The #myblueskydays Instagram Hashtag Challenge and Giveaway

“She said she always felt better on blue sky days. Like nothing could be too bad when the sky was blue and there was so much beauty in the world.”

~Blue Sky Days by Marie Landry

Today marks 25 years since my dad’s death from leukemia. He was three months shy of his 50th birthday, and I was only 10. As you can imagine, it was a devastating loss for my family, and it changed our lives completely. Jump ahead about ten years to when I wrote what would end up being my debut novel, Blue Sky Days. The story was a way to honour my dad and give a character I came to love the happily ever after my dad didn’t get.

For years, I’ve wanted to do a photo challenge inspired by Blue Sky Days. The time has finally come, and I’m SO excited to bring you the #myblueskydays hashtag. The idea is to post pictures of your blue sky days; you can be literal and post pics of blue skies and nature, or you can use the term in the meaning associated with the book: anything that brings you joy. Happy days spent with loved ones, quiet moments, big events, a good book, a cup of coffee, a beloved pet, a favourite travel destination - anything goes as long as it’s something that makes you happy. My hope with this hashtag is to create a community of people who appreciate beauty, find magic in the everyday, and want to spread love and kindness.

THE GIVEAWAY:

*Use the hashtag on as many of your posts as you like between now and July 31st. Pics don’t have to be new, but they must be posted between today and July 31st to count for the giveaway. Two random winners will be chosen from all entries at the end of July and will each get a $10 gift card of their choice. If there’s enough interest in the hashtag I’ll make the giveaway a monthly thing. Feel free to use the hashtag whether you follow me or not. I completely understand not every feed is for every person, and I won’t take it personally if you choose not to follow me. BUT if you want to be eligible for the prize, you must be following me.

*Bonus entry #1: Share my main challenge post on Instagram in your stories or mention the challenge and tag me

*Bonus entry #2: If you post a picture of my book Blue Sky Days, you’ll get 1354 bonus points. Just kidding! Kind of. No, but really, if you happen to take a picture of Blue Sky Days (on your phone, e-reader, or tablet - the book is currently only available on Kindle, Kobo, iBooks, and Nook) you’ll get an extra entry, along with my eternal gratitude. I’m an indie author with limited connections, so every single sale and every time someone mentions or posts about my book(s) to someone else means the world to me and helps more than you can imagine.

*Note: The challenge itself will be taking place on Instagram, but feel free to use the hashtag on other social media platforms as well and I'll be sure to keep an eye on it and like your posts!

That's it! If you have any questions, feel free to leave a comment here or better yet, leave a comment on my original Instagram post. You can also DM me on Instagram. Let's have a summer (or winter if you're in the southern hemisphere) full of blue sky days!

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Reminiscing About Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris and Thoughts on Why the Fire That Nearly Destroyed the Historical Landmark Touched People Worldwide

All photographs in this post are courtesy of my best friend, Krista Van Staalduinen, from our trip to Paris in June 2015, and have been used with her permission

Yesterday afternoon when I opened Facebook and saw the news that Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris was on fire, my heart sank. I hoped it was a minor fire and the pompiers (firefighters) in Paris would be able to put it out. But as the afternoon wore on and my social media feeds filled with pictures and videos of the raging fire, that sick feeling in my stomach grew. Notre Dame was burning in earnest; 800+ years of history was literally going up in flames. Now because there are always ignorant, negative people on social media, I had the displeasure of seeing someone make the comment, “But it’s only a building. Be glad nobody died.” Of course everyone is glad nobody died; it’s an absolute miracle nobody was killed. And, yes, okay, it is technically just a building and you can’t equate that with the loss of human life. But it’s so much more than ‘just a building’. For centuries, Notre Dame has been a symbol of Paris. A symbol of art, architecture, history, religion, and culture. It has survived the French Revolution and two World Wars. You don’t have to be Catholic - or even Christian - to appreciate its beauty and rich history. Those things, paired with the fact it seemed like one of those monuments that would be around forever, are part of what makes this such a devastating tragedy for people all over the world. Whether you’ve been to Notre Dame, hoped to go there someday, or you’re indifferent, this is a loss felt by the whole world.

