35 book-related Instagram accounts every author should follow

Instagram is the social media platform du jour for book publishers and for good reason. With more than 800 million users, ads that include call-to-action buttons, and account analytics, it offers tremendous marketing appeal for brands. (And authors are brands.)

From a marketing standpoint, the platform is best-suited to authors targeting a younger demographic – 59 percent of its users are under 30. Even so, all authors can use Instagram to stay connected to what publishers and readers are talking about.

To help you see Instagram’s potential and study how some of the most influential “bookstagrammers” are using the site, I’ve polled a few authors and book publicists for their favorite book-related Instagram accounts.

35 book-related Instagram accounts

Here are 35 of the best. If you’re on Instagram, be certain to follow these accounts and study how they compose images, write posts, and use hashtags.

Each option links to the Instagram account and includes their profile description.

I’ve also included names and Instagram links for the people who recommended these accounts, too. They’re in parentheses after the recommendations.

Authors

Victoria Aveyard: SC grad, screenwriter, #1 NYT bestselling author of RED QUEEN, GLASS SWORD, and KING’S CAGE. (Winnie DeMoya)

Andrea Jenny Han: New York Times bestselling author of the To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before trilogy 🍰🍧🎂🍦🍬🍭💅🎀🍉twitter: @jennyhan. (Andrea Kiliany Thatcher)

Leigh Bardugo: #1 NYT best-selling author, occasional fiend. Six of Crows Duology, Shadow & Bone Trilogy, The Language of Thorns, Wonder Woman: Warbringer 🌟(Andrea Kiliany Thatcher)

K.M. Weiland: Award-winning international author of the acclaimed Outlining Your Novel and Structuring Your Novel. Writes speculative and historical fic. (Winnie DeMoya)

Elizabeth Gilbert: Author of EAT PRAY LOVE. New book is BIG MAGIC: CREATIVE LIVING BEYOND FEAR. Click to help Syria: www.togetherrising.org/give (Karen Dybis )

The Bookseller’s Daughter: Welcome 📕 nerds Bookstore geeks 📚 #Succulent mavens 🌵🌱 #Anneofgreengables 🥕🥕🥕 🇨🇦 expat living in 🇺🇸 Go Weak in the Knees with 10 Swoony 📚 (Amy Meyerson)

Chloe Benjamin: Writer (THE IMMORTALISTS & THE ANATOMY OF DREAMS), knitter, feminist. Twittering @chloekbenjamin (Amy Meyerson)

Rupi Kaur: mother of ‘milk and honey’ and ‘the sun and her flowers’ (Sandra Beckwith)

Alison Roman: author of Dining In: Highly Cookable Recipes, one of NPR’s Best Books of 2017 available now 💫writer + cook / contributor @bonappetitmag, @nytfood (Sandra Beckwith)

Book clubs

Belletrist: ✌︎discover, read, + celebrate a new book every month ♛@emmaroberts + @kpreiss ❣︎ april book — Laura & Emma ☆ (Winnie DeMoya, Andrea Kiliany Thatcher)

Our Shared Shelf: Emma Watson’s Book Club Inspire•Empower•Share Intersectional feminist wisdom Mar/Apr: Heart Berries by Terese Marie Mailhot. Join us. (Winnie DeMoya)

Book of the Month Club: We make it easy—and fun—to discover what’s new and not-to-be-missed. Tag us with your BOTM box 📚📦💙 #bookofthemonth (Winnie DeMoya)

Reese’s Book Club – Hello Sunshine: A community celebrating women’s stories, curated by @ReeseWitherspoon for @hellosunshine. 📚April Book Pick: #Happiness by Heather Harpham (Sandra Beckwith)

Bookstores

Books Are Magic: Cobble Hill’s independent bookstore. Open M-F 10-9, Sat 9-9, Sun 9-7. (Andrea Kiliany Thatcher)

Duende District Bookstore: We are a collaborative pop-up bookstore by & for PoC. All are welcome. #TodasLasVoces Locations: Duende @ MahoganyBooks || Duende @ Toli Moli (Natalia Sylvester)

