What do you think?
Rate this book
Swipe Up for More!: Inside the Unfiltered Lives of Influencers
An unfiltered, colorful romp through the IRL world of influencers that spills the tea on the multibillion-dollar industry of content creation.
If you’re anything like journalist Stephanie McNeal—aka, a millennial woman—you spend hours every day indulging in Instagram’s infinite scroll. The influencers on the platform aren’t just providing eye candy; these tastemakers impact how we cook, consume, parent, decorate, think, and live. But what exactly is going on behind the curtain of the perfectly curated Instagram grids we obsess over the most?
Through intimate, funny, and vulnerable reporting, McNeal takes us through the looking glass and into the secretive real world of three major fashion and lifestyle juggernaut Caitlin Covington of Southern Curls & Pearls, runner and advocate Mirna Valerio, and OG “mommy blogger” Shannon Bird. Swipe Up For More! is based on three years of unprecedented, fly-on-the-wall access that offers a rare glimpse into how these influencers build their empires, struggle with the haters and snarkers, fight for creative control from the tech platforms that enable their businesses, parent in public, and try to look good while doing it.
Along the way, McNeal answers burning questions, Why are there so many Mormon mommy influencers? What is it like to work for a popular influencer? What do they do with all the free swag? How do brand partnerships work? And how much money do they really make?
Irresistible, juicy, and voyeuristic, Swipe Up For More! reveals all about the women some love to hate (and many actually, secretly, genuinely love).
If you’re anything like journalist Stephanie McNeal—aka, a millennial woman—you spend hours every day indulging in Instagram’s infinite scroll. The influencers on the platform aren’t just providing eye candy; these tastemakers impact how we cook, consume, parent, decorate, think, and live. But what exactly is going on behind the curtain of the perfectly curated Instagram grids we obsess over the most?
Through intimate, funny, and vulnerable reporting, McNeal takes us through the looking glass and into the secretive real world of three major fashion and lifestyle juggernaut Caitlin Covington of Southern Curls & Pearls, runner and advocate Mirna Valerio, and OG “mommy blogger” Shannon Bird. Swipe Up For More! is based on three years of unprecedented, fly-on-the-wall access that offers a rare glimpse into how these influencers build their empires, struggle with the haters and snarkers, fight for creative control from the tech platforms that enable their businesses, parent in public, and try to look good while doing it.
Along the way, McNeal answers burning questions, Why are there so many Mormon mommy influencers? What is it like to work for a popular influencer? What do they do with all the free swag? How do brand partnerships work? And how much money do they really make?
Irresistible, juicy, and voyeuristic, Swipe Up For More! reveals all about the women some love to hate (and many actually, secretly, genuinely love).
272 pages, Hardcover
Published June 6, 2023
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 325 reviews
July 25, 2023
2.5 star read for me. I picked up this book after seeing it on Goodreads and bookstagram and thought it sounded entertaining - and on the surface, entertaining it was. This book is more like a reality TV show that goes through the stories of the rise and success of certain influencers. I thought it was going to be more about the influencer industry as a whole and the toxic consequences it has on society and it definitely was NOT this. In fact McNeal is pretty pro-influencer, to the point where she seemed to be defending and victimizing white women (she spends a lot of time on Mormon moms) influencers who utilized the police for menial assistance and don’t know how to speak up about social and political issues. That’s where I started to veer away from enjoying this book. McNeal shares at the end that the point of this book is to convey that influencers matter, from how they influence what shoes you buy to educating on certain social injustices, and I can’t deny that this is true. I just wish that McNeal had been more realistically critical of many of these women (though definitely not ALL influencers!) and the role they play in pushing for consumerism and unattainable ideals.
This book is entertaining if you don’t want to go deeper into the influence of social media and just want to hear some fluffy stories of how certain influencers came to be. If you want to be critical, this book might make you a bit irritated.
This book is entertaining if you don’t want to go deeper into the influence of social media and just want to hear some fluffy stories of how certain influencers came to be. If you want to be critical, this book might make you a bit irritated.