I had the pleasure of visiting Notre Dame twice. My first time was in 2001; I was 17, and it was my first trip abroad. It was a whirlwind ten days of history and art and food and freedom. We saw ancient buildings and priceless art and so many things that left me speechless, but I remember being in complete awe when we walked into Notre Dame. It was swarming with people, and yet there was this hushed sort of reverence inside as people wandered around or sat in the pews or lit candles.

I vividly remember stopping in front of the statue of Joan of Arc and feeling this rush of emotions that brought tears to my eyes. I had just done a school project on the saint and felt this strange affinity to her; I had gone above and beyond on my project, reading everything I could get my hands on (and these were the days when there wasn’t much to be found online, so I think I checked out nearly every book from my library that so much as referenced her). Even though it was just a statue, it was like history coming alive in front of me and making it more real. Another special moment was when I lit a candle in memory of my dad, who died in 1994, and whose family originated in France.

My second trip to Paris, and to Notre Dame, was in 2015. Our time in Paris was cut short after an issue at the border in Callais, France (it was closed due to riots and strikes, so we were stuck in Dover, England for a day, unable to cross the Channel until the border reopened). That meant we only had about two full days in Paris, but we were determined to make the most of it and see as much as possible. I knew for sure that despite having seen it 14 years before, I wanted to see Notre Dame again. It had made a real impression on me, and I wanted my travelling companion/bestie, Krista - a fellow lover of art, history, and architecture - to see it. I can honestly say it was just as awe-inspiring the second time. Tragedies like this show us that nothing - not even the things that seem indestructible and eternal - lasts forever. Just because something has stood the test of time, as Notre Dame did for hundreds of years, doesn’t mean it can or will forever. A friend messaged me yesterday and told me how much she regretted skipping a visit to the cathedral during both her visits to Paris because of the long lines, assuming she’d visit it next time. I saw other people sharing the same sentiment on social media yesterday and this morning. Because that's the thing, right? We all think we have time. Time to see and do the things we want, especially when it comes to seeing the things that have always been there and you assume always will be. When I think of my last trip to Europe, one thing that often comes to mind is the number of times we had to wait in line. The first instance was our visit to the Tower of London. Krista and I wanted to see the Crown Jewels, but the people we were with didn’t want to ‘waste time’ in line. Krista and I looked at each other and agreed that we hadn’t travelled thousands of miles to let something like a line stop us from seeing something we wanted - and had paid a lot of money - to see. So we got ourselves some ice cream from a nearby vendor and we waited in line, taking pictures, talking, and laughing all the while. That moment set a precedence for us: if there was something we wanted to see, screw the lines. It happened again several times throughout our travels (the most memorable being the hour we spent in the blazing Italian sun while waiting to enter St. Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican), including when we visited Notre Dame. We had a limited amount of time to squeeze in everything we wanted to do, but it was a beautiful day, so even though the lines stretched all the way to the end of the square, we joined the queue. Now I’m so grateful we did.

We hear about ‘gentle reminders’ all the time these days. ‘Just sending a gentle reminder to get your entries in for X by tonight’ or a ‘gentle reminder to practise self-care’. Well, let this horrible event serve as a not-so-gentle reminder. Do the things you want to do. See the things you want to see. I know it’s not always that simple, believe me. If I could hop on a plane to Europe right now I would, but it’s not possible right this moment. But whenever possible, even if it may make you a little uncomfortable, even if it means stepping outside your comfort zone (hell, especially if it means stepping outside your comfort zone), even if it takes time, even if it means waiting in a huge line, do the things you want to do. Don’t assume you can ‘do it next time’ because there might not be a next time. Let this also serve as an everyday reminder: Take chances. Do the things you love to do, as often and as joyfully as you can. Appreciate the good people in your life. Make sure the people you love know how you feel about them. See and do as much as you can, because tomorrow isn’t guaranteed.

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2018: A Year in Review

Happy New Year!

