Hi everyone, 👋
I’m trying to make my BookTok/Bookstagram/BookTube content more focused, and I’d love advice from people who have actually tested things.
I started my channel exactly one month ago today. I’ve been posting 3 times a day, sometimes more, and I occasionally repost the same content because keeping up with this schedule feels like trying to sprint through a library while carrying my entire TBR.
(Last December, I went on vacation from work for about a month, so I recorded hundreds short-form videos, and that's what I've been posting)
Right now I’m close to 100 followers, but I honestly have no idea if that is good, bad, or normal.
Current numbers:
Instagram: 99 followers
TikTok: 89 followers
YouTube: 69 followers
TikTok/Instagram also keep telling me I’m “outperforming 90% of people,” which sounds impressive, but I suspect it may have the same spiritual value as a fortune cookie.
My channel is currently a mix of:
Book recommendations
Writing tips/Fantasy writing/craft content
Bookish memes and "relatable" reader/writer posts
Carousel posts with tips or recommendations
I’m also planning to start posting more about my own writing, but I’m honestly not sure how to begin. I believe I know how to talk about writing craft, books I like, tropes, recommendations, and other people’s work, but when it comes to talking about my own stories, characters, themes, worldbuilding, or process, my brain suddenly becomes a blank Google Doc.
I don’t want my own-writing posts to feel generic, awkward, or like I’m just saying, “Here is my book. Please buy it.” I’d love advice on how authors make content about their own work in a way that feels interesting, personal, and not too salesy.
You don't obviously have to answer every question here, but whatever insight is welcome.
So I’d love to know:
What type of BookTok content have you seen work best?
Are these numbers decent for one month, or should I be sacrificing more drafts to the algorithm?
What helped your channel grow?
What mistakes should new/small bookish creators avoid?
Do memes, book recs, writing tips, reviews, author updates, own-writing posts, or carousels perform better for you?
How do you keep your niche clear without making every post feel identical?
How do you talk about your own writing without sounding like a walking ad?
What kinds of author-content posts actually make you curious about someone’s book?
Also, please drop your favorite BookTok-related memes. This is purely for serious academic research and definitely not so I can ~~spam them online~~ share them with my community for fun.
I know I could technically Google this or ask AI to research it for me, but I’d really love to hear from actual humans with real experience. What has genuinely worked for you, what absolutely did not, and what bookish memes should I to "steal"?