June 28, 2023
A one-dimensional and unserious look at an industry that needs some serious in-depth reporting and scrutiny. We all have our favorite influencers, and I was looking forward to learning more about the industry in which my favorites operate. This book won’t give you that.
July 12, 2023
Dang, this was fun. So nice to read about influencers from someone who really did their research.
(I keep getting questions about whether a non-influencer would enjoy this book - yes, definitely! It's written for non-influencers for sure!).
(I keep getting questions about whether a non-influencer would enjoy this book - yes, definitely! It's written for non-influencers for sure!).
July 24, 2023
DNF at 30%. Can’t imagine this book getting better. This is a puff piece about influencers and how gosh darn hard they work! Nothing about this book feels authentic, it’s like a too-long magazine column. Mini sanitized profiles of popular influencers and how they got to be famous! No further insights beside “This is a hard job, and no one takes it seriously.” Maybe it gets more illuminating later on in the book, but I’m too bored to try.
June 19, 2023
We’re surrounded by influencers these days. Looking for OOTD inspiration, a new book to pick up, a family friendly recipe , a Watertok creation, makeup tips, it’s all available with a click of a few buttons. The perks of social media.
I started Basic B’s Guide with the intention of connecting with others but little did I know that sometimes that’s easier said than done. The haters gonna hate and IG is going to continue to mess with us. Also, being my authentic self doesn’t necessarily mean I have to share absolutely EVERYTHING. I, like many of you, provide value and should be worth compensating.
I encourage you to listen (she narrates) McNeals insiders look into the evolution of influencers. It’s encouraging, full of 🫖, insightful as well as helpful for those that may not fully understand the ins and outs of the industry.
I also encourage you to support the influencers you enjoy. Many of them pour hours and hours of their time into creating content. That might include; sharing their content with others, commenting and liking, buying them a coffee or subscribing to their content.
Creativity is limitless and I’m excited to see a further evolution of support for those creators that are providing enormous value to us all.
I started Basic B’s Guide with the intention of connecting with others but little did I know that sometimes that’s easier said than done. The haters gonna hate and IG is going to continue to mess with us. Also, being my authentic self doesn’t necessarily mean I have to share absolutely EVERYTHING. I, like many of you, provide value and should be worth compensating.
I encourage you to listen (she narrates) McNeals insiders look into the evolution of influencers. It’s encouraging, full of 🫖, insightful as well as helpful for those that may not fully understand the ins and outs of the industry.
I also encourage you to support the influencers you enjoy. Many of them pour hours and hours of their time into creating content. That might include; sharing their content with others, commenting and liking, buying them a coffee or subscribing to their content.
Creativity is limitless and I’m excited to see a further evolution of support for those creators that are providing enormous value to us all.
June 17, 2023
I’m not sure what I was expecting from this book but I do think it fell a bit flat and felt very surface level to me.
July 25, 2023
I found this book to be too fan-girly. I found the writing to be a little embarrassing at times- it almost feels like the author is trying to suck up to influencers throughout the book. She writes as if women aren’t capable of thinking for themselves at all.
July 17, 2023
This book was embarrassing.
August 10, 2023
This was more surface level than I wanted, and also had a more “pro-influencer” slant than I anticipated. Also, listened to the audiobook, and the narrator (the author herself, Stephanie McNeal) had a very faux cheery tone the whole way through that just didn’t land for me.
February 28, 2024
The author attempts to convince the audience that influencers have a positive effect on society and business specifically, and that their lives aren’t always as perfect as they seem on social media.
I was hoping to read a more behind-the-scenes look at influencer lifestyle, however received a surface level description of what the day to day looks like for content creators. I walked away feeling even less empathy for influencers. Learning about how much clothing, baby products, exercise gear etc. these individuals receive, then go on to sell on their individual postmarks to make even more money / just donate is maddening, given there are many people who can’t afford these types of luxuries.
End rant, down with influencer culture.