I’ve been sick for over a week (this is actually Round 2 with the Cold From Hell in the last month), and instead of continuing to go full-tilt like I normally do, I’ve taken the time to rest and relax, plus reflect on the past year and plan for the year ahead. One thing I know for sure going into the new year: I need to be more mindful. It was something I intended to work on in 2018, but now when I look back and so much of the year was a blur, I realize the life of intention and mindfulness I wanted to lead turned into a big jumbled mass of days with a few highlights in between. Despite that, unlike the last several years, I can look back and say 2018 was mostly good.

Here are a few of the highlights of 2018:

I wrote and published a new contemporary romance, ONLY YOU, plus worked on a few other projects. I thought 2018 would be the year I finally got back into the swing of writing and publishing, but it was still a struggle. I’m proud of what I did accomplish though, and I love this sweet, funny, sexy romance.

In June, I met one of my favourite authors, Susanna Kearsley. My mum and I have been big fans of hers for years, so I was excited we could share that experience. Susanna was so lovely, warm, and funny, and I had a total fangirl moment when she immediately recognized me and came over to hug us and speak to us. She spoke for an hour or so about writing, publishing, and researching, and then signed books. If you follow me on bookstagram, you'll recognize Foxy, my little felt fox in the picture below; I brought him along and Susanna didn't bat an eye when I asked if he could be included in one of our pictures. It made me love her even more!

I didn’t travel far in 2018, but I did get to go to one of my absolute favourite cities (Kingston, Ontario) twice to visit my friend Krista. It was hot as hell when I visited in July, but we had so much fun playing tourist, eating a ton of amazing food, and vegging at her apartment. One of the highlights was visiting Queen’s University while it was completely deserted and getting to wander around and take a bunch of pictures. My trip in November was equally amazing, especially because we got to attend a Victorian Christmas tea; we’d wanted to do a high tea when we visited London in 2015 but didn’t have time, so this was amazing. The November trip was an early 35th birthday celebration for me since my birthday is so close to Christmas and I rarely get to do anything out of the ordinary. Both trips and all the new memories I made with Krista are high on my list of best days of 2018.

Bookstagram continued to be a huge source of joy for me. I’ve made so many wonderful friends there, and I love the creative outlet it gives me. Two major highlights this year: being chosen as a July rep for Canterbury Road Co and recently being asked to be a rep for 1107Studio. I love these companies (and their respective owners) and it’s such an honour to get to represent them.

Looking ahead at 2019...

I have a lot of writing-related goals this year. I'm currently working on a companion book to ONLY YOU, and after that, there will be one more book in that standalone series. I also have a romcom I wrote year before last that I plan to edit and publish toward the end of the year. I've also been thinking about mixing things up and working on something different from my norm...but it's early days yet, so you'll have to stay tuned to see what I'm talking about!

I read 105 books in 2018, and my goal for 2019 is to read at least 80 books.

I want to be more consistent about blogging. After 8 years of having this blog, I finally bit the bullet just before writing this post and officially bought a .com domain for it. No more .blogspot.com for me! Hopefully that'll inspire me to do something with this little of the net and produce more content. My goal is going to be at least one post a week, ranging from bookish and writing posts to travel posts to general lifestyle posts.

I don't have any concrete plans yet, but I decided last year that 2019 is the year I'm finally going to Scotland. Stay tuned for more as I figure out the how and when and all that fun stuff. I'm going to make it happen!
My word for 2019 is CONNECT. I want to connect to my self - be more mindful, intentional, and work on a lot of personal things that are important to me. That also includes connecting to my body and working on getting healthier and stronger. I want to connect to readers, both old and new, and make them laugh, feel, and fall in love when they read my stories. I want to connect to my roots by finally visiting Scotland. I want to connect to nature and not spend so much time at my desk. I feel good about this word because it's broad and it covers a lot, but it can be specific in a million little ways that mean a lot to me.

How was 2018 for you? What were some of your stand-out moments? Do you have any goals or big plans for 2019? Do you have a word for the year?

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Previous Yearly Recaps:
☆2017: A Year in Review
☆2016: A Year in Review
☆Looking Back on 2015
☆Reflecting on 2014 and Looking at the Year Ahead 
☆2012: A Year in Review
☆2010: A Year in Review

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Mother’s Day Gift Ideas for the Special Woman in Your Life

Yesterday was my mum’s birthday, and in three weeks we’ll be celebrating her again on Mother’s Day. Last month, I got a photo pillow with a picture of London from CanvasPop, and my mum is constantly telling me how much she loves it. She’s super subtle about it, naturally. *wink?* But her obsession has given me so many ideas of what to get her for Mother’s Day.

