I have spent years hiding from social media, quietly writing in my own bubble. And then at some point — somewhere between finishing the manuscript and sending it out — I realised that’s only half the job. The other half is having a public presence. A website. An Instagram. A personal brand as an author. My first reaction was mild dread.
Naturally, I started looking at what other writers were doing, and the dread changed into something else. Curiosity, mostly. There are debut authors out there doing this with real craft — building an audience from scratch, starting with nothing. That’s the inspiring part. Terrifying, obviously. But inspiring.
Here are some of my favourite Instagram accounts for writers:
- @joeyjoeybrink is honest, informative, funny. He goes deep on the practical stuff: synopsis craft, what not to post on your social media before a book launch, the details that are hard to find.
- @hannahcallanwrites is a solid all-rounder who balances craft, platform and author life. She has a whole resource section for new authors on building your brand yourself, and her “write a book with me” series is inclusive and personal.
- @juliawrenwrites runs a faceless account built on honest storytelling about trauma and healing.
- @xvictoriawrites is a published author who has great tips on how to build a community. Also, her pink drama meets dark thriller visual is stunning.
- @authorjesslaw has a fun tone that carries all the way through to her writing brand — personality as a consistent through-line.
What hooked me was that they have depth, continuity, and look like they’re actually enjoying themselves. That raised a question: what version of this would I enjoy doing for a year?
I am a storyteller, someone who is radically honest even when it bites me in the ass. I am analytical, elegant, messy. I do not want to do reels just to do reels, but I would love to connect with people — my way. So I came up with this idea of showing what my inner life actually looks like; most of the time, people see me alone in the room, typing away in silence. I wanted to show them what the decision to embark on this hard, nearly impossible journey really looks like from the inside — how it feels to write, to dream, to be lonely in it, and still try to reach my goal, one day at a time. You can see the result of all that on my IG account.
I am a storyteller, someone who is radically honest even when it bites me in the ass.