Booktok: A Community of Readers Rekindling My Love For Literature

by BriAnna Sankey

When you read a good book, one that leaves you absolutely stunned--all you want to do is share it with someone! Preferably someone who has already read it, and understands your emotion behind the most specific scenes. Most times though, we find ourselves calling up a friend and forcing them to stay on the phone for an hour as we explain the whole plot of the book, and continue to give a thirty minute analysis breaking down the book in its entirety. Now I don’t know about you, but my friends would probably hang up after 10 minutes of word vomit because they aren’t readers. Since I’ve joined BookTok, I’ve seen how it brings readers together in a world where they can share their excitement over popular books and new, emerging titles. This sense of community is influential to the public because everyone wants to be “in” on the conversation. FOMO is no joke.

BookTok is a breakthrough platform in the literary world that has created a sense of community for readers to share their interests and bond over their mutual love for books. This powerhouse of a community has turned the world upside down when it comes to sales because it’s hard to resist buying a book after hearing a five minute long video, strictly convincing you why you should buy it, read it, and join the conversation. The term “BookTok '' was coined from the social media app “TikTok,” where a community of readers, writers, etc started posting their opinions on their current reads and promoting their recent work. The quick summaries, through emotional language and expression, were an influential source on the public. As videos started to trend,  book sales increased because people couldn’t help but want to be in on the conversation. I know I’m guilty of scrolling through the app, watching book hauls, and then immediately opening Amazon to place another book order. BookTok is revolutionary, but it is making my pockets hurt!

During May of 2023 a book titled Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros was released, and it was all the rage on BookTok. Yarros had created her own BookTok account to show the process of the limited edition books being printed, and Fourth Wing quickly rose to the top of the New York Times bestseller list. In just the first six months, it sold more than 2 million copies, and remained on the NYT best seller list with three months at number one. It became so popular that it actually sold out for months. Seriously, I placed an order on Amazon and had to wait a month for it to ship (and I have Prime!). Advanced reader copies were sent to popular BookTok influencers, so they could read it first, and promote it to their large audience. This was such a smart move because I couldn’t scroll through three videos without seeing a post about Fourth Wing and how everyone just “couldn’t put it down.” There was a whole community dedicated to convincing people to read Fourth Wing, because they wanted others to share the love they felt for that piece of literature. I will even admit that I bought it to relate to the creators on my "For You" page, who gushed that they actually stayed up all night to finish the book in one sitting. Immediately sold. They claimed it was the best new fantasy novel, so if you weren’t reading it, what were you doing?

It was a beautiful feeling to know I belonged to a group of people who cherished reading as much as I do, even if I hadn’t been reading ten books a week like some creators. It’s easy for me to make excuses that I have no time to read because of school or work, but I would always have time (somehow) to scroll on TikTok, and as my "For You" page recommended book after book, I couldn’t let the conversation go on without me anymore. The first BookTok book I read was called The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides, and I genuinely did read it in one sitting because it was so fast paced, mysterious, and thrilling. I don’t think I could have put it down even if I wanted to. Once I finished reading it, I could now relate to the videos of other readers sharing their experience reading the insanely genius plot twist of an ending. When I found myself yelling “I know right!” at my phone screen as I scrolled through the comment section on a plot breakdown video of The Silent Patient, all I could feel was a sense of belonging, and I wouldn’t want it any other way.

cc Nikon Corporation via Unsplash

Melissa Blair was just like me, a lover of BookTok and literature alike, until she released her first book, A Broken Blade, and it blew up all over BookTok. She definitely gained success from the platform, but what she learned was that it’s not about the publicity, it’s the community aspect of the app that makes BookTok so powerful: “The most important lesson that I have learned on TikTok is that community has immense power. It won’t just grow your readership exponentially; it will allow you to connect in real time with your readers in ways that have never been possible before.”