Books and Books: Est. 1982 Bookstore & Café Coral Gables | Arsht | Lincoln Road | Bal Harbour | Suniland | Grand Cayman | Key West | MIA Airport 🔜 Coconut Grove (anonymous recommendation)

Strand Bookstore: Independent Bookstore since 1927 📚 Share your event photos with #strandevents! (Sandra Beckwith)

Powell’s Books: Keeping ideas in circulation since 1971. (Brittany Rich)

Avenue Bookstore: Albert Park, Elsternwick, Richmond (Brittany Rich)

Publishers

Epic Reads: We volunteer as tribute to be the YA community of your dreams! 👻Snapchat: @epicreads 🐤Twitter: @epicreads 📚HarperCollins 🔻More bookish fun (Winnie DeMoya)

Viking Books: An imprint of @penguinrandomhouse. We publish great books. Here are some photos of them. (Winnie DeMoya)

Penguin Classics: A filtered glimpse into the life of the Penguin Classics editorial team in New York. (Winnie DeMoya) (Editor’s note: I’d recommend following all Penguin accounts.)

BookTrib: Where readers meet writers! Sign up for even more Booktrib on our website. (Jim Alkon)

Enchanted Lion: An independent, family-owned children’s publisher based in Brooklyn, NY. (Brittany Rich)

Readers

Bluestocking Bookshelf: Avid reader & book collector. 📬 bluestockingbookshelf@gmail.com 📖 @storiarts: BLUE10 📚 @deepreadersclub: BLUE20 (Andrea Kiliany Thatcher)

For Reading Addicts: She has read too many books and it has addled her brain. (Kelly Lenihan)

The Bibliotheque: 🌙 #bookster mama | bookblogger in search of true cheese. I mean… love. (Sandra Beckwith)

Booksugar: Book Addict & Collector. 🇨🇦🇬🇷 Nothing is sweeter than a book – except Colin Firth in a suit. 💌 (Sandra Beckwith)

Dragonflyreads: 又 I’m Sarah, I read a lot.  🌞Sunshine in my pocket 💕Romance novel in my hand 💄Makeup on my face 💉Tattoos on my skin 🎶Music in my heart 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦Family at my side ✊🏻Feminist AF 🌴FL (Sandra Beckwith)

Secret Society of Books: book and reading curator | book peddler | book club| teacher| artist |reader|#secretsobclub #kidsbooks #picturebooks #ssobn onfiction #ssobshelfie (Brittany Rich)

Anne Bogel: Modern Mrs Darcy, Blogger at Modern Mrs Darcy. Host of @whatshouldireadnextpodcast. Author of I’D RATHER BE READING, coming 9/4. (Amy Meyerson)

Bookstaworm: Jovana ||25|| Serbia  Hufflepuff 💛 Booklover studying literature 📚 Fairy lights Queen 🌌 Rep for @nyxsullivan.books 💕💖💞💝 (Sandra Beckwith)

Topshelftext: Madeleine I New Englander | Bookworm | Teacher | Ravenclaw | Founder   @diversebooksclub | Reviewer @kidlitexchange  (Sandra Beckwith)

Other

BookBub: We are a free service that helps you discover books you’ll love through deals, handpicked recs, and updates from authors. (Sandra Beckwith)

Book Riot: Always books. 📚Never boring. 📸 Tag #RiotGrams to be featured (Winnie DeMoya, Kelly Lenihan)

SCBWI: Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (Kelly Lenihan)

What Instagram accounts do you follow that you think other authors should follow, too? Please share them in a comment.

Tip of the Month

I like to share a “Tip of the Month,” a free resource or tool for authors, on the last Wednesday of the month.

I’m hosting a free webinar, “How to Sell More Books on Autopilot Without Constant Marketing and Promotion” next Tuesday, May 1, at 7 pm ET/ 6 pm CT, 5 pm MT, 4pm PT. Derek Doepker is going to show us how to use an Amazon tool that lets you sell more books while you get back to doing what you love – writing.

Register now before you forget! We’ll send a replay link to everyone who registers, so don’t worry about time zone issues or schedule challenges.

I’ve taken this class with Derek before, so I know you’ll get plenty of here’s-how information from him.
Get details and register on the class registration page.