BookTok

A large majority of content focuses on book reviews, book recommendations, book hauls, and bookcase setups.{{Cite web|last=Culoso|first=Ava|date=2021-09-30|title=The Next Literary Frontier: The Rise of BookTok|url=https://thehoya.com/the-next-literary-frontier-the-rise-of-booktok/|url-status=live|access-date=2021-10-02|website=The Hoya|language=en-US|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211002194859/https://thehoya.com/the-next-literary-frontier-the-rise-of-booktok/ |archive-date=2021-10-02 }} Some creators concentrate on specific genres, BIPOC and LGBTQ authors, or even publicizing their own works through their posts, while others post tributes and recommendations for books published years prior. The BookTok creators are predominantly teenagers and young women,{{Cite web|last=Stewart|first=Sophia|date=September 3, 2021|title=How TikTok Makes Backlist Books into Bestsellers|url=https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/industry-news/bookselling/article/87304-how-tiktok-makes-backlist-books-into-bestsellers.html|url-status=live|access-date=2021-10-02|website=PublishersWeekly.com|language=en|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210904000718/https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/industry-news/bookselling/article/87304-how-tiktok-makes-backlist-books-into-bestsellers.html |archive-date=2021-09-04 }} with a focus on young adult fiction, fantasy, and romance.

BookTok grew in popularity in 2020 during the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. Currently, several BookTok accounts now have hundreds of thousands of followers.{{Cite news|date=2021-06-25|title=The rise of BookTok: meet the teen influencers pushing books up the charts|language=en|work=the Guardian|url=https://www.theguardian.com/books/2021/jun/25/the-rise-of-booktok-meet-the-teen-influencers-pushing-books-up-the-charts|access-date=2021-10-02}} By 2021, publishers began to reach out to popular creators to collaborate with them to promote specific titles or offer free books.{{Cite news|last=Zarroli|first=Jim|date=December 26, 2021|title='BookTok' is a new force driving book sales and publishing deals|language=en|work=NPR.org|url=https://www.npr.org/2021/12/26/1068063564/booktok-is-a-new-force-driving-book-sales-and-publishing-deals|access-date=2021-12-27}} In October of 2024, it was reported that the #BookTok had been viewed over 309 billion times on TikTok with about 52 million posts.{{Cite web |last=Spencer-Regan |first=Eleanor |date=21 January 2025 |title=The viral publishing sensation that may be BookTok's last |url=https://pursuit.unimelb.edu.au/articles/the-viral-publishing-sensation-that-may-be-booktoks-last#:~:text=BookTok%20originally%20grew%20in%20popularity,planet%20viewing%20it%2038%20times. |access-date=2025-04-02 |website=The University of Melbourne: Pursuit}}{{Cite web |title=TikTok - Make Your Day |url=https://www.tiktok.com/tag/BookTok |access-date=2025-04-02 |website=www.tiktok.com}}