We have a large canvas print from CanvasPop with a picture of two of my nephews that hangs over our TV in the living room. We love looking at it, plus it’s a great conversation piece. People always remark on the great quality and want to know where we got it. My mum has often said she wishes we had a special keepsake that includes a picture of my niece, which has got the gift-giving wheels in my brain turning. Mum loves the canvas print we already have and she loves my pillow, so I know she’d be happy with either.

My mum, like so many other mothers, does so much for our family. She’s the heart and soul of our family, and has made countless sacrifices for us over the years. She rarely buys anything for herself and doesn’t do much for herself, so I figure the least I can do is get her something extra special for Mother’s Day. Flowers and a card are well and good, but flowers fade away and die. Don’t you think our mothers - or grandmothers, aunts, sisters, and the other special, hardworking women in our lives - deserve something that will last, something with sentimental meaning that they can keep and enjoy forever?

Treat the mother or mother figure in your life to something special this Mother’s Day. Take one of the pictures she loves and turn it into something beautiful like a canvas print, photo pillow, or photo collage. Show her the recognition she deserves and let her know how much you appreciate all she’s done for you.

Get started making a beautiful photo gift now!

Do you know what you're getting your mother this year for Mother's Day? If you're a mother, what's the best gift you've ever received? What would be your ideal gift?

 

 

 

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CanvasPop Photo Pillows: The Perfect Personalized Gift for Anyone

We live in a digital world. With the popularity of sites like Instagram, many people consider themselves photographers these days, whether amateur hobbyists, professionals, or something in between. My phone is full of hundreds of pictures ranging from my travels to my family to random things I love, like books, scenery, and the things I collect. I’m always looking for unique ways to display my photos - bonus points if it’s in a meaningful, artistic, and/or functional way. If you’re perpetually on the look-out like I am, I have the perfect solution for you: photo pillows from CanvasPop. CanvasPop is known for their beautiful and high-quality canvas prints in various sizes, but with the addition of photo pillows to their site, you can get even more creative. I personally have limited wall space, and if you’re anything like me - an avid Instagrammer (and bookstagrammer) - you might be looking for something that’s not only beautiful and functional in your home, but that can also be incorporated into your photos in a number of unique ways.

These pillows would make a lovely addition to any home. They’re the perfect gift for any person and any occasion. For my mum, I’d get one with her favourite picture of my niece and nephews. For my brother, I’d use a picture of the huge black bear he snapped once in the woods, or his beloved ginger cat Rosie. For my bestie, I’d use a picture of her rescue cats, or one of the thousands of photos from our 2015 European adventure (like the picture of London used in my pillow shown above). I could happily fill my own home with photo pillows. In fact, I spent days narrowing it down to this photo of London. My other choices were pictures of my niece and nephews, a photo I took recently of my bookshelves, scenes of Paris and Rome from my trip in 2015, and any of my book covers. I was even tempted to use the picture of myself taken at Platform 9 ¾ in London, rocking my Ravenclaw scarf. I have a love/hate relationship with buying gifts for people. I like personal, meaningful gifts, but some people are nearly impossible to shop for. I wouldn’t hesitate to get one of these photo pillows for any of my friends or family members. These 18 x 18 pillows are well made, durable, and the colours are so vibrant. If you’re looking for a unique way to use your own photographs or you want a personalized gift for someone special, a photo pillow is sure to be a hit.

 

If you were to get a photo pillow, either for yourself or as a gift for someone, what image would you choose?

 

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This post was written in partnership with CanvasPop. In accordance with FTC guidelines, I received the pictured photo pillow for free, in exchange for sharing my honest thoughts and opinions. All thoughts are my own.

