3 Things Readers ACTUALLY Want from Author Instagram Reels

Going viral or gaining thousands of followers might FEEL like the ultimate author win, but you don’t actually need to do either of those things in order to connect with YOUR readers.

You also don’t need to show your face, do silly dances (unless you want to, of course!!!), or use only trending audio in your Reels.

We had the chance to learn from Q&C member, thriller author, and Reel Queen, Saleema Ishq who unabashedly breaks ALL the social media ‘rules.’ She showed us that creating and posting Reels can actually be a really fun process.

Saleema shared the 3 big things she believes readers want from content:

📚 BOOKISH THINGS

Readers love book-related content, so show off your shelf, desk, offer reading recommendations, book-related crafts, etc. Stock videos are fantastic for this!

• 5 Book Quotes That Tugged on My Heartstrings
• 3 Most Relatable Characters Ever 
• The 5 Books That Changed How I See the World

💌 More about YOU

Yes, you! Share your hobbies, pets, struggles, and wins, but ONLY what you feel comfortable sharing.

• How a Reader’s Message Made My Day

•  Meet My Pets

• A Day in My Life 

✏️ Storytelling

You’re a storyteller at heart, so take your viewers on a journey through your spoken words or visuals and music.

• Share a funny thing that happened to you lately
• Share a story through images and music (no need to show your face to talk to the camera!)
• The Moment I Knew I Wanted to Be a Writer

If you use any of these options (or are inspired by them to create your own spin!), please do tag @quillandcup in your post, Reel, or carousel, so we can put it up in OUR stories! Who knows which of our 3,550 followers will want to connect with you?!

Doing anything for the first time feels uncomfy and vulnerable, so you can expect creating your first (or first ten) Reels to feel the same. However, if your gut is telling you ‘this really isn’t me,’ then don’t do force it! Reels certainly aren't necessary for a successful and fulfilling author career, but if you want to try them, we're here to support you. Our CEO and cofounder Ania Ray dropped a few mindset nuggets in the video posted above, specifically about when it's recommended to lean into that vulnerable space and when it might be better to keep some things private (hint: it depends WHY you're sharing what you're sharing).

Saleema recommends finding a method that makes you giddy. For her, this is unique video transitions, but for you it might be timelapse videos of your writing process, video mood boards dedicated to each character, or something else! We get into the technical stuff, app insights, and more in Saleema's hour-long webinar on How to Make Reels Engaging for Your Readers. The webinar replay is available for our Quill & Cup members! Want to watch it? You can claim your free 7 day trial here and hop on our Member Website for access!

If you'd like to be inspired by other authors who are crushing the Instagram Reel game, we suggest you check out Rain Sullivan, Jeneva Rose, and Lauren Dallas!

Finally, we'll end with a gentle reminder that you can and should experiment to find what resonates with your unique readers, but only do what is cup-filling and feels authentic to and for YOU.

Quill & Cup is a fiercely supportive community that serves women from all around the world who commit to showing up to their writing consistently. We commit to calibrating our egos -- mainly, by admitting we're "I don't know" babes. Together, we work through roadblocks in the writing process by leaning into continued education on writing craft and research-based practices for an empowered mindset. We offer members an average of five live learning experiences per month! If you can't make it live, that's no big -- we have over 70 hours of content on craft, mindset, and authorpreneurship available for members in our Webinar Replays Library.

Would you like to learn and be empowered with us?  Start your free 7 day trial today! See you at the table soon, sister! Not quite ready? Sign up for our newsletter below!