In December 2021, a BookTok community member sent out dozens of packages to other users which contained a newly published book and a coded message to create intrigue around the new book.{{Cite web |title=How A Mysterious Novel Went Viral On TikTok & Changed The Publishing Game |url=https://www.bustle.com/entertainment/tiktok-books-a-broken-blade-mystery |access-date=2022-03-19 |website=Bustle |language=en}} The message was decoded within the month by a group of BookTokers called The Scooby Gang. Melissa Blair, an Anishinaabei user, was revealed to be the author and the book sold about 4,000 copies in the weeks prior.{{Cite web|last=Papineau|first=Chelsea|date=2021-12-16|title=Booktok mystery solved, author identity revealed|url=https://northernontario.ctvnews.ca/booktok-mystery-solved-author-identity-revealed-1.5710280|url-status=live|access-date=2021-12-27|website=Northern Ontario|language=en|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211216230141/https://northernontario.ctvnews.ca/booktok-mystery-solved-author-identity-revealed-1.5710280 |archive-date=2021-12-16 }}{{Cite web|last=Sleightholm|first=Brent|date=December 21, 2021|title=New book explores what 'colonialism would look like in a fantasy world'|url=https://www.sootoday.com/local-entertainment/new-book-explores-what-colonialism-would-look-like-in-a-fantasy-world-4886153|url-status=live|access-date=2021-12-27|website=SooToday.com|language=en|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211222105638/https://www.sootoday.com/local-entertainment/new-book-explores-what-colonialism-would-look-like-in-a-fantasy-world-4886153 |archive-date=2021-12-22 }} Other authors who post content using the BookTok tag have noticed that books sell more, and they can stay connected or specifically target potential buyers through the hashtag and other specific ones that apply to their books.{{Cite web|last=Singer|first=Jessica|date=August 29, 2021|title=BookTok's novel approach to books is helping Canadian authors, retailers attract new audiences|url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/entertainment/booktok-tiktok-canadian-authors-retailers-1.6154331|url-status=live|access-date=December 27, 2021|website=CBC|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210829082914/https://www.cbc.ca/news/entertainment/booktok-tiktok-canadian-authors-retailers-1.6154331 |archive-date=2021-08-29 }}

BookTok has its own culture in the digital world with videos being reposted on Instagram, Facebook, and other social media platforms. There are multiple "subcultures" based on the kind of a books a user is interested in hearing or learning about. Some of these various subcultures on BookTok are romance, fantasy, and historical fiction.{{Cite journal |last1=Ridzuan |first1=Martina |last2=Ahmadrashidi |first2=Norsyuhada bt |date=November 2, 2023 |title=The Phenomenon of Booktok and Its Impact on The Transformation of Literary Culture and The Publishing Industry |url=https://forumkomunikasi.uitm.edu.my/images/FK18No2Oct23/FKOCT_2023_06_BOOKTOK.pdf |journal=Forum Komunikasi |volume=18 |issue=2 |pages=74–83}} BookTok features a variety of content geared towards these audiences such as reviews, book hauls, cosplays, or acting out various scenes.{{Citation |last=Kulkarni |first=Sonali |title=Getting a feel for BookTok: Understanding affect on TikTok's bookish subculture |date=September 2024 |work=Lezen in Beweging |pages=75–86 |editor-last=Dera |editor-first=Jeroen |url=https://research.tilburguniversity.edu/en/publications/getting-a-feel-for-booktok-understanding-affect-on-tiktoks-bookis |access-date=2024-10-31 |series=Stichting Lezen Reeks |publisher=Eburon |editor2-last=van Steensel |editor2-first=Roel}} In this digital space, smaller groups are formed on outside servers such as discord, and books are able to become more or less popular because of this platform. There are many articles that discuss how BookTok has changed reading for younger people and impacted the publishing landscape.{{Cite web |last=fran :･ﾟ✧:･.☽˚ |date=2023-09-28 |title=Yes, BookTok gets people reading, but at what cost? |url=https://medium.com/@franwrites/yes-booktok-gets-people-reading-but-at-what-cost-2c573a74eb2a |access-date=2024-10-09 |website=Medium |language=en}}{{better source needed|date=November 2024}}