I was hoping to read a more behind-the-scenes look at influencer lifestyle, however received a surface level description of what the day to day looks like for content creators. I walked away feeling even less empathy for influencers. Learning about how much clothing, baby products, exercise gear etc. these individuals receive, then go on to sell on their individual postmarks to make even more money / just donate is maddening, given there are many people who can’t afford these types of luxuries.
End rant, down with influencer culture.
June 4, 2024
I just wasted my time reading this book and I’m mad about it. Spoiler alert but this author stated at the end that the entire thesis of this book is that “influencers matter.” … thanks for that! This is such white, “girlboss” capitalism feminism and this book doesn’t even TOUCH any aspects of critical thought. The author clearly worships, looks up to, and wants to be these (few) influencers and has NO ability to even reflect on the fact that influencing obviously introduces both unique and age-old problems… I honestly do not understand how the author could spend more time on the mental health of these millionaire influencers and not their impressionable audiences who do not possess the same sort of financial, social or cultural capital/power. Over it!
June 28, 2023
This was a quick, interesting listen about the past present and future of influencer culture by journalist, Stephanie McNeal. Specifically, she spent 3 years with 3 women making a (big) living by sharing their lives on social media - mainly Instagram! I liked hearing about the experiences of these women - all of which got their start as bloggers in the mid 2000s and currently have IG followings of 88k to 1.8 million - and appreciated the throwback to the early years of social sharing as well as the eventual move to affiliate links, sponsored content, etc.*
While I found the book, overall, well done, I do have a couple of beefs (mainly with the way it is described): First, I don't really think three people are enough to really call it an in-depth look at the world of influencers... I didn't know any of the accounts featured in the book, and - though I think the author made an effort to "diversify" by including one fashion influencer, one "Mormon mommy" influencer, and one fitness influencer (who is also BIPOC and plus-sized) - none of them really fit the mold of their niche (for example, Shannon Bird seems VERY different from the Utah mommy bloggers I have followed for years). I don't think this is THE influencer tell all it is marketed as, but it did feel honest, (somewhat) contemplative and (mostly) fun. Worth a library rental imo. 😉
⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ 💫
While I found the book, overall, well done, I do have a couple of beefs (mainly with the way it is described): First, I don't really think three people are enough to really call it an in-depth look at the world of influencers... I didn't know any of the accounts featured in the book, and - though I think the author made an effort to "diversify" by including one fashion influencer, one "Mormon mommy" influencer, and one fitness influencer (who is also BIPOC and plus-sized) - none of them really fit the mold of their niche (for example, Shannon Bird seems VERY different from the Utah mommy bloggers I have followed for years). I don't think this is THE influencer tell all it is marketed as, but it did feel honest, (somewhat) contemplative and (mostly) fun. Worth a library rental imo. 😉
⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ 💫
July 26, 2023
The author's take on social media and the influencers that drive sales, styles, and modern decision-making is, at best, an ode to the influencers and, at worst, a defense of narcissism, child exploitation, and the low value of individuality in society.
Her book focused primarily on three influencers, although she did name-drop many others throughout the book. Of all the names listed, only one was not a CIS white Christian mommy influencer. Most of the women she spent her time with were Morman mom bloggers in Utah. Did no one else want to talk to her?
I was going along for the ride, but she lost me at her ode to Rachel Hollis portion of the book. It went downhill from there. A lot of repetitive stories, a lot of "but guys, these influencers who chose to go into this public sphere of over-sharing are the real victims" type of vibes.
She delved a little bit into the world of YouTube, which was new and interesting. But for the most part, this book is skippable. If you want a more balanced take on Instagram and mom bloggers, read Momfluenced by Sara Petersen instead.
Her book focused primarily on three influencers, although she did name-drop many others throughout the book. Of all the names listed, only one was not a CIS white Christian mommy influencer. Most of the women she spent her time with were Morman mom bloggers in Utah. Did no one else want to talk to her?