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The Instagram Game Changer: Helene Sula's Instagram for Success

In the last year or so, I’ve talked a lot about how Instagram is my ‘place’. The bookstagram community especially feels like my home online. I love talking to like-minded people who share my love of books and often many of my other interests too. I’ve made friends from all over the world, and I feel truly blessed to have the opportunity to meet new people every day and make new friends and connections. I also have a ‘personal’ account where I talk about writing, blogging, travel, and basically anything else that takes my fancy.

One of my favourite Instagrammers is Helene Sula aka heleneinbetween. I was first attracted to her account by her beautiful, crisp photos and her witty, engaging captions. I liked that she was honest, open, and could always make me laugh. She has a pretty cool life - she lives abroad with her husband and two dogs, and travels regularly throughout Europe - and while she shares pictures and stories of her incredible adventures, she’s also honest about it not always being sunshine and roses, which I appreciate so much.

Something else I love about Helene is how much she wants to help other Instagrammers and bloggers. On her blog Helene in Between you’ll find a wealth of information about social media, along with posts on a variety of other topics. Last year when she offered her free Instagram for Success workshop, I couldn’t sign up fast enough. I loved getting tips from her on her blog and Insta, and I knew she’d go in depth with the workshop, which she did. At the end of the workshop, she had an offer for her paid Instagram course, Instagram for Success. My initial reaction was basically, ‘That’s cool, but she already gave all these great free tips and I can’t afford to pay for the course’ and I closed it out. Over the next few days, between reading testimonials and hearing Helene talk about it on Instagram, plus getting those ‘time is running out to sign up’ emails (which I usually just delete but kept opening each time), I started to see this was something I should invest in.

I went back and forth wondering if I was making the right decision. I wasn’t sure if the course was right for me, as an author, so I contacted Helene, told her about my Instagram accounts, and asked her straight up if she thought this would benefit me. After emailing back and forth a few times, I was inspired by Helene’s passion and commitment, and I purchased the course. I’ll admit, I wanted to vomit; as someone who rarely invests in herself (not to mention the cringe-worthy US-Canada conversion rate), I was nervous but also confident I’d made the right choice.

My followers as of July 26th, 2017 when I signed up:
sweetmarie_83: 1347
rambling_daydreamer: 113

My followers as of January 31st, 2018:
sweetmarie_83: 1714 (+367)
rambling_daydreamer: 254 (+141)

I know some people gain dozens or hundreds of followers by the day, so my numbers might not seem huge, but they’re huge to me. My followers hadn’t grown for weeks before signing up for Helene’s course, and I started to see a slow but steady growth after applying the methods I learned. Beyond the numbers, my engagement has increased, and I’ve made friends through the course I likely wouldn’t have met otherwise. I’ve built a community, and that’s worth more than all the followers in the world.

Is Instagram for Success right for you?
-Do you have a business, product, or course to promote?
-Do you have a blog you want to promote because your blog is a source of income and you want more traffic?
-Are you hoping to monetize your Instagram? Make money through affiliate sales, sponsorships, or brand partnerships?
-Do you simply want to build an online community of like-minded people and have no idea how to go about it?

If you fit into any of those categories, you will likely benefit from Instagram for Success. Part of my hesitation was wondering if it would benefit my author platform. Until this past November, I hadn’t published a book in two years, and I was worried people had forgotten about me or I’d become irrelevant. While I talked a bit about my writing and my new release Mistletoe Kiss here on the blog and on Facebook and Twitter, most of my promotional efforts went into Instagram. I used links to track where my book sales came from, and the majority of sales came from Instagram.