The BookTok space had been linked to an increase in the desire to read outside of classrooms{{Cite journal |last1=Asplund |first1=Stig-Börje |last2=Ljung Egeland |first2=Birgitta |last3=Olin-Scheller |first3=Christina |date=2024-07-03 |title=Sharing is caring: young people's narratives about BookTok and volitional reading |url=https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/09500782.2024.2324947 |journal=Language and Education |language=en |volume=38 |issue=4 |pages=635–651 |doi=10.1080/09500782.2024.2324947 |issn=0950-0782}} as well as reacting/rating books emotionally rather than from a solely critical standpoint. Content creators post a variety of TikToks about the books they are reading, but they often revolve around reactions to entire books or specific scenes. Some of these videos showcase visceral reactions to books that inspire other BookTok users to read the book.{{Citation |last=Kulkarni |first=Sonali |title=Getting a feel for BookTok: Understanding affect on TikTok's bookish subculture |date=September 2024 |work=Lezen in Beweging |pages=75–86 |editor-last=Dera |editor-first=Jeroen |url=https://research.tilburguniversity.edu/en/publications/getting-a-feel-for-booktok-understanding-affect-on-tiktoks-bookis |access-date=2024-10-31 |series=Stichting Lezen Reeks |publisher=Eburon |editor2-last=van Steensel |editor2-first=Roel}} The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller is a popular example in which videos of creators crying over the ending rose in popularity on the app.{{Cite web |date=2021-10-02 |title=The Next Literary Frontier: The Rise of BookTok |url=https://thehoya.com/the-next-literary-frontier-the-rise-of-booktok/ |access-date=2024-11-05 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211002194859/https://thehoya.com/the-next-literary-frontier-the-rise-of-booktok/ |archive-date=2021-10-02 }} Frequently, part of the culture on BookTok is the discussion of how these books make readers feel.

Another popular aspect of the community culture in BookTok is the open discussion and the idea that users are reading the books together.

TikTok videos of people recommending books led to a significant increase in sales. Several books found their way onto The New York Times Bestseller list due to BookTok videos. In some cases, the books that received this boost in sales were nearly a decade old, while other books gained popularity ahead of their release.{{Cite web|title=TikTok is taking the book industry by storm, and retailers are taking notice|url=https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/tiktok-taking-book-industry-storm-retailers-are-taking-notice-n1272909|url-status=live|access-date=2021-09-10|website=NBC News|language=en|publication-date=2021-07-05|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210705083517/https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/tiktok-taking-book-industry-storm-retailers-are-taking-notice-n1272909 |archive-date=2021-07-05 }} Books can become popular on the app due to either a genuine love for them by the readers, or due to shock and jokes about the subject matter, as seen with the science fantasy romance novel Ice Planet Barbarians.{{Cite web|author=AJ Willingham|title=How sexy blue aliens invaded Amazon's bestseller lists|url=https://www.cnn.com/style/article/ice-planet-barbarians-tiktok-book-ruby-dixon-trnd/index.html|access-date=2021-10-02|website=CNN|date=27 June 2021 |language=en}}

Both authors and publishers began to notice the increase in sales due to BookTok. Authors began to make their own BookTok accounts, while publishers made accounts for their company and sponsored popular BookTokers to promote their titles. Some have praised the community for raising awareness of books that would not be as marketed as heavily, such as self-published authors.{{Cite news |last=Ariyanayagam |first=Annabelle |date=2023-12-03 |title=TikTok's #BookTok trend 'literally changed my life' |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-67555175 |access-date=2023-12-04 |language=en-GB}} Large publishers would also buy the rights to publish books by independent authors who gained popularity on the app.{{Cite web|last=Bussel|first=Rachel Kramer|title=Viral Science Fiction Romance 'Ice Planet Barbarians' By Ruby Dixon To Get Print Edition In November|url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/rachelkramerbussel/2021/09/07/viral-science-fiction-romance-ice-planet-barbarians-by-ruby-dixon-to-get-print-edition-in-november/|access-date=2021-10-02|website=Forbes|language=en}} The Atlas Six by Olivie Blake was self-published via Kindle in 2020 and became a viral "BookTok sensation." The fantasy novel was acquired by Tor Books and re-published with revisions in 2021.{{Cite web |date=2022-03-03 |title=The Atlas Six: The Dark Fantasy Viral Sensation is the Real Deal |url=https://www.pastemagazine.com/books/olivie-blake/the-atlas-six-review-olivie-blake/ |access-date=2022-11-22 |website=pastemagazine.com |language=en}}{{Cite web |title=The Atlas Six |url=https://us.macmillan.com/books/9781250860460/theatlassix |access-date=2022-11-22 |website=Macmillan |language=en-US}} There have also been cases of authors receiving publishing deals for unpublished works that went viral on the app, such as Alex Aster's Lightlark.{{Cite web |date=2022-09-15 |title=How TikTok Changed The Course Of Alex Aster's Life |url=https://www.huffpost.com/entry/alex-aster-lightlark-culture-shifters_n_630d2145e4b065bfc4b12692 |access-date=2024-02-01 |website=HuffPost |language=en}}File:Booktok section, Barnes & Nobel, The Grove, Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA.jpg store in Los Angeles, United States|226x226px]]

