Let's take a trip back to the past for a second. Imagine it: you're back in 2020, prime Covid time, you are on your 5th new hobby of the day and it’s only 11 am. You are still bored out of your mind, locked away in your house when you decide to pass a little bit more of the time scrolling through TikTok. After viewing videos you come across a type of video you have not seen before. A girl starts to describe the plot line of an intriguing story. As she shares her story, you become invested to a point you have to immediately know how it ends, but right before she’s about to reveal how everything turns out she says “And if you want to see how this story plays out, find out in A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas.” Out of the many hobbies you have picked up, you realize you have yet to try out reading. After years of being forced to read certain books for class requirements, you never considered reading could be fun or done out of enjoyment instead of school work. You’ve run out of ideas to keep you occupied and you are still interested in how the story ends so you place your first online order ever made for a book. Before you know it, years have passed, Covid has ended, and you now have a bookshelf overflowing with your new passion and BookTok content always on your feed.
Now the story above might be my own personal story about how I got involved in BookTok, but we are all able to relate to it in some type of way. We all try to find the light in the darkness and for me it was the introduction of BookTok in the times of Covid. Before I get carried away let me break down the basics of what BookTok is, in case you have been living under a rock.
In the vast realm of social media, where trends come and go with the blink of an eye, one platform has emerged as an unexpected haven for book lovers: BookTok. TikTok, primarily known for its short, silly videos and dance challenges, has given rise to a thriving community that celebrates the written word in all its glory. BookTok is a subcategory within TikTok that centers around book recommendations, reviews, and creative content related to literature. It has become a diverse space where book lovers from around the world come together to share their passion for books in engaging and innovative ways. Users on BookTok create short videos, typically under a minute, to showcase their favorite books, discuss plot twists, offer quick book reviews, process theories for further publications, and other bookish related content. These videos often feature beautiful book covers, captivating background music, and captions that provide insights into the book's theme or the creator's feelings. The structure of the format allows for quick and impactful content, making it easily consumable for viewers, even for those unfamiliar with the world of literature.
Similar to other trends on TikTok, certain books gain popularity rapidly within the BookTok community. A single video recommending a particular book can lead to a domino effect, sparking widespread interest and catapulting the book onto bestseller lists. BookTok challenges, where users create videos based on specific prompts or themes, contribute to the sense of community and shared literary exploration. Oftentimes books that have already been released for years can have a new found fame due to a single post being made by a popular creator. A great example of this is the “The Invisible Life of Addie Larue '' Upon its initial release the book was moderately popular with an average rating, but after only a month of being published sales plummeted and the rating dropped significantly. Two months later a creator by the name of @aymansbooks posted a video sharing her review of the book. As seen in the chart the rating and sales of the book skyrocketed to new heights. The book continued to carry a good rating and sales remained consistent
throughout the next year. Without the impact of the BookTok video this book would have most likely been lost in the stacks with little to no readers. The viral nature of BookTok recommendations has led to a domino effect where one user's video can spark widespread interest, resulting in increased book sales, higher visibility, and sometimes even a surge in the author's social media following. A personal favorite author of mine that I discovered through TikTok is Sarah J. Maas. Her work absolutely speaks for itself, but she owes many thanks to the BookTok community for steering readers in her direction. Sarah J. Maas's books, known for their compelling characters, intricate world-building, and engaging plots, have resonated well with the BookTok community. The platform has played a crucial role in introducing her works to a broader audience, especially younger readers who are active on TikTok. The visual and concise nature of BookTok videos is particularly effective in conveying the excitement and enthusiasm readers feel for Maas's intricate fantasy worlds. Authors like Sarah J. Maas have recognized the impact of BookTok on their success and have actively engaged with the platform. Some authors have even participated in challenges, collaborations, or created their own content to connect with the BookTok community. Rebecca Yarros is an author known for her innocence, short, and sweet contemporary romance books. She decided to try out writing a new type of genre: High Fantasy. With making such a big change in her writing she decided to go to TikTok to promote her book and get readers excited about something new. When her new book was published it quickly rose to the top of the New York Times bestseller list. Her book contained many references to the Gaelic language. She was able to use her following on TikTok to share with readers her love for the cultures she used as inspiration for the book and the proper way to pronounce the names in the book. There is now a large community within BookTok devoted to making videos related to Rebecca’s fantasy series.