What you can expect from the course + how it's benefited me:
-Helene’s lessons come in the form of videos, PDFs, worksheets, and checklists.
-I’ve learned how to write more engaging captions. I used to get next to no comments on my pictures and now there are days when I have trouble keeping up with responses.
-You get access to Helene’s Instagram Unlocked ebook; this normally sells for $37 on her website. Related: Check out the Instagram Unlock ebook
-Once you pay, you get instant access and you have access to the course forever. You can binge-watch the videos Netflix style, or you can take the course at a slower pace. Any time Helene updates the course, you get all the new information (so for instance, last year’s course was just updated with all the videos that are new for this year’s course).
-The Facebook group. This members-only group is a place where you can ask questions, share your successes, and where Helene posts updated information, as well as threads where you can share your posts and gain engagement from members within the group (I’ve made several friends from these threads).
-Ways to beat the algorithm. How to rock Instagram stories. Help with hashtags.
-This is probably the biggest thing: I’ve learned to take better photos. I’ve discovered lighting and composition tricks, plus what I consider my Instagram game changer: Lightroom. Helene uses Lightroom to edit all her photos, and that’s how she’s created an instantly recognizable theme for her Instagram. The course includes her Lightroom presets, which she normally sells for $59 on her website. I currently only have the phone app so I haven’t used Helene’s presets yet (although I hope to get the full version for my computer eventually), but she’s done step-by-step tutorials that show you how to use Lightroom and make it work for you and your style. While all of Helene’s methods are phenomenal, and my numbers all around have risen, I attribute a lot of that to my photos being better quality because of Lightroom and her instruction on how to use it. I thought my photos were good before, but now I take a huge amount of pride in my feed. Related: Check out Helene's Lightroom presets

Helene is killing it on Instagram with 122K followers, so she clearly knows what she’s talking about. So many people covet their secrets to success, but not Helene; she wants to help others succeed the way she has. I’ve read tons of articles and blog posts by so-called experts and most of them say the same things, and they’re not all that helpful. Take great pics! Write great captions! Well, no shit Sherlock. *facepalm* ‘Tips’ like that are not even remotely helpful. Helene goes in depth with a wealth of knowledge based on research and proven methods.

If you’re ready to take the leap, invest in yourself, and build your Instagram empire, sign up for Instagram for Success now. Helene only offers this course once a year and the window to sign up is very small. 2017 was a strange year for me with a lot of ups and downs, but I can tell you one thing I’m glad I did was sign up for Instagram for Success.

If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to ask me. If you have specific questions for Helene, she’s easy to reach. Like I said, before I committed to the course, she answered my questions via email and just yesterday she answered a question I had. I hope to see you in the Instagram for Success Facebook group soon!

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You might also like:
☆Instagram for Authors: Everything Authors Need to Know About Using Instagram
☆6 Mistakes Authors Make and How to Avoid Them
☆7 Things Every Author Should Have on Their Website 

Please note this post contains affiliate links. Any potential commission I make does not affect my opinions in any way.

Instagram for Authors: Everything Authors Need to Know About Using Instagram

On a weekly basis, I see authors talking about how they want to use Instagram to promote their work and build a fanbase, but they don’t know how or where to start. Well, that’s what I’m here to help you with today!

When I first joined Instagram about three years ago, I wanted to post pictures of regular things - what I was doing, what I was watching or reading, my niece and nephews. I figured I would talk about my books occasionally, but I didn’t have any specific goals in mind regarding gaining a following or selling my books through the platform. Then I discovered the Bookstagram community and fell in love with it the way I did with book blogging many years ago. I love being part of the bookish community and getting to talk about books, use my creativity to stage photos, and meet other book-loving people. I began to miss posting regular photos though, and found that on the rare occasion I posted a non-bookish picture, I would lose followers. So I started a new account, where I could post everyday things, plus talk about my writing.

If you’re an author who wants to use Instagram as a promotional tool, the key is showing people you’re a regular person. We all want to make connections online, and many readers want to know the person behind the keyboard. When I finish reading a book I love, one of the first things I do is look up the author on social media. I enjoy seeing what they’re up to, what they’re working on, what their hobbies are, and if we have things in common besides a love for stories. Just as with any other form of social media, nobody likes when someone talks about or promotes themselves constantly. It’s important to have a mix of ‘real life’ posts in with your book-related posts.

Whether you’ve just created your Instagram account or you’ve had one for awhile and you’re looking to make the transition to an ‘author’ account, there are a few important things you can do first:

Maximize Your Profile

-Write a great bio. Your Instagram bio is limited to 150 characters, so you have a small amount of space to grab someone’s attention and make them want to stick around. What can people expect from your feed? What type of books do you write? What makes you different?

-Have a clear profile picture. A picture of yourself works best; people respond better to photographs than to logos. That being said, not everyone is comfortable with posting pictures of themselves, especially if they’re writing under a pseudonym, so do whatever works for you, as long as you feel it’s a good representation of yourself.

