Things I'm Not Supposed to Do

It's interesting to discover what people should be and shouldn't be doing when they share about books online. More and more, I feel like there can be a backlash against anything now, to the point where anyone with a passion for books can feel paralyzed in offering their own bookish content.

For the large part, I try to tune out these things because it's ever-changing, and if it's not one thing, it'll be another. I'm sad when people feel stifled due to these capricious "rules" that half (if not more of) the time seem to keep people from excitedly engaging in what they love most.

I'm thankful that I've received immense support from the reading community when I first started out, so I want to encourage anyone who is thinking of jumping in with their personal approach to books by sharing how I practically break the following ten rules covering things from content generation to materials access:

1. I'm not supposed to use Canva for my book posts. Unfortunately, I can only do so much outside of Canva. While I take the majority of the pictures on my Bookstagram account and supplement it with royalty-free stock photography (no copyright infringement here!), I am not a professional photographer and many of my images are imperfect. I also enjoy adding text to my content—especially as a reader—and do not own Photoshop or other software, so I rely on Canva. Should there be anything wrong with people creating personalized templates on Canva and using them to create a brand? No. I think it's a wonderful tool and I'm dismayed that some people are calling out others for using it. AI, on the other hand, is entirely different, but people shouldn't be shamed for using what's available to make their creativity come to life.
2. I'm not supposed to show pictures of my home library. If a home library consists of having more than a certain number of books, then yes, I'm guilty of that. Even if I think anyone can have a home library with less than a dozen books, it's so bizarre that online strangers feel the right to dictate what people can own. Does having plenty of books mean that I expect others to follow suit? Absolutely not! Why should what others own or don't own affect the enjoyment of what I have? Does having my own library also preclude me from making use of the public library or Kindle Unlimited? Again, no. It's disappointing that some readers are creating false judgments of people who enjoy supporting authors by treating their consumption as an either-or proposition as opposed to both-and. I can own books and make use of free or low-cost alternatives to access reading without making a judgment call on which is better than the other.
3. I'm not supposed to share book reviews. Okay, this one makes me laugh a little. Just because reviews can drive low engagement online doesn't mean I should stop sharing reviews. Though I haven't been as consistent as I'd like in posting reviews recently, it doesn't mean I need to stop doing what I love just because it's a popular opinion. I completely understand the backlash that readers have faced in sharing honest reviews, getting targeted for them, and deciding to refrain from posting future reviews due to people mistreating them. If that's the case, the poor behaviour they've encountered would be enough to drive anyone from the space. But, if anyone is slowing down reviews because things like reels result in garnering more followers, I think that's a loss to the reading community when others can benefit from encountering diverse reviews.
4. I'm not supposed to read as much as I do. The readers I most appreciate are the ones who celebrate any number of books read in a month/year. The ones I somewhat struggle with? The ones who think that anyone reading a high volume of books is either making it up or "has no life." I've seen many a harsh comment appear when people share that they've read a large number of books, and it can be disheartening when readers are being torn down for no reason. Though I don't see this as much in the Christian reading community, snide comments can still abound and it's hurtful when people feel the need to place themselves above others by way of stating that they are better for having read less. Reading isn't meant to be a comparison and we should all be uplifting each other.
5. I'm not supposed to count audiobooks as books I've read. The amount of controversy this one gets is huge! I don't have much to say other than that I do include audiobooks in my monthly reading count; however, even without them, I still read quite a bit of paper books or ebooks. To be honest, I wish the overall reading community could spend less time telling people what counts and just focus on reading instead 😉
6. I'm not supposed to heartily endorse authors that could later turn out to be problematic and cause me to lose followers. I don't even know where to start with this one. Like I mentioned in The Rise and Fall post, seeing the downfall of authors is becoming commonplace. However, I'm seeing more readers being cancelled or unfollowed just because they happened to like an author's works at one time. There are so many that there isn't a point in mentioning the authors who have fallen out of favour, but I can see how this fallout leads to the fear that authors shouldn't be promoted in case of future misbehaviours. As with anything, whoever or whatever we promote today is generally done in good faith and to transfer an author's transgressions to their readers doesn't make sense, unless that reader continues to condone something harmful. Have I had to add disclaimers to my content after the fact? Yes. But, if I am being punished for simply posting about them in the first place, that seems to be quite excessive and stringent to carry out in this fallen world for all cases of sin. If we were all held to that high standard, theoretically, I shouldn't promote any authors or even take the time to write my own thoughts because I am a sinful person.