One of the other strengths of BookTok lies in its diversity. Users share recommendations across genres, from gripping thrillers and heartwarming romances to thought-provoking non-fiction and classic literature. This diversity not only caters to a wide range of reading preferences but also introduces users to books they might not have encountered otherwise. When I first began to get into reading during Covid I had no idea what type of books I would like to read, what type of genres there were, or even the best place to buy them. All of the recommendations that BookTok shared helped me to find new genres that I love. I thought the only type of books I could enjoy were contemporary romances and genres that are similar, but I soon discovered the world of fantasy novels from a girl I followed on TikTok. I had always loved the books she recommended so when she made a video about a fantasy novel I knew I had to give it a try. Without her recommendation I would have missed out on the genre that now consumes my bookshelf at home.
While BookTok has brought about numerous positive impacts on the literary world, such as increased book sales, greater community engagement, and diversified reading recommendations, it is not without its potential drawbacks. Here are some negative impacts associated with BookTok:
The first is unrealistic expectations. Books that go viral on BookTok can face heightened expectations, leading to some readers feeling disappointed if the book doesn't live up to the hype. The most recent example of this is Sarah J Maas. After many eager fans waited two years for the release of her new addition to the Crescent City series, they took to BookTok after to share their disappointment with the new book. This book was already a highly anticipated release, and with the two year wait and with the hype already surrounding Maas and her book creators made video after video regarding their hopes, theories, and predictions for the new book. There was even a creator that went as far as to make a podcast based solely on theories and character breakdowns of all of Maas’ books. This release was essentially doomed from the start due to the opinions and aspirations creators had for the book before it was released. The over hype of the book led many readers to have very unrealistic expectations so many were disappointed once the book was finally released. They were blinded by what they thought the book should be and certain themes it should contain because of the content they viewed leading up to the book being published.
Another related negative impact is the pressure placed on authors by the BookTok community. With the rise in popularity of certain authors, series, and genres the pressure placed on authors to comply with trends has risen. Additionally the demand for authors to release books at a faster rate has increased with the growth of the BookTok community. BookTok like many other platforms is run by trends and whatever is popular at the time. If the time between book releases is too long, readers and viewers will lose interest and move on to the next book or trend. The authors need the support of this community to remain successful, but it comes with the demand of producing high performing books at an exponential rate.
Additionally in the era of influencers the viewers of BookTok videos must be aware of the potential commercialization of the community and its creators. While the majority of Booktok creators are posting videos simply for their love and passion for books, their are still influencers who have fallen victim to the rise of sponsored content and monetization on BookTok may influence the authenticity of reviews and recommendations, as some creators might prioritize financial gain over genuine enthusiasm for a book.
Although there are some several negative aspects of BookTok one can not simply overlook, I still view BookTok as a mainly positive entity. The attention this community brings to the publishing industry and its ability to hold a safe space for book lovers everywhere outweighs any negative side effects. BookTok fosters a sense of community among readers, allowing them to engage in discussions, share their thoughts, and connect with like minded individuals passionate about literature. Reading has become a large part of my life, but none of my friends like to read quite as much as I do. Because of this, I needed a community where I could share my thoughts and feelings about all my current reads. Through BookTok I found an app I could download to join a virtual book club with readers all over the world. I was able to find other readers who shared the same interests as me and loved to talk about books just as much as I did. Through this book club I was given the opportunity to see books I have read in a new light. Certain themes or connections I did not make myself were made available to me with the group discussions in the book club.
