Social book network

Navigating social media while shopping for books

- Sna Sarfare

Readers are always in search of books. Social media platforms like Instagram have proven to be a great way to influence them to buy certain books. The social media reality is also that many books are paid promotions. True readers are now looking at ways to ensure their social media does not bump up the same old stuff but something more to their liking. We have some readers showing how to bookshop on social media under such conditions.

Does it work?

Sonali Sharma, author and Founder of ContentBank, does feel that social media platforms like Instagram and YouTube impact book buying, to an extent. "It also creates a tense atmosphere making readers feel the pressure, anxiety and the fear of missing out by jumping on a trending book. As a community, I feel there is lack of self-awareness. When we are self-aware and when we truly understand that social media is just a part of life and a medium to connect with the world out there, I think we will stop taking the pressure of reading and truly admire literature in its truest sense."

Author Virat Vilas Pawar too agrees with this. "When readers can't reach the authors, the authors can reach the readers via reels and shorts. Apart from that, genuine bookstagrammers do have a good audience who take their recommendations seriously."

However, there's also a positive side to it. As Gunjan Adya, author and founder of Tula Journey and a certified art therapist, explains, "The Gen Z hardly reads newspapers or watches television. So, social media platforms are relevant in our times as these have the maximum influence on people's lives."

Promotional angle