recently, i became obsessed with making aesthetic posts for my favorite books. i’d only seen a few before creating my own, but those were usually entire accounts dedicated to the concept. when i saw a fellow blogger (@thebookvoyagers) make some on twitter, i was inspired to create my own (and now there are a ton of others making it as well, so THAT’S EXCITING).
THE WINNER'S CURSE, by @marierutkoski
"Isn't that what stories do, make real things fake, and fake things real?" pic.twitter.com/tsUMMP0pMD
— alexandra (@twirlingpages) April 6, 2016
what is an aesthetic post?
aesthetic posts can also be known as mood boards. however, the difference between mood boards and aesthetics is that mood boards could be very vast; aesthetic posts are usually only four pictures (well, on twitter, anyway). you can make these for nearly anything – people, music, astrology, personalities, concepts… you get the idea. bookish ones are generally based on novels or characters in books.
how do i make one?
these are actually incredibly easy to make because all you really need to do is find pictures. (the only reason why i feel a bit icky when creating these posts is because the photos aren’t mine and the sources of photographers are hard to find.) my number one source for finding pictures is weheartit. the site has a huge variety of nice aesthetic-looking photos but, as i mentioned earlier, the photos aren’t sourced. you can also use pinterest and google, but weheartit is my favorite and also the only site i use.
some tips when searching for photos:
- look up keywords from the book instead of the book title itself (ex: “summer” or “friendship” for SINCE YOU’VE BEEN GONE)
- if you’re using a media platform like weheartit or pinterest (aka not google), create an account and save/heart/pin possible pictures onto your collections
- make sure to be aware of how the colors compliment each other of the four pictures you choose
- search through A LOT of pictures before simply picking and choosing one
- when choosing pictures with people, try to have the models be as true to the characters’ physical attributes as possible (ex: an old man with a beard playing a violin is NOT a close representation of jem carstairs from THE INFERNAL DEVICES even though both play violins)
- be patient and have fun!
THE LOVE THAT SPLIT THE WORLD, by @EmilyHenryWrite
"And because she jumped, our world began." pic.twitter.com/wo3GQcyxoM
— alexandra (@twirlingpages) April 5, 2016
why should i make these?
aside from the fact that they’re super fun to make, aesthetic posts are a great way to promote the book to those who haven’t read it, and allow readers who have read it feel like they’re reliving it. i’ve had a few people tell me they want to read insert-book-here after seeing my post on it. in a way, they’re spoiler-free summaries on the book with images instead of words. but for those who’ve read the book(s), it could feel a bit like a reread or encourage a reread. (i’ve made myself want to reread some books waaaaaay too many times while making these.)
PERCY JACKSON & THE OLYMPIANS, by @camphalfblood
"If my life is going to mean anything, I have to live it myself." pic.twitter.com/dQKFI9Y9AT
— alexandra (@twirlingpages) April 4, 2016
