Ahhhh, the ever-elusive BookTok and Bookstagram! Where you may dance, lip-synch, bookstack, reel, and flash your children's book into the feeds of your customers!
I think many of us kidlit authors have tried to figure out how this system works, only to find ourselves banging our heads against a wall (literally or figuratively).
not this kind of head banging
Constantly shifting algorithms on Instagram and TikTok means that what might work to reach an audience of children's book customers one day may not work the next.
I cannot promise to crack open the wild world of social media book marketing for you right here. I am certainly no BookTok or Bookstagram expert. At best, I'm a dabbler.
But I can give one piece of advice:
HAVE FUN!
I've recently been making videos and posting to Instagram and TikTok, mostly book- and author-related content. And one thing that prevents me from going absolutely mad about it and throwing my phone into the toilet is...having fun with it.
I realize that, most evenings, I'm dancing and lip synching in my kitchen while I'm making dinner. I also love to tell other people what children's books to buy for their kiddos and friends kiddos. And I enjoy crafting (sometimes).
But what is fun for me on these platforms (lip-synching to Taylor Swift songs, doing time-lapse videos of crafts, and sharing children's book recommendations) might not necessarily be fun for you.
If you're on these social media platforms, make them work for you WHILE having fun. To do that, you have to figure out what you think is fun, what you feel comfortable with, and what will engage not only your viewers, but also you.
And if you're so inclined, you too can be shimmying your way into readers' hearts and bookshelves.
or you can leave the shimmying to Betty White
(Oh, and take a look at trending audio clips and use them...that'll help too.)