This might sound silly to some, but for a lot of people on Instagram, reading goes from being a passion to being a passionate full-time, unpaid job. That's the fun part---reviewing books for publishing companies and reading tons and tons of books that make you feel so much. In fact, reading is quite the healthy escape during a pandemic. However, it can be really overwhelming sometimes to feel like you have to have the "perfect account" on "bookstagram." That's when the passion of reading starts to lose its shine.
I had posted to bookstagram recently about how once you're knee-deep into the world of bookstagram that you sometimes get sucked in to the engagement groups, posting, reviewing, and trying your hardest to read as much as you possibly can. It's such a rush to grow your account and hear from others who have the same interests as you. But sometimes it all feels like too much. I'd say a lot of us are guilty of that at first and it can start to feel overwhelming. Many of us have a lot of time on our hands given the global pandemic, but you don't need to put pressure on yourself to be an "influencer."
Reading is a passion to us "bookstagrammers" which is why we created our accounts in the first place, but I noticed more and more accounts posting about how they feel like they're behind on all the ARC's and books they've acquired during quarantine. Some are even going through reading slumps. I'm one of those people. I don't know if it's because I've been home since March 13th now or what, but I look at all the books I have acquired and I feel anxious. I feel anxious because I feel like all I want to do is relax and read all of the books I have, but I don't have enough time--which sounds silly because we have nothing but time while stuck at home in the middle of a pandemic.
I remember how excited I was when I first joined because there were so many brilliant books I was seeing that I hadn't ever heard of before. I was branching out and becoming more interested in books. But somewhere along the way I found myself spending more time photographing my books and creating engaging posts more than I was reading. This prompted me to think about why I'm here. Yes, there's part of being a "book influencer" (what a silly term) that requires you to treat it like a job and to be professional if you become involved in reviewing books for publishing companies; but, there's plenty of ways to balance taking part in this passion and still enjoying reading and not feeling like it's something you have to be doing. I guess that's why I'm writing this. I want people who are currently feeling this or who may encounter this as they grow in the bookstagram community to know that the joy of reading doesn't have to be lost when growing your account; especially during a pandemic when self-care is even more important than ever before. A bookish friend of mine said,
"Reading ain't self care if you don't feel like ya caring for yourself." --@ok.letsgetlit
She was right. You don't have to force yourself to read just because you're part of bookstagram. If it feels forced, it's okay to step back. Here's some tips and bits to think about if you're feeling stressed as a "book influencer":
Set social media boundaries for yourself. You don't need to sit on Instagram all day long to feel like you're contributing to the bookstagram world. Designate a small part of your day to scrolling, liking, and posting--maybe half an hour or so a day. It's easy to get caught up in all the lovely recommendations, but too much social media isn't good for the soul. On the other hand, if you're perfectly fine with chillen on Instagram all day then keep rockin' it.
Post every day or don't post every day. There's no "right" amount of times to post to your account. Decide to post when YOU feel like posting, not when everyone else is. If you're super excited about a book you read and want to post about it at 1 am because it's the only thing on your mind then go ahead. If you want to post every day at 11 am on the dot then do whatever floats your boat. If you don't feel like posting, but love being active with other members then totally do that. The second you get caught up on what other bookstagrammers are telling you to do with your account is when it is no longer YOUR thing. Do. What. You. Want. When. You. Want.
Specifically about ARCs and reviewing within specific time frames per request of publishing companies: Try not to let your trigger finger overflow your books to be read. That's the easiest way to overwhelm yourself and make something you were meant to enjoy just plain un-enjoyable. This is meant to be fun. Don't pile up too many commitments! This way you can still meet deadlines and enjoy your reading in the process.
This is a big one: if you aren't enjoying a book that you picked up, it's okay to put it down. We refer to that as DNF or Did Not Finish. Don't make yourself feel bad or let others make you feel bad for not finishing a book. You're the one who gets to decide whether or not you are truly enjoying your reading.
Reading is a lovely way to cope with anxiety and healthily escape to a million other worlds especially when the one we are really in feels like a strange dystopian novel at the moment. But you also need to remember that if you aren't enjoying reading as much as you were before joining bookstagram, it's okay to take a break. It's okay to step back from your role on social media. If reading isn't enjoyable or is keeping you from doing things you have to do in life, it is okay to take a step back. Your mental health is important above all and if reading and social media are keeping you from being your best version of yourself, switch some things around!
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