I was going along for the ride, but she lost me at her ode to Rachel Hollis portion of the book. It went downhill from there. A lot of repetitive stories, a lot of "but guys, these influencers who chose to go into this public sphere of over-sharing are the real victims" type of vibes.
She delved a little bit into the world of YouTube, which was new and interesting. But for the most part, this book is skippable. If you want a more balanced take on Instagram and mom bloggers, read Momfluenced by Sara Petersen instead.
July 12, 2023
3.5 stars. This was really interesting, and I did like that this was in no way a mockery of influencers or what they do, but I just wished it went a little deeper. It seemed almost to go out of its way to never really disparage or critique the negative aspects of influencers or the controversies they’ve been part of
July 29, 2023
This definitely was a fun read - as a book influencer, I really enjoyed learning about the lives of three major influencers in the fashion and lifestyle world. I thought McNeal really has outdone herself in reporting the tea, gathering the inside scoop, and so much more into the lives and challenges in becoming an influencer, and the very very hard work it takes to make it.
Fun read
Fun read
July 18, 2023
Lacking any nuance, or thoughtful discussion about the subject. Very surface level observations and just comes off as an influencer apologist
December 16, 2023
I was expecting a deeper, critical look at the world of online influencers. This felt like a very long magazine article that glorified the influencing industry.
June 9, 2023
I listened to this on audio and it was produced well. The author follows three influencers and shares their experiences in the industry. She also covers the industry as a whole. Overall, the book is positive in tone though McNeal does touch on the accountability that is needed in influencing. It’s a good introduction, but I wish there had been more about the behind the scenes on the brand deals, etc. or a more comprehensive history of the rise of influencers.
June 9, 2023
What an interesting read! The author does a great job telling a captivating story while showing readers the ins and outs of the influencer industry. Learned a lot of new stuff and enjoyed it along the way.
July 26, 2023
This book fell flat. I was expecting some tea, and it didn’t really share anything groundbreaking to those of us outside of the industry. A puff piece that could have been summarized and lacked any mirrored view of this industry’s impact on the target audience.
June 28, 2023
3.5 Rounded up. Pretty surface level, and you can tell that the author is basically fangirl-ing the whole book. The authors main thesis is “Influencers matter.” But, in my opinion? They shouldn’t.
It was interesting to the voyeur in me, but just reminded me while I left instagram behind and don’t have social media anymore. People are getting paid very large sums of money because they exploit their kids, seek attention and because their audience feels unable to unfollow! It messes up our lives and theirs.
It was interesting to the voyeur in me, but just reminded me while I left instagram behind and don’t have social media anymore. People are getting paid very large sums of money because they exploit their kids, seek attention and because their audience feels unable to unfollow! It messes up our lives and theirs.
August 11, 2023
“No one works harder than we do” was about the point that i lost respect for nearly the entire industry. That exclusionary mindset completely rubs me the wrong way.
August 21, 2023
This was a really interesting read. The author follows three influencers in particular - one fashion, one mommy, one out-of-the-box athletic - and then talks to others in the industry such as assistants and husbands. She outlines the work that is done and the profits made, but also explains all the hate, harassment, and time consumption that comes with it. It's an all encompassing look at the field of influencing, from how they came to be and then to how they may evolve. I appreciated understanding just how much influencers can make, and empathized at the extent IG's algorithm can influence the influencers.
I'll admit I was inspired at first and posted a photo of my dog with some sort of hashtag like #doginfluencer - and was immediately bombarded with scam requests to use my dog for their promotions. I was exhausted in ten minutes. #notforme
I do recommend the book as an interesting somewhat-quick read that gives a good foundation of information and insight into influencers' lives. It really shows the scales between great money and giving up your life (and your children's lives) to the masses. I wonder if, years from now, there will be studies about the children of mommy influencers, just as we now realize child entertainment stars have risks (and finally some protections). It was a lot to think about, and I understand the push-pull of the pros and cons.
Thank you to the author and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. It's really interesting! You should read it!
