Instagram has been around for nearly 15 years. It’s a platform that has changed and evolved over time bringing us joy (and maybe some irritation) as we find ourselves more and more online with each passing year. And while many of us have been passive users of the platform for a long time, it can still be nerve-racking when you’re using one of these outlets for promotion.

Whether you’re a debut author starting from scratch or a seasoned veteran finally making the decision to up your social media game, the app you use so often can suddenly become a strange and unfamiliar place when you enter the realm of “content creator” instead of idle scroller.

For many, the dive into posting for your audience is usually met with… crickets. And while pretty bookstagram photos still have their place and Reese’s new book club pick will always be met with 5-figure likes, starting from scratch is deeply frustrating and often deflating.

But your readers are out there! And if you’re going to post, then every post should be done with them in mind. Yes you’ll share details about tour stops and media coverage and spotting your book at a local bookstore, but those aren’t the types of content that hold your audience’s attention. It doesn’t do much to serve them. So, in addition to some of the obligatory things you’ll share… here are nine types of content authors can produce over and over again that their readers will adore.

1. The books you’re reading

This should be obvious, but I can’t tell you how many authors I see who ONLY post about their own book(s). Don’t get me wrong, you should be loud and proud of that little page angel you created. But there’s lots of room on your feed for friends. Your audience is coming from two angles:

a) they’ve read your books (loved them, of course) and want more recommendations like it

b) they haven’t read your books and need a better understanding of what to expect from them

If a reader sees your taste in books is similar to their’s they’ll be more will to pick up your book and give it a try. On the other hand, if you recommend authors you love, not only is that helpful to your audience, but you can make connections with your peers. People who one day might be interested in writing blurbs, joining you for events or promoting your work. It’s just good karma!

2. Interesting research you found

Depending on the genre you write in, the research you do could interest your audience. For me, a science fiction author, I like to share news articles to my stories that blur the line between scientific discovery and magic. Those are the kinds of books I write. Where psychics can time travel through consciousness and where AI becomes not only sentient… but something more.

So articles like this about two humans communicating in their dreams is right up my alley and something I think might interest my readers.

Whether you’re writing historical fiction and have a nugget of interesting Scottish legend to share or you’re writing a crime thriller based on a real life case and want to document the details of that event, there are a lot of ways to bring the wild world of your book to life on Instagram.

3. Insider author tea/drama

Now, this one can be a little dicey. When we say tea or drama, you may be thinking controversy. And there’s certainly plenty of that to go around. If you feel comfortable getting into the weeds of an issue going on in the book world.. then go forth and good luck. But this can also mean that you (anonymously) share a nasty review you got that actually made you chuckle. Or a behind-the-scenes look at the pile of dishes you’re ignoring to finish up edits. Anything that gives your audience the “story behind the story” can be an exciting invitation into the underbelly of the biz.

4. Current events that relate to your work

Similar to sharing your research, you may find that trending events go along with your story. Perhaps you’ve written a contemporary fiction novel about working mothers and there’s a bill in Congress about maternity leave. Or maybe you’ve written a YA novel about addiction and there are new stats about the rising rate of use in teens. Stories are such an incredible way to convey our current condition and if you’ve written something that aligns with the news cycle, talk about it! Perhaps you make a reel sharing your perspective or you write a carousel of slides detailing your feelings on a particular issue and how that inspired your book.

5. TV and movies you’re watching

Readers need a break from books too. Though sharing your TBR list can strike right to the core of a reader’s heart, movies and TV have a tendency to be more universal. If your romcom shares similarities with the highly popular Nobody Wants This or you do a roundup of your favorite witchy movies after writing a supernatural book yourself, that’s just as intriguing. What you’re trying to do with your Instagram feed is cultivate a “vibe” for lack of a better word. Everything you post should be a part of an ecosystem that has your book at the center. As an author, you’re an entertainer. So discuss the genre you write in as it exists across multiple mediums.

