Insta Novels is a completely innovative use of the Instagram Stories platform. By developing what is essentially an e-reader for social media, Insta Novels introduces a new set of behaviors to audiences and thereby additional media opportunities for the future of Instagram. Consumer engagement with Insta Novels also creates longer usage sessions with the platform. The project has boundless potential incentivize how literature and continuing knowledge is consumed through one of the most popular media platforms of today.

In 2016, 80% of U.S. teens reported consuming digital content online daily, versus only 20% who reported reading a book, magazine or newspaper. This 20% figure is the lowest ever recorded. It’s a conversation heard all too often: technology, and in particular social media, is the enemy – a modern pollutant dumbing down people’s intelligence. So at a time when many believe we’re witnessing the death of literature at the hands of social media, it would seem counterintuitive for a library to embrace a digital-first philosophy. And yet, that’s exactly what we did. Rather than resist the tidal wave of change, The New York Public Library wanted to meet teenagers, with great stories, exactly where those teens already were: on their phones.

To solve this problem we created InstaNovels; bringing the world’s greatest novels to Instagram Stories. We uploaded full books directly into Instagram Stories, complete with unique and engaging design elements. The program created an entirely new experience in e-reading, one that mimics the familiarity of paperback novel but for today’s audience.

First, we selected pieces of classic literature that would resonate with today’s teens. We then worked with Insta-famous illustrators to reimagine the ‘book-art’ for our digital audience. Once the Insta Novel was complete, we saved each title to the Library’s Instagram Highlights, thereby turning the feature into a digital bookshelf that anyone could access, any time.

The goal of Insta Novels always was to engage more people on Instagram with some of the world's most iconic pieces of literature. The project was brought to life through a truly collaborative spirit and the shared goal of spreading free and public access to learning. To launch Insta Novels, we created a short animated video for each title, which doubled as a program tutorial. We promoted the project organically through press and social platforms, for a total media spend of $0, the same price as a library card.

The Insta Novels program is a simple idea: the full book is uploaded directly into Instagram Stories, complete with unique and engaging design elements. The program created an entirely new experience in e-reading, one that mimics the familiarity of a paperback novel but for a digital-savvy consumer. From the color of the page, to the placement of the thumb rest, to the soundtrack, we thoughtfully sweat over every detail of this new format with an actual reader in mind. The background is a warmer white that’s easy to read on screen, and the font is Georgia, a typeface that pays homage to the history of the written word in both print and digital. Readers rest their thumbs on the screen to hold the page. They lift their thumbs to turn the page. The thumb holder also doubles as a flipbook: if readers lets the book run they see an animation.

Our user response the day Insta Novels was released exceeded any of our wildest expectations. Clearly, people were ready to read something with more substance on Instagram. Since Insta Novels launched, @NYPL’s Instagram following grown over 80%, exposing 155,000 more people to The Library’s efforts for continuing education. To date, over 300,000 Insta Novels have been read. With our focus on the future, we’re now in conversations with Instagram to have the platform optimized for long-form content and literature. While we seem to have found a new home for literature, we know the work here is not done. But at least the future of books isn’t an open and shut case.