re thinking of starting a bookfluencing account for any reason other than a love of books and a desire to share that love with an eager community, you should probably reconsider.

3. Be prepared to put in time

Growing and nurturing a community doesn’t happen overnight. You’ll need to put time into your chosen platform, making content, engaging with comments, finding like-minded people in the community and engaging with their content, too. Posting your own content is only a small part of building a presence on a social media platform. If you want to grow and maintain a follower count who actually engage with your stuff, you’ll need to engage back.

4. Follower count isn’t everything

Don’t get hung up on how many followers you have. Don’t compare yourself to everyone else. That girl who created her account five days ago but already has 3,000 followers? Don’t worry about it. Your content matters, as does how you use it, how you act and how you present yourself. Yes, it’s true that more opportunities will come as your follower count grows, but growing it organically (which can often mean slowly) is the most important thing.

It’s also very true that engagement matters more than your follower number. I’ve seen Instagram accounts with 70,000 followers that only get 10-20 likes on an average post. Something doesn’t add up there. People notice when people notice you, so even if you only have a few hundred followers but you have a core group of people who interact with your content, it matters.

5. Be yourself

The most important thing about setting up an account on Booktok or Bookstagram — or, heck, any type of influencing account you might be thinking about — is to be yourself. Sure, jumping on trends is a fun way to stay in with the crowd, but you should strive to create content that’s unique to you, that sells your personality. Don’t be afraid to be honest, to share your real life and to make your account personal. Nobody wants another boring, vanilla account that doesn’t have any personality on show.

6. Make content regularly… as long as it remains fun

The key to being successful on any social media platform is consistency. Post regularly, engage regularly, and be present often. You need to find a balance, however, to ensure that growing your account doesn’t become a chore. You should want to be a bookfluencer because it’s fun, and the moment it starts to feel tiresome or hard means that you need to take a step back. Make content every day if you want to. But never feel like you have to. If it’s only once or twice a week, that’s absolutely fine. Many influencers find having a posting schedule helps, particularly if they’re making video content.

Getting ideas for creating content

Stuck for content ideas? That’s a whole other post for another day, but below you’ll find some general tips that should help you come up with your own bookish content.

1. Follow like-minded people

Follow people whose content you enjoy, and who are also making content about books. You’ll find a lot of inspiration simply by scrolling through your feed and seeing what other people are up to. Maybe you could put your own spin on something a friend posted, or maybe something you spot will ignite a fresh idea. Don’t simply copy other people, of course, but other creators will always be your best source of inspiration.

2. Join in on trends

Bookstagram is full of trends. Every day you’ll see a different trend, whether it’s #TwoForTuesday or #FlatlayFriday, or a fun scavenger hunt that someone has come up with. Joining in on these trends is a great way to keep in the conversation, create daily content and join in with your fellow creators.

3. Make what you love

Have an idea but you haven’t seen anyone else do anything similar so you’re not sure if it’s a good fit? Do it anyway! As long as it’s safe and appropriate, of course. Being individual is the best thing you can be on social media, and simply making content because you love it is a sure-fire way to gain a following. Passion really does show, you know.

4. Read a lot, share a lot

If you’re reading a lot, you’re never going to be without content ideas. Share your favourite part of the book. Share the cover. Photograph the book in a million different places. Review it when you’re done. Recommend it (or don’t, if it wasn’t very good!). Put it in a pile of other books. Books are the most important part of your book influencer account, so shout about them loud and proud.

How to get books, ARCs and proofs sent to you for free

Let’s make this clear: you should not consider becoming a bookfluencer simply to get free books. If that’s your goal, get outta here right now. Sure, it’s nice to get sent ARCs, but doing so should be seen as a privilege, a perk to the work you’ve put in.

You’ll be expected to have some kind of following before you request books in pretty much any regard. You don’t need the biggest following – in fact, many companies make a point of making space for smaller creators (i.e. those with less than 1,000 followers) on their campaigns. As long as you are active and making content, your efforts won’t go unnoticed.

With that said, if you are wondering how to get ARCs sent to you by publishers or how to get advanced copies of ebooks, here’s what you need to know.

1. Follow publishers and check their bios and websites

Follow the publishers you like on your platforms of choice. On Instagram, most publishers have a presence, and in their bio, they’ll often have links and information aimed at influencers. Some will only have sign-ups open at certain times of the year. Others will have mailing lists you can sign up to at any time. While some publishers welcome bookfluencers with any size audience, some require you to have a certain number before they’ll consider working with you — Bloomsbury, for example, publicly state you need over 3,000 followers before you can join their ‘Creators Circle’.

Sign up to mailing lists and engage with publisher and author content. Often, influencer newsletters will have links where you can request ARCs, and some publishers may have a means to request books directly on their social media profiles.

Remember, requesting something does not guarantee you’ll get a copy. You should always be polite, courteous and professional.

2. Sign up to Netgalley

Netgalley is a great resource for bookfluencers who are just starting out. Anyone can sign up to Netgalley, and it’s completely free. It’s essentially a platform used by hundreds of publishers across the world to make digital copies of their books available to readers ahead of launch.

Once you’re signed up, you can request titles, and if your request gets approved, you can download the book to your Kindle or digital reader of choice. Try not to request too many at once, because Netgalley keeps track of your feedback ratio — the more books you request and cover, the higher your score will be, and the more chance you have of getting approved in the future. If you have too many outstanding books, it’ll affect that rating.

What’s particularly handy on Netgalley is a ‘read now’ section. Certain books are made available without needing to be approved. Reading and reviewing these is a great way to build up your feedback score — and also build trust with publishers.

