# Promoting Books On Bluesky: Tips and Best Practices ![[BookPromotion_Header-v2_flat800.jpg|500]] This resource page is for those on Bluesky who promote books, whether their own books or books by others. **PLEASE NOTE: This advice is based solely on my own experience and that of others (who contributed, see below). Also, I am constantly learning and tweaking and ignoring my own advice. 😁 There is no ONE right way to promote books.** While putting together info for this resource, I posted a poll for fellow book creators who had experience in successfully promoting their books. See [this community thread of suggestions from book creators on Bluesky](https://bsky.app/profile/debbieohi.com/post/3lq35t2oits2c) for practical tips (and feel free to contribute your own). If you have a new book coming out and are hoping to promote it on Bluesky, here are some tips: ## People will care more about your book if you don't look like a spammer or impersonator - If you don't tend to use Bluesky that much, I strongly recommend checking out my [Quickstart Guide](https://publish.obsidian.md/debbieohi/quickstart) for the basics. Proofread your profile bio text. Include a LINK to where they can find out more about you. - Be aware [there are impersonators out there](https://publish.obsidian.md/debbieohi/impersonator-accts), and (for some bizarre reason) there has been a trend of accounts impersonating book people. I have been duped a bunch of times already, which is one reason I don't automatically follow back someone whose account name I recognize. ## Include the name of your most recent book in your profile bio text. - There's no one right way to write profile bios, of course, and I've seen many well-known book creators just have a pithy clever one-liner for a profile bio that doesn't mention their books at all. HOWEVER, if you are someone like me who *isn't* necessarily well known and doesn't assume everyone keeps up with what I'm working on, then do consider including that info your profile bio. - Another reason for making sure your profile bio has useful info: if people casually mention you in a post or reply but don't give specific info (e.g. "@yourname wrote a book about that, I think"), curious users may click over to take a look at your Bluesky profile. If they aren't already familiar with you or if they're standing in a grocery line with just a few minutes to scroll, they may not want to make the time/effort to search for you online. - If your book title is too long, be sure to include it in your pinned post instead (scroll down for more info about pinned posts). ## Always provide context. Never assume they have read an earlier post. - Assume that your book promo post is being viewed by someone who has never heard of your book before (even one of your followers may have missed your earlier announcements). I see way too many posts that basically say "hey, my book is coming out today!" without mentioning context like the type of book, full author/illustrator info, publisher, TITLE, etc. - In multi-post threads, always include the most important info in the FIRST post of the thread. Most people don't tend to read the full thread. ## Consider using deck.blue to include embedded links I use a 3rd-party Bluesky tool called [deck.blue](https://www.patreon.com/c/deckblue/posts) to include embedded links instead of including the cluttery-looking and character-count-using full links. The browser-based app is best on a desktop computer. For those who used Tweetdeck on Twitter, it's very similar...but does WAY more. ![[Deck.blue_simplfying_links_v2flat600.jpg|500]] In the image above, the first Bluesky post (which I composed right in the native Bluesky browser-based app on my desktop computer) has lots of links that are highlighted blue. The second image shows [the post with the same info BUT with embedded links](https://bsky.app/profile/debbietest.bsky.social/post/3lwjlulkedm2g), after I composed and posted via deck.blue. Note that because the second image doesn't show the actual link URLs, just the clickable link, it looks cleaner and less spammy. I also had extra space I could have used for other info. You can check out the actual second post in the example above in my [Bluesky Test account](https://bsky.app/profile/debbietest.bsky.social/post/3lwjlulkedm2g). ![[HowTo_Deck.blue_AddLinks-v2.jpg|500]] Embedding links means you can squeeze in more info, and provide more options for users to click to external sites if they want to find out more info. Yes, there's a bit of a learning curve BUT it's totally worth it. I use Stack.io to test out my markdown before posting. Deck.blue doesn't implement full markdown and also doesn't let you include unusual characters like @. I usually save any frequently used deck.blue / markdown posts in Stack.io so it's easier to just copy/paste in the future. Note: Because it does a bit of extra effort to create embedded links in deck.blue, I will often just use bare links if I'm creating