Have the gorgeous graphics on our social media pages made your jaw drop? You can thank our social media coordinator, Raegyn Oliver, for that!
Raegyn joined the Ballast and Blue Balloon family in October 2025 after graduating summa cum laude from Lipscomb University with a BA in psychology and minors in English and studio art. When she’s not hyping up authors and new releases on our socials, you can find her crafting stories about vampires, debutantes, and all things villainous. She took a break from sharing posts to share a bit about her life offline and why she loves working in publishing!
You majored in psychology and minored in English and studio art. Of those three passions, why did you choose to pursue a career most aligned with English? Did you always know you wanted to work in publishing?
I didn’t realize I wanted to work in publishing until I took a creative writing fiction class in college. From that first workshop, it felt like a slow, irresistible pull. I fell in love with writing and with helping my classmates revise their stories. As we brainstormed new ideas, a bubble surrounded us. We forgot the outside world and shared a sacred space together. We became detectives investigating new worlds and new characters. It was pure magic, and I knew I wanted to pursue a career that would let me experience that feeling time and time again.
You’re often the face of Ballast and Blue Balloon on our socials. What goes into a content creation day? Where do you draw inspiration for your posts?
For me, every day is a content creation day. The first lesson I learned when I started creating content was that social media requires extensive planning. I start every week by completing a social media calendar, planning what content I’ll post two weeks in advance. Then, I create the content two days before it’s scheduled to be shared. This method gives the team plenty of time to review the content and me time to edit it based on their feedback.
My favorite sources for content inspiration are the Bookstagram and BookTok communities. The best piece of advice I received from another content creator is to post what you love, so that’s what I do. In my free time, I scroll through Instagram to see what other influencers in the book and writing communities share. As a publisher, we want to reach more readers and aspiring authors through our socials, so it’s smart to pay attention to what captures our target audience.
Our authors may not know that you’re not only a social media maven—you’re a writer too! What kind of stories do you write? Which piece are you proudest of?
I write new adult fantasy and science fiction brimming with messy drama, tender romance, and a dash of magic. Ghouls, debutantes, and all things villainous are my bread and butter.
My short story “The Wicked Interview” will always hold a special place in my heart. It’s a modern fairy tale that explores life after undergrad, toxic relationships, and finding your voice. I fell in love with the characters I met while building that world and hope to turn it into a novel someday. I can’t wait to finally put the wedding crash scene of my dreams on the page.
The piece I know I’ll soon be proudest of is my novel in progress, The Unmaking of Frey Astor. I can’t reveal too much, as I’m still drafting, but I will say it combines my greatest loves: regency drama, rivals-to-lovers, betrayal, and espionage. My goal is to finish the first draft by the start of next year, so stay tuned.
It’s time to get real. What’s your screen time?
On average, my daily usage is 14 hours and 15 minutes across all my devices.
What kind of content do you personally gravitate toward on social media?
On Instagram, I tend to gravitate toward traditional book reviews and funny skits that reenact scenes from books I’ve read or share jokes only readers will understand. Lately, I’ve also been enjoying behind-the-scenes content from authors, where they discuss their writing process, show what it’s like to be published, and answer questions about the publishing industry. For years, there’s been a veil over publishing, and as an aspiring author, I want to soak up as much information as I can.
How has working as a social media coordinator influenced your relationship with social media when you’re off the clock?
I definitely have more respect for content creators and the work they do. Social media requires more creativity, strategy, and time than people realize. Now, when I scroll after work, I notice the techniques influencers use to make their content engaging, such as strong hooks and smooth transitions.
It’s hard to pick just one, but what would you say is your absolute favorite part of your job?
There are many aspects of my job that I love, but the one that truly makes me smile is helping our authors build their platforms and brands. I’ll never forget the first author I coached. She had no social media presence and no idea where to start. During my first few weeks with the company, I coached her on creating her social media accounts, what content to post, and the best strategies to grow her brand. Now, she’s a true influencer, with nearly a thousand followers and content that has over twenty thousand views. I couldn’t be prouder of her and can’t wait to see how she continues to excel.
What’s one piece of advice you’d give our authors when it comes to social media?
The best piece of advice I can offer is to follow your favorite authors on social media and pay attention to the kind of posts they share. Ask yourself: Which posts capture your attention? Which are your favorites? That’s a great way to find inspiration for your own content without feeling overwhelmed.
Bonus tip: Don’t be afraid to show viewers who you are as an author and a person. Your followers are your community. As a follower, I want to know what you’re reading, your favorite genres, and whether we’re obsessed with the same tropes. I want to get a sense of your personality and what you’re like on and off camera. If we have similar tastes, I’m much more likely to engage with you and buy the book you’ve been promoting.
When you’re not cheering on our authors online, what do you like to do for fun?
When I’m not creating content or writing, you can usually find me in a bookstore or movie theater, exploring fictional worlds alongside friends, foes, and wizards. I love traveling to different countries, trying new restaurants and local haunts—especially boba shops—and occasionally cosplaying at anime conventions. If I’m nowhere to be found, simply whisper that you’re watching Once Upon a Time or Charmed and I’ll appear within minutes.
Before you get back to designing your latest killer graphic, we’re handing you the mic! What’s one thing you’d like our authors to know about you?
During my free time, I intern for a local literary agency, where I review manuscript submissions. My love of storytelling sneaks into anything I have a hand in, and I’m glad that I can still be a detective investigating new worlds in my design work with Ballast Books and my literary work with the agency.
Now that you know more about me, it shouldn’t surprise you that some of my favorite submissions have been speculative, romantic, and character driven. If you ever need a beta reader or an extra set of eyes, I’m your girl.