#Abandon hope all ye who enter here

Just kidding.

Since re-emerging onto the juggernaut that is Instagram, I’ve come to a startling realization: a lot of writers are experiencing the same issues. The main one being finding their community. Amidst the AI slop, countless people trying to sell you things and unsolicited advice, you have the insane task of “finding your people”. In my case, I want to connect with short story and novella writers who are focused on dystopian plots with female-centric viewpoints. Feminine rage is a plus. I also have a passion for audio fiction and podcasts so that’s a niche demographic I’m interested in too.

Aside from the relentless use of hashtags, it makes sense that many writers feel out of place in this exceptionally visual world. We are used to writing our thoughts then redrafting at our leisure. Instagram feels too immediate, the stakes too high, the rejection too real. Tiktok or Booktok feels like sensory overload. With my 9-5 job, writing deadlines and everyday life, I’d prefer to condense all communication in 1 app, so Instagram is my weapon of choice.

So what I have learnt since returning to the dark abyss? I’m glad you asked.

  1. To warm up the algorithm I should try the 5-3-1 method. This is when you like 5 posts, leave 3 meaningful and engaging comments and follow 1 new account each day.

  2. Experiment with the type of content you want to share (e.g. slice of life, advice, recommendations etc.)

  3. Cluster content, so post about 1 specific thing in different ways (e.g. beginners writing tips, how to start writing, things I learnt when I wrote my first book, best books for first-time writers etc.)

  4. You will have to talk to the camera at least once. This is how people get to know you and decide whether you are worth their time.

  5. Act in service. Follow-for-follows aren’t worth it in the long run. Look at what you can do for others, not what they can do for you.

Yes, it seems obvious, but commenting on an author’s post to ask a question, congratulating on a milestone or responding to a prompt actually means something in the bookstagram world. You have established authors, but you also have independents, folks braving the publishing journey alone, first time novellists, multi-hyphenate creatives who do a bit of everything and so on. If I’ve learnt one thing, it’s that to be fully comfortable with instagram, or with any media, you have to put the time in. Don’t get discouraged. It will be slow going.

In summary, it’s important to bite the bullet and be proactive out there. This is where your readers are, where your editors lie in wait and where a publisher could see your work. A bit like the gym. I hate to be there, but at the same time I feel better for having pushed myself out of my comfort zone…