About two months ago, I decided to start a bookstagram for fun. As an avid book-lover, I loved admiring the book photos that other accounts were posting, and I equally loved the book reviews they wrote in their captions. So after spending a while being an admirer of the bookstagram community from afar, I realized I wanted to jump in and become part of it, too!

So, what is bookstagram, you may ask?

Basically, bookstagram is a great big community of bibliophiles that use Instagram as a platform to share their love of everything literary.

What we do on bookstagram is pose our books in aesthetically pleasing positions, use props we see best fit, and post them with captions in which we discuss how we feel about what we’ve read! Many of us also have themes for our accounts, which means that we tend to stick to the same color-schemes and filters for all of the photos we post. We also love to engage with our followers and the people we follow. So we oftentimes leave comments on others’ photos, and ask questions-of-the-day (QOTD for short) in our own captions to get conversations flowing in the comments section. This way, we all get to know each other better!

And let me tell you: my decision to join bookstagram was one of the best I’ve ever made! There are soooooo many reasons bookstagram is beneficial, and if you’re a lover of reading with an affinity for taking pictures, then here are five reasons you should seriously consider joining!

5. New book exposure

What I mean by this is that by joining bookstagram, you hear about books you might never have heard of otherwise! There have been quite a number of books that I hadn’t previously heard of. But when bookstagrammers I follow raved about them, I couldn’t help but check them out and add them to my to-be-read (TBR) list! Bookstagram is a great way to help you expand your literary horizons and your interest in books!

4. Rep searches, giveaways, and shoutout sessions

This was something I had no idea about prior to starting bookstagram. But these three things make being part of the community even more fun than it already is!

Rep searches are held by companies that sell bookish products (candles, bookmarks, book box subscriptions, etc.) and every two/three months, they hold searches for bookstagrammers to help them promote their lovely products! It’s not mandatory to apply for rep positions, of course. But it does help you gain more exposure, and it also gives you the chance to represent companies you love! Not to mention, if you win a rep search, the company will send you their bookish goodies for you to use in your pictures, and all the while, you’ll also be helping them expand their growing business! So it’s a win all around!

Giveaways are wonderful because you can enter to win some really amazing prizes! Giveaways are typically held by companies and fellow bookstagrammers when they hit a number of followers they’re really proud of (ex. I’ve seen quite a few accounts that run giveaways when they hit 2k followers!). So long as you have a bookstagram account, you’re eligible to enter to win bookish products that will make your bookworm heart sing!

Shoutout sessions are SUPER fun because this is a way to show your followers and/or favorite accounts just how much you love them. The shoutouts take place on Instagram stories! By participating in someone’s shoutout session, it shows how much you love their account. Then at the end, they return the love and give you a shoutout, too! This helps both accounts gain followers because it exposes you both to many, many new people! Hosting your own shoutout session is really fun too, because seeing the outpour of love for your account by your own followers who participate is beyond incredible!

Of course none of these things are mandatory, but they sure add an extra layer of excitement to being on bookstagram!

3. Author appreciation

This is one of the coolest parts of being on bookstagram. When you post pictures of books, odds are you tag the author to show your love for their work. And sometimes, the authors return the love and show you their appreciation! It may be a little hard to come by because big-name authors get tagged in so many different posts on a daily basis. So the odds of them seeing your photo are a tad bit slim (yet not impossible, so never give up hope!). Sometimes, you shine through and the author thanks you for showing your love for their book!

The coolest thing that has happened for me with an author is when Lang Leav (one of my all-time favorite writers) reposted my photograph on her own account, then proceeded to follow me! She currently has 357k followers, and only follows 120 people. I’m honored to say I’m one of those 120, and everyday I go on bookstagram, I still can’t believe she follows me. She has been one of my favorites for so long!

So if you’re a bookstagrammer, you’ll most likely be fangirling over your favorite books. And if the author sees this and reaches out to you in some way to show their appreciation, you’ll feel on top of the world!

2. It’ll improve your photography skills

Even if you’re not a photography-buff, having a bookstagram account is a sure way to help you improve your photography skills no matter what kind of camera you use! Not only that, but seeing how other bookstagrammers set up their bookish photos will help inspire you for your own! From setup to props, themes, aesthetic, all the way to proper camera angles and lighting, joining bookstagram is bound to help you amp-up your photography game!

1. The community is full of the most amazing people this world has to offer

First and foremost, being a part of bookstagram means that you are bound to make many, many new friends. Friends that live all over the world! It’s absolutely amazing to be able to connect with people from around the globe and chat on a daily basis about books and all sorts of other things! You'll get to gush with fellow bookstagrammers who are part of the same fandoms as you, and that within itself is a really wonderful feeling!

Aside from bookstagram providing you a way to talk with people who live all over, I want to take a moment to focus on (and thank) all of these wonderful people I interact with on a daily basis. When I started my account, I had NO idea how tight-knit the community was. But I soon realized that these fellow bookworms were some of the most genuine and nicest people I’ve ever had the privilege of speaking to. Bookstagram makes you feel welcome. It makes you feel warm. It makes you feel like you belong. It makes you feel loved. And it makes you feel happy. The amount of positivity I’m exposed to everyday from this beautiful community is more than I could’ve ever imagined.

I’d like to specially thank my best bookstagram friends Céline, Ana, Ariela, Hana, Ces, Stefie, Kat, Lindfe, and Rae for their constant displays of love and support. You ladies are so beautiful, and your kind comments always brighten my day. I cherish every conversation we have! It’s my goal to meet all of you in person one day and thank you for being such wonderful human bean-sprouts.

Overall, the world needs to be full of more people like the kind souls on bookstagram. I’m thankful for every single person I’ve connected with. And if you love to read, then I wholeheartedly suggest you hop on bookstagram and start your journey!

Because we’ll all be waiting to befriend and welcome you with smiles, hearts, and kind comments.