The positive impact of BookTok has even begun to reach far beyond the publishing industry. I am mainly referring to the benefit to many small businesses owners and their products related to the bookish community. Many small businesses have started to create merchandise like t-shirts, sweatshirts, posters, bookmarks, cups, mugs, and much much more. These business owners have taken their love for books and their creativity and turned them into innovative ways for people to show their appreciation for their favorite books and series. I myself have bought t-shirts, sweaters, stickers and special edition book sleeves from small businesses I found on TikTok. Also many artists have begun to use their very impressive art to produce fanart of popular book characters. While many of these pieces of work are posted on BookTok for free, readers are also able to purchase personal prints and posters to support the artists and their works. Fanart has become a big part of the BookTok community helping the community visualize the characters and important scenes in new and interesting ways. Artists will also create images that represent their own narratives that might not exactly be canon, but are
still fun to develop.
Now that I have shared an overview of BookTok and my personal views of the online community, I think it is only right that I share some of the influencers and creators that have made the biggest impact on my BookTok experience. The first creator I need to mention goes by the tag of @Ahappyhermit . On her page she is most known for her style of annotating books and creating theories and predictions. She, much like myself, has a passion for Sarah J Maas fantasy books. One of her first viral videos was filmed in her kitchen with a white board set up where she had written one of her favorite theories with references to specific chapters. While standing in front of the white board discussing her theory she was using a kitchen spatula as a pointer. Fans loved her theories and her creative and enticing way of delivering her thoughts as well. Once her audience grew large enough, eager for more theories and more in depth explanations, she started her own podcast. While she still continued to create content on BookTok, she also built a new following for her podcast. In the podcast she discussed her theories in depth, developed individual character deep dives, and was able to share in depth examples of how she tabbed and annotated each of her Sarah J Maas books. Although her popularity started through her love of Maas’ series she still shares recommendations of new books and her thoughts on all her current reads. The next BookTok influencer I want to share is @kaven_books . She is most famous for creating comedy skits based on popular BookTok books. I found her page because of her skits involving the ACOTAR series. She not only acts out scenes from the books but also her own made up story lines using the personalities of the characters with her own personal comedic influence. Kaven’s rise in followers has not only helped her popularity on social media, but after securing a steady fan base she was able to write and release her own novel. Her own book was immediately popular due to her long standing acceptance by the BookTok community. Because of BookTok she was able to quit her day job, create content for her social platforms and use the time to start working on her long standing passion of writing books.
Looking ahead, BookTok's future is brimming with potential as it continues to leave its mark on the literary world. Expect publishers and authors to keep riding the BookTok wave for their book promotions. With the community growing, we might see a wider range of book genres getting some well deserved attention. Plus, who knows? BookTok might buddy up with other social media platforms, making our literary journey even more fun and diverse. Get ready for more interactive book challenges and perhaps a closer peek into authors' lives. And let's not forget about the global reach, it's bound to bring us an even more diverse selection of book recommendations. As we navigate through this bookish wonderland, improved discoverability features could make our reading adventures even smoother. But hey, amidst all the excitement, let's keep it real, striking the balance between sponsored content and genuine enthusiasm might just be BookTok's biggest challenge. Nevertheless, one thing's for sure: BookTok isn't just influencing what we read; it's shaping the very essence of our online literary experience.
As with any social media platform, the future of BookTok will be shaped by the evolving preferences of its users, the content created by its community, and its ability to adapt to changes in the broader digital landscape. I have talked in depth about my own experience with BookTok so of course I have to share one of my favorite purchases and my favorite series to date all inspired by the BookTok community.
Citations:
Barnett, D. (2023, August 6). “I can’t stress how much BookTok sells”: Teen literary influencers swaying publishers. The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/books/2023/aug/06/i-cant-stress-how-much-booktok-sells-teen-literary-influencers-swaying-publishers
Bennett, G., Corkery, A., & Boulter, M. (2023, March 19). How #BookTok is giving authors and booksellers a much-needed boost. PBS. https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/how-booktok-is-giving-authors-and-booksellers-a-much-needed-boost
Harris, E. A. (2022, July 1). How TikTok became a best-seller machine. The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2022/07/01/books/tiktok-books-booktok.html
Wall, PhD in English Literature, N. (2024, February 6). How booktok trends are influencing what you read – whether you use TikTok or not. The Conversation. https://theconversation.com/how-booktok-trends-are-influencing-what-you-read-whether-you-use-tiktok-or-not-213311
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