-Have a link in your bio to your blog, website, social media you’re most active on, your newsletter, or a site where your books are available. If you have a blog, Instagram can be a great way to drive traffic to your posts; you can share a picture related to your blog post, and tell people about it in the caption, with a reference to the link in your bio (for example, today on Instagram, I’ll be posting the same picture I used in the header graphic of this post and in the caption I’ll mention this article and direct people to the link in my bio).  

-Related to the link in your bio: Have a call to action directing people to click on the link. For example: ‘Sign up for my newsletter’ or ‘Read my latest blog post’.

-Personal account vs business account: I’ve seen many people ask about the benefits of a business account as opposed to a personal one, or say they’ve heard people talk about their likes and engagement decreasing after switching to a business account. I have a regular account for my Bookstagram and a business one for my author account. To have a business account, first you need to have a Facebook fan page, because it links through that. The greatest benefit of a business account is it allows you to track your stats. You can see the best times to post, your most popular posts, the number of profile views, and number of clicks on the link in your bio, among other things. This is a great way to see at a glance what types of posts work best for you and which ones aren’t so popular. Also, with a business account, people have the option to email you directly from your profile, plus you can run ads (which is something I haven’t tried yet, but plan to with my next release. I’ll keep you all posted on that!). If you switch to a business account and find a decrease in interactions, you can always change back to a regular account.

-If you’ve been on Instagram for awhile and want to make the transition to a themed account, you might wonder if you should delete older photos. I say it’s not necessary, but it’s a personal preference. If you were to scroll back in my Bookstagram account, you’d see travel pictures, pics of my niece and nephews, shots of food and sunsets and all kinds of random things. Ditto for my personal account before I started making a concerted effort to ‘theme’ my account. If you do want to start fresh, Instagram now has an ‘Archive’ option where pictures will be gone from your feed, but saved within your account. To do this, click the three vertical dots in the upper right corner of any picture and click on Archive. You might also want to go through and delete selectively - photos that are grainy or have poor lighting, or that you feel don’t fit with the image you want to present. It’s completely up to you.

Stuck for ideas of what sort of photos to post on Instagram? Here are some prompts to get you started:

Writing Process and Behind the Scenes

-Your workspace. At a desk? Outside? In a coffee shop? If you work somewhere different every day or every week, this is a great way to mix things up in your Insta feed.

-Your view as you write. Out a window? Are you in a library? In the garden? By the pool?

-Your favourite tools to use when writing. Laptop or desktop? Paper and pen?

-Your writing essentials. Coffee, tea, water? Snacks?

-Things that help you stay organized. A planner? Bullet journal? Giant wall or desk calendar? To-do lists? Notebooks?

-Do you listen to music while writing? Have specific playlists for your books? Sometimes I think I’m one of the only people left on earth who still buys and listens to CDs, but you can take pictures of CDs, playlists on your computer or phone, or even handwritten playlists.

-Who or what keeps you company while you write? Do you have a pet? A child playing nearby?

-Is your book set in or based on a real place? Do a ‘tour’ or post pictures that inspired you.

A post shared by Marie Landry (@rambling_daydreamer) on Sep 2, 2017 at 8:19am PDT

Promotional Posts

-Get comfortable using Photoshop or an online graphic creator/photo editor like Canva or PicMonkey and make teasers for your books. You can also post fan-made teasers (with credit) or teasers you buy from graphic designers.

-Do cover reveals for your books.

-Need help with something specific? A cover reveal? ARC sign-ups? Blog tour? Make a graphic or take a related picture and ask for help in your caption. Direct people to the link in your bio (for example, if you have a cover reveal coming up, create your sign-up sheet and post that as the link in your bio with a call to action).

-Do a countdown to a new publication. Get creative with photos or graphics and start a daily countdown a week or a few days before release day.

-Have swag? Take pictures of it and post it.

-Share snippets from good reviews. If the reviewer is on Instagram, tag them.