7. I'm not supposed to have a lower follow count than a follower count. Apparently, this makes it look like I'm only out to get followers and not actually reciprocate anything by not following people back. These accusations are getting to be pretty astounding, if I may say so! I know there are plenty of people who can follow thousands of accounts, if not more. However, can I genuinely and truly be friends with everyone? I know for a fact that I cannot. It doesn't mean that I won't follow someone back if there has been a relationship built, but it's demanding to insist that I need to follow someone just because they've chosen to follow me. I follow a lot of Christian publishing companies to find out the latest releases and do not expect them to follow me back, much less acknowledge me. The same goes for any account that piques my interest. Is it nice if we can build on that connection? Certainly, but I'm not entitled to it. Likewise, I can't follow everyone back because it would take away from the relationships I've established where I want to have the time to pray for people and know what's happening in their lives. Judging others by their follow counts takes away from their desire to cultivate and curate good relationships.
8. I'm not supposed to be a faceless account. I really don't know who determines these social dictates, but I hope you can begin to see just how cumbersome and plentiful they are! Could I improve transparency by showing my face? I'm sure that would go a long way. But must I if I don't want to compromise my privacy and even, in this day and age, safety? I like to think that I'm still authentic in everything I share even if there isn't a name or face attached. I can at least vouch that everything I've written has been completely original, and therefore, reflective of who I am. I also question why people have become so exacting in their requirements for people to just be online. It feels like we have traded the illusion of freedom for a thinly veiled form of control where conformity is still expected and rewarded, and outliers remain exactly that if we are spelling out the terms for people's mere presence in a space.
9. I'm not supposed to bypass the free books I can get by being an ARC reviewer, etc. This one is something I naturally can't help. I don't tend to review secular books and I live in a different country than most people who can obtain free PR boxes and books. Saying that, it's always a gift when an author does choose to grant me a copy of their book, whether in paper copy or a digital format. I'm a little concerned that there are many accounts that tell people how to "score" as many free books and packages as possible. Books are a labour of love and I don't think any author has to feel compelled to give them out, especially if readers are only trying to add to their collection without necessarily reading or reviewing the book (or much to my horror, selling them for ridiculous sums of money). The focus on readers getting all that they can doesn't sit right with me, which is why I try to limit how many ARCs I request so that I can—slowly—make my way through them and not take advantage of the generosity of authors and publishers. In fact, I would say that I've likely bought about a quarter to a third of the books that I've been given once they've been published because I want to support authors. I'm not in this space to take advantage of anyone or to profit off others. In fact, it's probably costing me somwhat just to ensure that I can put out reviews of good books 😅
10. I'm not supposed to just use my own public library to access books. Sorry, but this is one that I won't budge on, unless there is a library system that is begging for non-residents to sign up through their system so that they can have a further demand on their resources and limited budgets (in other words, I'm not buying that unless proven otherwise). I have friends who belong to different library systems because they have multiple residences, so to me, that's a pass because they're paying property taxes in more than one jurisdiction, but this is not the case for many people. I don't know what has happened to readers feeling that they are entitled to books the moment they are released, but having access to a boatload of digital libraries strains accessibility for local readers. I already wait long enough for my own library that I can't imagine putting holds on books in other libraries that I'm not a resident of, combined with everyone else who is doing the same thing. Whatever happened to being an ethical reader? If I supposedly have time to game the system, I would much rather buy the book and support the author instead of making everyone wait on me. I may be in the minority on this position, but ultimately, I answer to God for how I obtain my books. (Some library systems may not have a restriction on residency, in which case, I admire their budget to handle such an influx of readers. Digital copies are not cheap, so if this is the loophole that readers have found, it's more a reflection on the library itself that they can accommodate that many readers and expenses. But if you're lying about where you live, that's another story.)

I don't share these things to solely focus on how discouraging it can be to have an online presence. I more share this list to indicate that there is no end to the extent of pleasing others or trying to fit into a flawed system. I acknowledge that I'll always have a small presence precisely because I don't follow these "rules," yet I don't want to stop doing what I enjoy, whether it's discussing good books or how I strive to be an ethical reader over being a popular reader.

If anything, I hope this shows that anyone can buck the trends and still have fun. The reading community is meant to broadcast how life-giving books can be and I pray that for Christian readers, we can keep doing what God has called us to do in affirming the books that point back to Him, regardless of what people are complaining about or are scheming to do. There will always be something that we're not supposed to do, and as long as it is not in violation of what God tells us to do, I think there's plenty of room to experiment and be who we've been created to be in the reading space.