6. Personal life that spills over into your books

It’s always a fine line to decide how much of your personal life to include in your author platform. Again, you have to look at your content in terms of “how does this relate back to my book(s)”. Your platform shouldn’t look like a Facebook feed where you’re sharing for friends and family. But that doesn’t mean you can’t include pictures of your kids, spouse, home life or pet. Instead, think of ways you can represent those pieces while still tying it back to your book. Does your cat always fall asleep on your keyboard when a brilliant idea strikes? Do you want to share how you manage to write books while raising four kids? Are you a romance author who wants to share the heart-pounding account of your own wedding? Did you vacation in the place where your book is set?

Too much personal content, and people may forget you’re an author when they see you floating through their jam-packed feed. No personal content and readers may struggle to connect with you as a human. There’s always a way to bring your two worlds together. Find the thread that binds your book with your life.

7. Controversy surrounding your book’s subject

Current events and research are two ways to take the real world and connect it back to your book. But none are more powerful online than controversy. This is not for the faint of heart. The internet is a pretty volatile space and can get downright nasty if you choose to wade into the waters of controversy. However, if you really want to make a splash, diving head first into the deep end of a divisive situation can be one way to do it.

Now… this comes with a BIG disclaimer. YOU WILL get people in your comment section who are not a fan of whichever position you’ve taken. If you feel this will negatively affect your mental health, drag your brand down, or create a volatile space you don’t want surrounding your books, you are more than welcome to bow out of participating in this. One author who does it particularly well is Jo Piazza. She runs a podcast where she specifically picks apart influencer culture. She calls out real creators on her page. This takes bravery and a thick skin. But as she puts it “I spent a lot of time on Tik Tok for work (seriously…these are the things I have to do to write the most bananas influencer thriller of all time)[…]”. Not only is she getting a lot of research in, but she’s cultivating a whole mood around a forthcoming book before it even hits the shelves.

This is a tricky situation, but one thing is certain, if you want to “go viral” or just get a lot more engagement, ruffling some feathers is a short cut to get there.

8. Obstacles you’ve overcome to publish

In every author’s circle are some aspiring hopefuls. Many writers make the mistake of only talking to writers (because that’s their tribe), and this can isolate readers who should be the majority of your focus. However, this doesn’t mean you can’t give some insight into your process, your publishing journey or your craft. Sprinkle it in. Maybe you share the opening line of a new novel you’re working on. Perhaps you tell your audience how you chose a name for one of your characters. If there are ways to invite readers into the writing process do it. And in other cases, you might just find that you want to talk direct to other writers and that’s okay too! Jesse Q. Sutanto did a whole series on how she writes a first draft in five weeks. Are all her readers wanting to write a novel? No. But is it interesting/impressive that she can write that fast and fun to see a woman balance all the parts of her life while doing it? Heck yes!

Mostly, people want to hear about the obstacles you’ve faced to get where you are today. No one connects to the “overnight success” story or the “A-list author lifestyle”. They want your triumphs yes, but also your tribulations. Anyone who is struggling in their day to day, but daring to dream big audacious dreams loves a good rags to riches. Let them see that you didn’t just wake up one day a star. There was a long and winding road. Not only does it make you more relatable, but they might be more inclined to pick up a book that took ten years to write or curiosity might drive them to grab a memoir that took 100 query letters to find its agent before hitting the New York Times bestseller list. Don’t only represent the highlights on your feed. Let your readers see what it took to get here.

9. Ask Me Anything sessions

Do you really want to know what your audience is interested in? Open up the floor. Host an Instagram Live or even just a static AMA post to start a conversation in the comments. It may take establishing a bit of an audience before this works, but your readers are smart, engaged members of society who might want to know something about you or your book you never even thought of.

Host the “Ask Me Anything” and then create more content based off the questions you get!

Gone are the days where you can build an audience posting once or twice a month when you have a bit of news to share about your next book. Cultivate a real community of readers who like to hear from you even when you don’t have a new release. Find friends in the people who are curious about and engage with the same topics you do. Share quirky, interesting or contentious topics that have the potential to intrigue Instagram users who aren’t even looking for book content at the time. These nine pieces of content don’t represent nine posts and then you’re back to square one. They represent nine categories of content that you can put on repeat so that you never have to sit there again asking yourself “What should I post today?”