Creator Guide: How to Create Amazing Bookish Flatlays + Bookish Lifestyle Content, Part One: Finding the Perfect Background
Last week, there was bookish drama on Threads. Ok, let’s be real, there’s always some type of bookish drama on Book Threads. I usually ignore it, but I actually felt like I had something useful to add this time. So what was it? People were understandably upset they didn’t get into a popular publisher’s book influencer program. The publisher’s account actually replied with helpful feedback of what they were looking for from Creators (book flatlays and bookish lifestyle content, and not just graphics), and some people lost their minds because they didn’t create that type of content and still felt entitled to be part of the program because they wanted free books. Ok, I’m inserting that last part, but it’s a good inference. I have to give major props to the publisher because it’s honestly the first time I’ve ever seen a publisher actually give feedback to creators about specific types of content they ideally want created to highlight their books. And I was subsequently horrified at how rude and entitled some people were.
As a marketer of 18+ years, I’m going to share a hard truth: at the end of the day, these publishers are businesses, and they’re not in the business of giving away free books. They’re here to raise awareness and sell those books. And these influencer programs we all love to be part of (myself included) are created to do the same. Yes, it’s a major perk to get a free book or ARC, but no one is entitled to them. I fear some creators forget this. Ok, now that’s out of the way, let’s create your best chance of getting into a program in the future! It can be super intimidating if you’re just starting out on Bookstagram, and you see all of these beautifully aesthetic grids, and you have no idea where to start. Backgrounds, props, photo editing?
This new series is for bookish Creators and Authors who are wanting to up their photography and bookish flatlay content. Whether you’re looking to apply to book influencer programs in the future or you’re simply wanting to up your content game and learn more photo styling tips, I’ve got you. I’m including authors in this because I see so many authors talk about how they hate actually marketing their books, or they don’t feel confident creating content for social media. So hopefully this guide will inspire you and make it seem a little less daunting.
And if you’re like, hey, I’d rather watch a tutorial than read it, you’re in luck: I’ve also started sharing this as a video series on my Booktok and Bookstagram. I should also note, this is NOT exclusive to physical books you own. You can take great flatlays with audiobooks on your phone, ebooks on your Kindle/Boox, or even library books. There’s no shaming here if you don’t have a huge collection of physical books and I would hate to have that stop anyone from creating beautiful flatlays and lifestyle content.
First things first, you do not have to have a fancy camera, and can absolutely take beautiful photos on your phone, but for those who are interested in the type of camera set up I have, I typically shoot on my Sony alpha 7iii with a Zeiss 55mm prime lens, and I edit primarily in Lightroom with my own custom presets. So where do you even begin?! Let’s start with backgrounds, the foundation of your flatlay. Here are eight tips to get you started:
Use what you have
Your floor is a great starting point if you want to spend zero money on your background. I have textured cement floors and I use them often as my background base. But if you have tile, wooden floors, etc. this is a great place to start.
Shoot in natural lighting
Sneaking this one in because it actually affects your photos and the background so much if it’s not properly lit. ProTip: I personally shoot my photos a little darker, so I can have more light to play with in editing. If you’re shooting RAW, I’d always recommend this. If you’re shooting on your phone, adjusting the lighting toggle before you shoot is always a good idea.
Local Art Stores will be your best friend. Head to the homemade paper section.
You can get absolutely STUNNING homemade papers that work fantastically as backgrounds. They’re usually all under $10 and grabbing a couple of these will completely level up your flatlays and lend a consistency to your grid. You’ll see a brown and black moody one I’ve used for years all over my feed.
Stick-on wallpaper on some foam board.
This is one of my favorite affordable options! It’s super inexpensive, and there are so many options to choose from. I personally love marble wallpaper like this. You just need the wallpaper and a piece of large foam board from the arts and craft store.
Large scarves
If you love the idea of playing with patterns, large silk and polyester scarves are amazing! You can drape them and create texture to your photo, and they’re fun to change up your grid backgrounds.
Something unexpected like a dress or robe from your closet (formal dresses work great!)
I love an unexpected moment, and heading to your closet for something that matches or contrasts the cover of the book you’re going to shoot, is so much fun…and FREE! I used a green satin gown I had for my St. Patrick’s Day book stack this year, and it turned out so great! You’d never know this was a dress.
Fabric tablecloths
This is probably something you have stuffed in a drawer or credenza that you pull out once a year for Christmas or Thanksgiving, and it can be a fantastic base to your photo. You have a lot more material to work with typically, and it’s fun to create layers and ripples with the fabric.
Stick on tiles to put on foam boards or floor samples
This is especially a great option if you want to take more lifestyle content and have a vertical background as well. Again, you can grab them fairly cheaply like this green one from Amazon.
I hope this was helpful, gave you a little inspiration and confidence to get started, and be sure to come back for part two where I’ll be diving into props—where to find them, make them, and how to place them. If you’ve already got the flatlay content down and you want to share any of your own tips, drop them in the comments!
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*P.S. If you end up getting any items through an Affiliate link above, you’ll be helping me support this site and newsletter. Thanks in advance for supporting a fellow bookworm! BTW, I will always disclose affiliate links when they’re present. :) Happy reading!