BookTok isn’t the only community on TikTok, it’s an app that generates content specifically catered to an individual's interests, and that’s why BookTok is such a closely knitted community of readers; we all share the same love for specific literature. Blair didn’t go into BookTok gunning for a viral book deal, she released her book anonymously to a group of readers who she knew would have the time of their lives deciphering the mysterious writer behind A Broken Blade. It became a community wide discussion all over BookTok. Blair ended up with a traditional publishing deal, but also, an unbreakable relationship with her readers.

It’s interesting to see what happens when books become so popular on social media. Now people on the streets, at the beach, or even at school had a common ground; they were all reading the same literature! I was in the bathroom on campus last semester, and left my copy of The Love Hypothesis on the counter, when someone yelled, “Who’s reading The Love Hypothesis? That’s my favorite book!” I laughed and immediately launched into a conversation about the book. This connection was formed because of BookTok, if we hadn’t seen it on that platform, if it hadn’t gained its popularity on that app, we wouldn’t have had this conversation. I probably wouldn’t have been reading it in general. It’s only every so often that I make it into a bookstore like Barnes and Noble, so I’m not seeing what’s popular in the literary world, outside of social media.

I’ve always loved to read, but as I’ve grown up it’s been hard to get back into reading for pleasure. There is so much reading I’m assigned to do for school, that it’s hard to make time to read recreationally. Before I downloaded TikTok, which was probably about four years ago, I wasn’t reading much at all. School had taken over, and reading was the last thing on my mind, plus what would I even read if  I had the choice? Nothing was being marketed towards me on a platform that I used daily, and on the occasional Barnes and Noble trip, there were too many titles to sift through. After downloading TikTok and discovering BookTok, I realized there was a whole community of readers like me who were posting videos to influence others to read books that they enjoyed! I felt like every time I scrolled through the app, I was adding books to my Amazon and Barnes and Noble carts, but I felt that genuine excitement in my stomach. That excitement that feels like it's radiating through your entire body, that excitement that makes you feel like you’re back in elementary school at the book fair! That excitement of diving into a brand new book, a book that you know you’ll love. This time though, you will have someone to share your excitement with, at the tap of a finger. You won’t have to call up your science major friend who couldn’t care less about the romance novel you just finished, you can share it with the romance girlies on BookTok.

cc John Cameron via Unsplash

I was someone who hadn’t been on track for reading in a very long time, but it only took an hour on BookTok to put me back on course. The next thing I knew giant boxes filled with paperbacks were on my doorstep, and I had no control over it! It felt like the books were basically reading themselves because every title I devoured was a story that I enjoyed. That’s the beauty of BookTok, the algorithm analyzes your interests and recommends you titles, geared towards your likes. Imagine someone who hates reading. Put them on BookTok, and I guarantee they will end up converting into a reader. There’s something out there for everyone, BookTok just makes it more accessible for people to fall in love with reading, and the sales don’t lie. Next time you find yourself in a reading slump, hop on BookTok; a new world awaits you.

Of course, technology always has its downsides, and BookTok won’t be around forever, so it isn’t a permanent community for long term participation. It’s not easily accessible to every age group, as it is more geared towards the younger generation. There has been controversy around the app TikTok, for supposedly being a form of spyware that had been stealing American data. These claims were proven to be false and the terms and conditions of TikTok were adjusted, but the US is once again threatening to ban TikTok in a matter of weeks due to renewed security concerns. 

We’ve entered a new era. One where interactive social media unites communities of readers alike, and gives them a sense of belonging. BookTok makes it possible for people to connect with others, bond over their shared experiences reading certain books, and gives them the platform to have meaningful discussions, where they can influence each other going forward. Now, no one will miss out on the conversation. Everyone has something new to bring to the table, even if it’s simply sitting back and liking a video to express that you agree with the content presented to you. There is no longer an excuse for a reading slump because BookTok will show you the next novel they can guarantee you won’t put down. It’s time to fall back in love with reading, and leave FOMO in 2024, because with BookTok everyone is “in” on the conversation. If you haven’t already joined BookTok in the middle of this article, what are you waiting for?