a one-off post with a single link. ## Include a cover image. - Don't just post a link to an external site like Amazon. Include a cover image to your post (and include alt-text). Also, I encourage you to link to an indie bookstore if possible - or to your book page on indie-friendly sites [Indiebound.org](https://www.indiebound.org/) or [Bookshop.org](https://bookshop.org/) or [uk.bookshop.org](https://uk.bookshop.org/). - Make sure your cover image is high enough quality (I usually opt for 1200 px on the longest side) to not appear blurry when viewed on a desktop computer screen. - Include alt-text. [Here are some examples of alt-text for book covers](https://publish.obsidian.md/debbieohi/alt-text#Alt-text+tips+for+book+people.). - If you are a book blogger who is pointing people to a post where you talk about multiple books, try to include an image that includes all the book covers, then use THAT image with your post. This not only helps boost the books involved even if people don't click through to your post to read it, but also is a more direct way to catch people's attention...especially if they are browsing their feeds on a tiny smartphone screen. ## Include a link to where people can find out more info about the book. - Always try to include a link that enables people to find out more information about your book. Have this link go directly to your book info; don't have it go to your general website and force people to look for the specific book. ## Look for the publisher, author, illustrator etc on Bluesky to @ mention them - Always look for people involved with the book to see if they're on Bluesky, so you can @ mention them. It is ALWAYS worth taking the time, and they may help boost your post. - As a book creator, I am thrilled whenever someone posts something nice about one of my books, or introduced my book to young readers, or spotted my book in a bookshop shelf. - I've heard from some who say "oh, I didn't want to tag them because I don't know if they'd want me to." Please believe me: if you are genuinely trying to help boost awareness of a book that they helped create, they WILL appreciate it. They may share your post to help spread the word. ## Never post photos of young readers without permission. - Please don't post photos that show children's faces unless you are 100% it's okay. - To educators: it's one reason why most authors and illustrators of books get excited when you post about their books and the accompanying image includes your students. Most of us can't do it ourselves. 🙂 I LOVE it when educators or parents post about my books AND images with young readers in them because I know the parents are okay with, they have permission, they obscure the kids' faces with a sticker or blurring, or they take a photo from a camera angle that doesn't show reader faces. ## Get yourself added to Bluesky community starter packs, feeds, and lists - If you'd like to connect with the children's book community on Bluesky, see [[For KidLit Community]] resource page. - If you help boost children's books that are NOT your own, I'm happy to add you to my KidLit/YA Book Booster list. Users on this list have the ability to use the emoji combo 📚👍🏽 to push book recommendation posts to the [KidLit & YA Recommendations feed](https://bsky.app/profile/debbieohi.com/feed/kidlit-ya-recs). To see if you can already post and how to get added to the list if you aren't, [please read this info page](https://blueskyfeedcreator.com/p/debbieohi.com/kidlit-ya-recs) (do NOT just message me to ask to be added). - ![[QRcode_BookBoosts_KidLitYA.jpg|400]] ## Include community tags (but don't over-do it) - If you haven't already been connecting with others on Bluesky over time don't expect people to automatically discover your book promo post. Do your research to find out what tags to include that will reach your target audience. - DON'T overload your post with tags. I'm sure I'm not the only one on Bluesky who finds a tag-heavy post spammy-looking. I know it's common to use a ton of tags on Instagram, but IG posts allow for more text, so people can include their more personal and meaningful content before the tag-spaghetti. - If your book is about cats, for example, include \#CatSky. Baking? \#BakingSky. It is worth taking the time to search for various types of tags to see which are being used. Make sure to also click over to "Recent" (search results default to "Top") and scroll to see which have been recently used. - If you are posting about a children's book, include \#**KidLit** as a tag. This is the most popular tag used by the kidlit community, and will also push your post to the [KidLit Mega Feed](https://briankirbystudio.com/the-kidlit-mega-feed/) on Bluesky if you are one of the approved/moderated lists. - Other tags to consider: \#EduSky to reach educators, \#KidLit (as I mentioned earlier), \#MGLit (middle grade) or \#YALit (or \#YA) for young adult. ## If your book is launching that day (or within a few days of your post), use the BookBirthday tag - The \#BookBirthday tag is traditionally used for children's or YA books that are launching on social media. ## Pin a post that includes info about your book - If you haven't already, make an introduction post that includes info about your book. [Pin it](https://publish.obsidian.md/debbieohi/user-profile#Make+an+introductory+post.