I'll admit I was inspired at first and posted a photo of my dog with some sort of hashtag like #doginfluencer - and was immediately bombarded with scam requests to use my dog for their promotions. I was exhausted in ten minutes. #notforme
I do recommend the book as an interesting somewhat-quick read that gives a good foundation of information and insight into influencers' lives. It really shows the scales between great money and giving up your life (and your children's lives) to the masses. I wonder if, years from now, there will be studies about the children of mommy influencers, just as we now realize child entertainment stars have risks (and finally some protections). It was a lot to think about, and I understand the push-pull of the pros and cons.
Thank you to the author and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. It's really interesting! You should read it!
January 29, 2024
I’ve now read or listened to a handful of books on this subject matter. Sure the glimpses into the lives of influencers was interesting, but the author was trying to get the reader to feel sympathy for an influencer who had to hire someone to answer DMs and offload excess PR. Oh and the internal “struggle” one of these influencers faces at h&m trying to pick her own clothes was “hard” because she’s had things picked for her for so long? Give me a break.
November 27, 2023
Not groundbreaking but I did learn some stuff about the world of influencers. Not blown away by the writing but it could have been worse.
June 27, 2023
A fun, quick listen that follows three influencers and discusses their life, their job origins, and their concerns about their jobs. I didn’t follow any of these women previously so it was interesting to learn all about them and the writing/narration was good.
December 18, 2023
If the title were “Swipe Up For More! Inside the unfiltered lives of LIFESTYLE influencers” I think I would’ve given it 4 stars. I went into this thinking it would be a wider history of influencer work. It was actually really heavily leaning on Utah mom bloggers. Still very interesting and I learned a lot! But not the book I thought it was/wanted it to be based on the marketing, so I was a little let down. But still a good read if you know what you’re getting into!
August 8, 2023
Disclaimer: I'm Gen-X, I don't use Instagram or TikTok, I don't follow any influencers. I am not the target audience.
Overall, this could have been a series of interesting articles, but I'm not convinced there was enough material for an entire book. It was so repetitive. Sometimes the author literally said the same thing twice in one paragraph, but in general the message was the same. Influencers work hard, have haters, struggle with being genuine while shilling products. Over and over again.
The book seemed very one-sided. I would have liked to have seen a bit more criticism of influencers. Not individuals (they seem to get enough of that already), but of the industry as a whole. The section on the current drive to protect influencers' children's privacy, for example, was a refreshing break. There was a mention of the negative effects Instagram has on teen girls, but it was minimal. I am also curious if there are any male influencers? LGBTQ? Anyone over 40?
A personal rant: I was somewhat alarmed by the rampant consumerism promoted by influencers. For all their concern about the environment and global warming, maybe millennials and Gen-Zers could stop buying as much stuff?
Overall, this could have been a series of interesting articles, but I'm not convinced there was enough material for an entire book. It was so repetitive. Sometimes the author literally said the same thing twice in one paragraph, but in general the message was the same. Influencers work hard, have haters, struggle with being genuine while shilling products. Over and over again.
The book seemed very one-sided. I would have liked to have seen a bit more criticism of influencers. Not individuals (they seem to get enough of that already), but of the industry as a whole. The section on the current drive to protect influencers' children's privacy, for example, was a refreshing break. There was a mention of the negative effects Instagram has on teen girls, but it was minimal. I am also curious if there are any male influencers? LGBTQ? Anyone over 40?
A personal rant: I was somewhat alarmed by the rampant consumerism promoted by influencers. For all their concern about the environment and global warming, maybe millennials and Gen-Zers could stop buying as much stuff?
April 8, 2024
This was fun. I wish it went a bit deeper but still an interesting look into influencer lives, business, the realities of that world.
August 11, 2023
I think this book was just a lot more shallow and surface level than I was expecting (although it's a book about influencers- so I'm not sure what I was expecting?) Definitely more in-depth and real content... I feel like I got what influencers are already saying about their starts in the industry, and a little bit of their motivations and journeys, but nothing new or that interesting. Oh well.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 325 reviews