Bookstores such as Barnes and Noble have noticed BookTok's ability to drive sales, and have incorporated into their stores.{{Cite web|title=How TikTok Makes Backlist Books into Bestsellers|url=https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/industry-news/bookselling/article/87304-how-tiktok-makes-backlist-books-into-bestsellers.html|access-date=2021-09-10|website=PublishersWeekly.com|language=en}} Many Barnes and Noble stores have BookTok displays, featuring popular books on the app, and the company also has a section of their site dedicated to these books.{{Cite web|last=Noble|first=Barnes &|title=The Most Popular TikTok Books #BookTok|url=https://www.barnesandnoble.com/b/booktok/_/N-2vdn|access-date=2021-09-10|website=Barnes & Noble|language=en}} Many retailers view BookTok as an organic marketing method, as readers find what is trending through the posts and want to read the books in order to engage with the community. Some members of the community agree with the organic feel of marketing within the community, as it gives the readers more control over what books are popular. Others argue that it can create an echo chamber about which books should be read.{{Cite web|last=Franklin|first=Maddy|date=September 11, 2021|title=The rise of BookTok and Bookstagram: UGA readers find community on social media|url=https://www.redandblack.com/culture/the-rise-of-booktok-and-bookstagram-uga-readers-find-community-on-social-media/article_fb9278e8-10e9-11ec-8168-77d4d4691d8e.html|url-status=live|access-date=2021-10-02|website=The Red and Black|language=en|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210909162316/https://www.redandblack.com/culture/the-rise-of-booktok-and-bookstagram-uga-readers-find-community-on-social-media/article_fb9278e8-10e9-11ec-8168-77d4d4691d8e.html |archive-date=2021-09-09 }} The community may also be helping in a trend of more readers, with a growth in interest in reading and reading seen with the growth in the community and TikTok popularity.

BookTok has not only increased sales and interest in reading, but it has also changed the scope of production among movies and television shows.{{Cite web |last=Jalal |first=Maan |date=September 4, 2024 |title=After It Ends With Us, here are more BookTok hits getting adapted for the screen |url=https://www.thenationalnews.com/arts-culture/books/2024/09/05/films-based-on-booktok-novels/ |access-date=2025-04-04 |website=The National News}} Although book adaptations have existed for long before BookTok, this new marketing strategy on the app has left more space for unexpected success in production. Many BookTok books have inspired authors and production companies to invest in making the stories evolve to the screens. Some television shows based on popular BookTok books include A Good Girl's Guide to Murder by Holly Jackson, The Summer I Turned Pretty by Jenny Han, Daisy Jones & The Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid. Some successful BookTok movies are It Ends with Us by Colleen Hoover and Uglies by Scott Westerfeld with more in the works for the future.{{Cite web |last=Wickes |first=Hanna |date=2025-02-12 |title=Books From BookTok That Are Getting Live-Action Adaptations |url=https://www.j-14.com/posts/books-from-booktok-that-are-getting-live-action-adaptations/ |access-date=2025-04-04 |website=J-14 |language=en-US}}

Once these books are released as films or television shows, BookTok creators add content analyzing the production by giving reviews, recommendations, and opinions. This was especially prominent before, during, and after the production of It Ends with Us in 2024 as there were some controversial actions taken during and after filming.{{Cite web |last=Mulroy |first=Clare |title='It Ends with Us' was supposed to be a BookTok Hollywood success story. What went wrong? |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/entertainment/books/2024/12/23/it-ends-with-us-blake-lively-booktok/77177898007/ |access-date=2025-04-05 |website=USA TODAY |language=en-US}}