3. Apply to book tour and readalong programs

There are several companies that specialise in arranging ‘book tours’, or ‘blog tours’. Essentially, you’ll be provided with a copy of a book (either digitally or physically) in return for a review published on a specific date. You’ll find links to some of these programs below. You’ll need to apply for individual tours, and there’s no guarantee you’ll get on them. But only apply if you can 100% commit to covering a book on a certain date. Be aware that some companies will also have other expectations of you, i.e. sharing social media content saying you’ve got the book, and so on. It’s also very common to be expected to post positive coverage, or to leave your negative thoughts behind if you didn’t enjoy the book.

Readalongs work in a similar way, except you’ll be reading the book on a set schedule along with a group of other bookstagrammers. You’ll all talk about the book, and you’ll typically be given prompts to create regular pieces of content on social media.

Not only are book tours and readalongs a good way of getting your hands on a book (as well as a great way to make initial contact with publicists and marketers), but they’re also a good way to meet other bookfluencers and make new friends.

4. Send emails and ask – but be polite

You can also find email addresses for publishers online to request copies of their books. Make sure you’re emailing the right person, and make sure you’re always polite and courteous. Remember: never expect to get anything. You’re never guaranteed to get a copy, but if there is a book you’d absolutely love to cover, you can certainly ask.

If nothing else, you’ve at least given a publisher your name, and even if there isn’t a book available for you this time, there’s a good chance they’ll remember you for being friendly and professional the next time around.

Useful links

Netgalley

Link: https://www.netgalley.com

This is a must if you own an ereader. Thousands of digital books are available on Netgalley before launch, and it’s a great way to start out reading ARCs. Make sure you sign up to your own country’s region, however. The link above is to the US version of the site. If you’re in UK, you should sign up to netgalley.co.uk. Different regions will have different books available, and since many publishers’ campaigns will be limited by region, you’re likely to get rejected more often if you’re accidentally on the wrong site (speaking from experience, here).

Insta Book Tours (IBT)

Link: https://www.instabooktours.com/

Run by Vic Hyde, Insta Book Tours offers up several book tours a month, typically of mainstream and highly anticipated books in a range of genres. You can sign up to the newsletter to be notified when new tours are available, or simply browse what’s currently available on the website. Vic also runs a Discord channel where you’ll find all things IBT.

Love Books Tours (LBT)

Link: https://linktr.ee/lovebookstours

Love Books Tours is run by Kelly Lacey. She offers out multiple books a week covering a range of genres. Sign up to the LBT mailing list to be notified when new tours or readalongs are available. Many of LBT’s books are independently published, so this is a great avenue if you’re an eclectic reader, like to support indie authors and like to read different genres.

Tandem Collective

Link: https://thetandemcollective.com/

Tandem Collective is one of the bigger marketing agencies, offering up a variety of programs to get involved in. They do occasionally offer some paid opportunities, typically for TikTok, but most of their campaigns will be readalongs, where you’ll read a specific book alongside a group of other book influencers, and make content as you go along. You can sign up to their newsletter on the website, where you’ll be notified when new campaigns are available. Typically, newsletters are sent out every Friday.

Random Things Tours

Link: https://randomthingsthroughmyletterbox.blogspot.com/p/services-to-publishers-authors-blog.html

Run by Anne, Random Things Tours offers up a variety of books and you’ll typically find several tours are available to sign up for every week. You’ll find a link to sign up to Anne’s mailing list on the website above, and doing so means you’ll be notified every time a new tour is available.

Bookfluencer Frequently Asked Questions

Q. Do I need to read a lot of books to be a bookfluencer?

A. Not necessarily. I suppose everyone’s idea of ‘a lot’ is different! Sure, you’ll find people on BookTok and Bookstagram who read 30+ books a month. But you’ll also find people who read only a couple of books a month, too. I think it helps to be widely read, and certainly reading more books helps in creating new content — as you have a steady flow of books to share reviews or opinions about. But as long as you love books, it doesn’t matter how many you read.

Q. Can I post negative reviews about books I didn’t like?

A. Yes. You’ll find that a lot of people choose to only post positive thoughts about books, and if they didn’t enjoy something, they’ll not post about it. There are a couple of reasons for this. If you’re reading a book as part of a book tour or marketing campaign, the terms of the campaign may state to not post anything negative. But even if it’s your own book you’re reading, sometimes it’s kinder to keep your negative thoughts to yourself.

But of course, you can share your criticisms and thoughts on books you didn’t enjoy, and I personally encourage it, because we should feel free to share our authentic feelings. Just be mindful of what you share: remember, a real person wrote that book, so you should always be respectful to their feelings. If you really want to lay into a book? Perhaps don’t tag the author.

Q. Can I earn money being a Bookfluencer?

A. It’s not impossible, and certainly people do earn money posting on social media about books. But it’s highly unlikely — the vast majority of the community simply post about books because they love doing it.

Q. What’s better, video or written content?

A. It’s entirely down to your preferences. Make the content you most enjoy — or do a mixture of both.

Q. Do I need any qualification to review books?

No! A love of books and the ability to share your own opinion is all you need. If you’re opting for written content, being a good writer helps, but as long as you can put your thoughts into words, you’re all set.

Q. Do I need to read a specific genre to be a book influencer?

No! Book influencers exist in all genres. True, some genres are more popular than others — on BookTok and Bookstagram, you’ll find a lot of fantasy and romance content. But thrillers, crime, sci-fi, literary fiction, YA and many more still all have their very active communities. If you read multiple different genres? That’s absolutely fine too: Many creators will cover a wide gamut of different types of books.

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Are there questions you have that I didn’t answer? Would you like to know anything else specific about becoming a book influencer? Drop me a line and I’ll do my best to help — and I’ll update this page with new information over time.

Cover image: Anthony Tran on Unsplash