Getting to know the Author: Julia McLean (Writer, Tiktoker, InstaReeler)
Many influencers, authors, and bookstagrammers yearn to get views on their reels and tiktoks. There are very few who have cracked the code. Julia McLean, I believe is the ultimate codebreaker for the success of reels and TikTok views. Not only will we be talking about the 15-60 second video platform and how to succeed at it, but we will be talking about her writing, and Instagram authordom.
A huge thank you to Julia Mclean for doing this with me. Everyone should go and follow Julia on Instagram and her newsletter. She is an amazing creative bean!
Would you take the title of Authorgram/Bookstagram Reel Queen?
To quote a much-beloved songwriter (especially in the Authorgram community), “We all got crowns.” There are so many great Reel-artists (is that a thing?) in our community, so as long as we understand there are enough crowns to go around, I would be honored to accept the title.
Do you think Reels are a fad or do you think that more authors should utilize them to promote themselves?
Everything is a fad if you zoom out far enough (electricity is pretty trendy right now, in the long-term scope of humanity.) I kid but no, I don’t think Reels are going anywhere anytime soon. TikTok is only growing and Facebook/Instagram want a piece of that action.
Plus - they’re entirely too fun to die quickly. There is so much you can do with them that you can’t do with stagnant photos, carousels, or even IGTV.
Should Authors utilize Reels to promote themselves?
A hundred percent. I do goofy lip-syncing audios most of the time, I occasionally dance, but that’s not everyone’s brand. Luckily, there is a way for every kind of content to work in the medium of Reels and authors are entirely creative enough to figure out how to use it in their best interest.
However you decide to use them, Reels help make your content and your presence online more dimensional, and the more sides of you that people see, the more authentic and real you become to them. And then, BOOM you have a community and friends, not just followers. That’s what we are all going for anyway, isn’t it?
What is your favorite caption to put on your posts?
I don’t reuse captions, but I do have a habit of trying (keyword is “trying”) to be witty in my Reel captions followed by whatever emojis suit my mood.
I will say, for regular feed posts, I am actively avoiding long captions. If I have something I want to say that is going to take lots of paragraphs, I turn that into text slides and make a carousel post instead. People are much more likely to read your message in quick bites and large text rather than in a tiny text caption.
P.S. I should add that I am in no way an Instagram or social media expert and anyone who claims they are is likely trying to sell you something. But I have been a communications manager for like a thousand companies and have written original research on social media management for building a community so I have a little more than a rudimentary understanding of it.
What motivates you to do what you love?
Oh, an intense fear of living a life unfulfilled. Equally matched by overwhelming self-efficacy.
I have strong desires to be liked and respected (I’m an enneagram 3 if that tells you anything), but at the end of the day, the person I am trying to impress is myself. I am always my harshest critic, but I am also my own biggest supporter. I want my life to be everything I hope and dream and wish for because there is no reason why it can’t or shouldn’t be.
What genre do you write?
Sci-fi/fantasy with a dystopian edge. For now.
What’s your favorite thing about writing?
Writing is one of the few things in my life where I can find a state of flow. It uses every part of my brain, especially my emotions and my critical thinking which don’t always work in tandem. My mind is a chaotic place to be, constantly roaring with anxieties and excitement and worries. But something about running at full capacity quiets all that background noise.
What inspires you to write?
Other stories. Other writers. The way books changed my life. The hope that my words could have a positive influence on the world. The thought that a little girl, like myself, will hold a flashlight under her covers to finish my book. The idea that my book could change the world. The reality that writing this book, without it even being published yet, has changed my world. The fact that no career has ever felt more right than calling myself an author.
What is your book about?
Empyrean: The Variety
By J.A. McLean
Batya doesn’t want to have so many questions, she just wants to disappear.
Luckily, the Variety reassigns her to the cavalry and that is exactly what she is going to get. A life just barely on the grid - close enough to keep her fed and clothed but far enough away to keep her last assignment out of mind.
But, as Batya and her horseback crew journey farther from Variety HeadQuarters, her questions only multiply. This time, she can’t leave them unanswered. The soul of humanity is at stake.
Do we get to see your favorite tropes in your book?
Oh yeah. Here they are:
The main character is the worst and the side characters are all better people.
Stubborn horse as comedic relief.
Love triangle.
Do you have any advice for creators who want to do reels, but don’t have any confidence or even creators who have confidence, but don’t have any ideas for reels?
Oh my Lanta, yes I do. For those who are struggling with confidence, a few things to remember:
No one really cares. I mean this in the most loving way - people are not thinking about you as much as you are thinking about yourself.
The world needs you. YOU. Exactly you as you are. Don’t feel the need to be something you are not.
If you are camera shy, there are a million ways to still do reels without being on camera. Start small.
For those who are struggling with ideas:
Liar. You do have an idea you’re just scared it's not good enough. It is. Trust me. Post it.
Scroll through reels from other industries with your thinking cap on. You’ll find cool ways to apply reel ideas/audios to your work.
Still, stuck? Fine, I’ll give you some freebies:
Do an introduction post that says who you are, where you write, books/authors that inspire you, and what you’re working on. You can talk or you can just point to text and throw some music on it. (If you want to get fancy, there are even audios for this!)
Record yourself making a cup of coffee or tea, make it pretty, put some music on it, and then type in a nice writing quote.
Record yourself going on a walk. Literally, just show us your feet and some sidewalk. Maybe pan up to some flowers if you find any. Overlay music and add your favorite quote that you’ve written.
Take a still picture (a pretty one) of some books or a notebook or some coffee or something that fits your #aesthetic. Then, overlay text that introduces us to your MC.
And for those who still don’t want to do Reels, I have one word for you: don’t. You know what’s best for you and if you don’t want to spend your time on Reels, don’t. To each their own!
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