+Pin+it.). That way, whenever people visit your Bluesky feed, they will see that post first. I try to update my pinned post (make a new post and pin it) every month or so. ## If you are posting about an illustrated book or cover that uses illustration, CREDIT THE ILLUSTRATOR - If you are doing a "cover reveal" and the cover uses any illustration, credit the illustrator. Other people to credit: the person who designed the cover (who may or may not be the illustrator), translator (if book was translated), editor, art director. - Use a reply-thread if you need more space. Tag them if they're on Bluesky. - Not only does this help boost the artist, but it shows people that a HUMAN artist was involved, not art created by generative AI. - Browse the \#PicturesMeanBusiness tag on Bluesky for more info as well as examples. ## To avoid over-loading follower feeds with a book cover, be creative - While it IS important to remind people of what your book cover looks like, I have found that sometimes some creators go overboard around launch time and just start posting the same image over and over again. - To avoid doing this, think of creative ways you can show a book cover instead of JUST the bare cover. Examples of creative book promo photos: selfies of you holding up the book with different backgrounds, young readers with the books, book out in the wild, book on a desk with related objects or bookish things arranged around. ## Post about your process before and after your book launches - Instead of only posting about when your book is launching and pushing everyone to pre-order, putting the effort into providing more interesting content will not only help attract new followers but will likely make it more fun for you to be posting on social media. - Look for ways to make people interested in your book without asking them to buy it. Of course you can do the latter anytime (and should, especially around launch time or for pre-orders) BUT it will get tiring for both you and your followers if all you're doing is pushing people to buy your book. - Just a few examples: post pics of your marked up manuscript pages, your cat or other pet "helping" you in your writing or drawing or editing etc., a photo of you with your critique group or editor or other book people (a chance to help boost them as well!), posting advice for fellow writers or illustrators or book bloggers etc that you've learned from your own experience, etc. ## If someone posts about your book, THANK THEM - If someone takes the time to post something nice about your book, be sure to THANK them, especially if the post clearly took time to put together. I also try very hard to take the time to click through to their profile to see their content and, if I'm interested in most of their posts (e.g. not constant rage-posting), I'll follow them back. - If you thank people, they are more likely to want to help promote your books in the future. Example: Several times, I have put together a nice post recommending people following a certain high-profile kidlit-focused person on Bluesky because of their excellent content as well as promoting their book. The person Likes those posts but never acknowledges in any other way, and does not follow me on Bluesky. Of course I will continue to sometimes recommend her account and her books as I have over the years, but I do confess it does make me want to put my (limited) book-boosting energy into supporting others. - I am aware that sometimes people miss posts that mention them; I know I have! If I've put extra effort into saying something nice about someone in my blog etc, am not sure they saw it AND I believe they would want to know, I will (benevolently) let them know. Note: I never expect someone on another social media platform to come check out a platform where they are no longer active. ## Avoid having a feed that is just self-promo. - If you have a broadcast feed (posting and rarely or never interacting with others on the platform) and are just posting self-promo, you are less likely to get people to follow your account UNLESS they are already fans of your work. - If you DO just have a broadcast/self-promo feed, make that clear in the account description. Example: In addition to my main [@debbieohi.com](https://bsky.app/profile/debbieohi.com) account, I also have a [work-only broadcast account](https://bsky.app/profile/work.debbieohi.com). Do you have a different perspective? Any other tips? Feel free to post in [this community thread of suggestions from book creators on Bluesky](https://bsky.app/profile/debbieohi.com/post/3lq35t2oits2c).