-Host a giveaway. You can give away your book(s), swag, gift cards, a favourite book by another author, prize packs (stuff related to your book, snacks, bookish merch like bookmarks, mugs, or pillows, pretty notebooks and pens), etc.

Related: My personal favourite book merch shops:

-NerdyGrlDesigns on Etsy for magnetic bookmarks, regular bookmarks, stickers, and pins (use the code SWEETMARIE10 to save 10% on any purchase)

-EvieBookish on Society6 - I’ve bought mugs, pillows, and pouches from Evie in various designs

A post shared by Marie Landry (@rambling_daydreamer) on Jun 20, 2017 at 7:36am PDT

Bookstagram-Type Pictures

-Take a picture of the interior of your book - this works for physical books and ebooks. Do you have beautiful chapter headings? Graphics in your book? Did you write a special, touching, or funny dedication?

-Your book out in the wild. If your book is in bookstores or libraries, take a picture of it on the shelf, or you holding it. You can also take your book on excursions and take photos of it in different places - coffee shops, while on vacation, in front of a setting that inspired a scene in your book, etc.

-Share readers' pictures. You can download the get_repost or regram app to share photos or take a screenshot and post it. Be sure to tag and thank the photographer!

-Promote other authors. Remember how I said no one wants to follow someone who talks about themselves constantly? This is a great way to showcase other authors, whether they’re friends or authors you admire. Talk about the books you love so it’s not all about you all the time.

-Post a #bookshelfie. How do you arrange your bookshelves? Do you have cool memorabilia or framed photos? Do you have a special place for your own books or friends’ books?

A post shared by Marie Landry 🍁📚🎶 ✈️ (@sweetmarie_83) on Apr 10, 2017 at 9:02am PDT

The Person Behind the Keyboard

    -What do you do when you’re not writing? If you’re comfortable doing so, share pictures from your life and of yourself. If people can connect to you, they’re more likely to follow you. I talked before about how showing people you’re a regular person is key, and that’s because it builds trust. You need to build trust if you want to build a loyal audience. Sure, people might come to your page, see a post about your book and think ‘That’s my favourite genre’ or ‘That cover is amazing’ and buy your book, but will they come back? Will they become an actual fan who cares about you, your life, and your career?

   -What are some fun, unique things about you? What defines your personality? Are you nerdy? Do you have a special skill other than writing? Do you have a knack for putting together stylish outfits? Do you travel as much as humanly possible?

   -How do you relax after a long day of writing?

   -How do you celebrate accomplishments? A meal out? A certain drink? A vacation? Do you have a reward system for number of words or chapters written, or for when you finish writing a book?

A post shared by Marie Landry (@rambling_daydreamer) on Jun 18, 2017 at 6:22am PDT

Hopefully those prompts have given you inspiration and you have some ideas for photos you want to take. I usually take a couple of hours a week and dedicate them to photoshoots so I have a backlog of photos stored for when I’m busy or inspiration is lacking. Once you have photos ready to post, there’s something else important you need to keep in mind: hashtags.

The Importance of Hashtags

Hashtags are the best way for people to find your pictures and to grow your account. You can use up to 30 hashtags per post, and I recommend using all 30.

-A few of my personal favourite author-related hashtags: #authorsofinstagram #writerlife #igauthorlife

-If you search those hashtags or other writing-related hashtags on Instagram, it’ll show similar hashtags along the top. That’s a great way to find hashtags to use in your posts. You can also check out some of your favourite authors’ Instagrams and see what hashtags they’re using to get some ideas.  

-Create a hashtag for your books or series. Just remember if you create a hashtag for one book, it can only be used for that book. Try to think big picture. You can also use your own name as a hashtag or create something that’s associated with your blog or brand. I recently created the hashtag #ramblingdaydreamer, and while I haven’t advertised it yet, I would love for it to be a community hashtag for creative people and/or travelers. If you’d like to use the hashtag, I’d be honoured. I’ll be checking it out regularly and will like and comment on your posts, plus share some of my favourites!

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You might also like:

   ☆The Impact and Importance of Bookish Photography

   ☆Everything Authors Need to Know About Beta Readers

Have I missed anything? Do you have questions? Let me know in the comments, or feel free to email or tweet me!

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