I think anyone who has been involved in either creating or consuming book social media recently has noticed how the algorithm, and as such your bookish content, has changed. This has been a big topic of discussion online recently.

Traditionally, in all aspects, social media platforms prioritized engagement in the form of likes and comments, and especially valued creators and their community interacting back and forth. In the book world, we would see lots of book specific reviews, including book posts or videos with detailed reviews to drive in depth discussion. As I started making bookish content last year, my goal was always to talk about books and bookish topics while building a community of book lovers who enjoyed discussion and community at the core.

Over time, the algorithms are changing more and more to prioritizing shares, reposts, and saves, driving content to be more quick hit and less in depth. You see it in "yes/no/maybe" videos, or list based content (here are my top 7 books to read on a rainy Tuesday). And while I enjoy - and consume - this type of content, I do notice an overall trend of creators avoiding in depth content due to performance.

This is one of the reasons I was so excited to sign up as a tastemaker for Bindery - Bindery is not algorithm driven. You follow a tastemaker, you see what they post, and it is all about books and bookish discussion. I'm going to be leaning into posting on here more as we go down the road, and especially with my book reviews. It's also one of the reasons I love the Discord server associated with this page - seeing people interacting, reviewing and discussing books, and forming buddy reads through the server in addition to our book club has really been something I have enjoyed, and I have loved seeing our community grow and evolve.

I have always loved in depth book reviews, and they remain an integral part of my content (I usually post 1-2 a week). I love hearing why a book worked or didn't work for someone, and I love talking with my community about the books I review. So down the road, all of my reviews will be cross posted here, along with my in depth write up so you can interact with them however you like.

And, if you like in depth, you should consider joining as a member. My Dark Travelers get weekly reading updates where I deep dive what I've been reading that week, along with a chat about a book topic I have been considering that week usually related to my reads. This is in addition to picking a book a month to read and discuss with me!

So if you like depth, community, and talking books, I'd love to have you as a part of the Doc of the Dark Arts community here on Bindery and our Discord server!