File:BookTokBooks.jpg

"BookTok Books" are those discussed most frequently on TikTok. They often receive considerable attention from both the TikTok community and the outside world. Some of these books include:

Fantasy:

• Lightlark by Alex Aster
• Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo{{Cite web |last=Helm |first=Jake |date=2021-03-31 |title=BookTok: the TikTok trend sending old books up bestseller lists |url=https://www.standard.co.uk/insider/what-is-booktok-tiktok-trend-books-bestseller-lists-b927217.html |access-date=2021-10-02 |website=www.standard.co.uk |language=en}}
• The Cruel Prince by Holly Black
• The Atlas Six by Olivie Blake{{Cite web |date=2022-03-15 |title=As 'The Atlas Six' author Olivie Blake went into labor, her book went viral on TikTok |url=https://www.dailynews.com/2022/03/15/as-the-atlas-six-author-olivie-blake-went-into-labor-her-book-went-viral-on-tiktok |access-date=2022-12-01 |website=Daily News |language=en-US}}
• A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas{{Cite web |last=Olito |first=Frank |title=15 books everyone must read in their lifetime, according to TikTok |url=https://www.insider.com/most-recommended-books-tiktok-2021-3 |access-date=2021-10-02 |website=Insider |language=en-US}}
• Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas{{Cite news |last=Creamer |first=Ella |date=2024-02-02 |title=A genre of swords and soulmates: the rise and rise of 'romantasy' novels |url=https://www.theguardian.com/books/2024/feb/02/romantasy-literary-genre-booktok |access-date=2024-04-17 |work=The Guardian |language=en-GB |issn=0261-3077}}
• The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V. E. Schwab{{Cite web |date=2021-07-13 |title=TikTok fuels new surge in teen reading habits |url=https://suffolktimes.timesreview.com/2021/07/tiktok-fuels-new-surge-in-teen-reading-habits/ |access-date=2021-09-21 |website=The Suffolk Times |language=en-US}}
• Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros{{cite web |last=Grindell |first=Samantha |date=May 26, 2023 |title=I read the TikTok-viral fantasy novel 'Fourth Wing' and it lived up to the hype |url=https://www.businessinsider.in/thelife/news/i-read-the-tiktok-viral-fantasy-novel-fourth-wing-and-it-lived-up-to-the-hype/articleshow/100511197.cms |access-date= |website= |publisher= |quote=}}

Fiction:

• My Year of Rest and Relaxation by Ottessa Moshfegh
• Daisy Jones & The Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid{{Cite web |last=Kuzma |first=Kali |date=2024-03-04 |title=Daisy Jones & The Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid: A Book Review |url=https://www.kalikuzma.com/post/daisy-jones-the-six-by-taylor-jenkins-reid-a-book-review |access-date=2025-04-05 |website=Kali Kuzma |language=en}}

Historical Fiction:

• These Violent Delights by Chloe Gong
• The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller
• The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid

Romance:

• Ice Planet Barbarians by Ruby Dixon
• The Summer I Turned Pretty by Jenny Han
• The Love Hypothesis by Ali Hazelwood{{Cite web |title=Booktok romance (308 books) |url=https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/163746.Booktok_romance |access-date=2025-04-05 |website=www.goodreads.com}}
• It Ends With Us by Colleen Hoover

Young Adult Fiction:

• A Good Girl's Guide to Murder by Holly Jackson{{Cite web |date=2021-10-18 |title=BookTok: A Good Girl's Guide to Murder |url=https://www.hercampus.com/school/hofstra/booktok-a-good-girls-guide-to-murder/ |access-date=2025-04-05 |language=en-US}}
• We Were Liars by E. Lockhart
• They Both Die at the End by Adam Silvera
• Uglies by Scott Westerfeld

{{Portal|Books}}

• BookTube
• Goodreads
• TikTok Book Awards

{{Reflist}}

• [https://www.tiktok.com/tag/booktok #BookTok] on TikTok

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Category:Book review websites

Category:TikTok