2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Los Angeles Times
Opinion: All About BookTok
Growing up, I didn't love books. Reading for fun seemed impossible. I would only read the books assigned in school, and even had to use Sparknotes to summarize the content I was reading. However, that all changed in the seventh grade when I decided to pick up The Hunger Games series. Curiously, I searched for a reading vlog video, and I've been hooked on reading ever since. As I became more interested in reading, that hobby quickly spread to my social media feed. I was getting recommendations from people on social media, especially BookTok.
BookTok is a community of people where readers give their opinions and their predictions of their favorite books, authors, and genres. According to m, BookTok helped authors sell 20 million printed books in 2021 and again in 2022, with sales rising by another 50 percent afterward. Through BookTok, people connect, find new reads, and acclimate into a larger community. However, not everyone has a positive sentiment for BookTok.
Critics of BookTok argue that BookTok functions as one major advertisement. Authors market their books. Readers create fan art and promote books, and even bookstores now display popular BookTok books on labeled shelves or tables. Another criticism of BookTok is the maturity level of some content. Inappropriate content can get on the feeds of young, impressionable audiences. An example of this is the book It Ends With Us by Colleen Hoover. Some people found this book to be a romanticized exploration of very private, damaging themes, such as domestic abuse and toxic relationships. Even if Hoover never wanted this piece of writing to be as romanticized as it is, the misinterpretation of the audience is extremely harmful. Even though TikTok is marketed as being for ages 12+, many kids who are younger than 12 download the app and are exposed to this content.
BookTok has changed the foundation of the publishing and writing industry. The sales of books have increased thanks to BookTok. According to The Universe , 'Young Adult Fiction genre saw a dramatic increase after 2020, and sales for Adult Fiction novels increased by 26% in 2021. Most notable was the increase in sales for romance novels, which was a staggering 52% from 2022 to 2023. Overall, the US print book market has grown by 9% as a result of BookTok's popularity.'
The other pros of BookTok are that it gives lesser-known authors more credit and more of a platform to excel. These authors use TikTok as a form of advertising for their books, and can gain income on the side. Another aspect of BookTok is the community of people surrounding you. It truly feels like a huge book club. People are exposed to a diverse selection of creators, genres, and books. The diversity of BookTok allows people to find their next favorite read.
While BookTok has its pros and cons, it has made a significant impact on the world of literature. It created a generation of readers who are more into, more curious, and more prepared to explore stories outside of their norms. Yes, there are valid apprehensions: the advertisements, content readiness, and exaggeration. However, that doesn't eliminate the fact that BookTok has helped many people discover a passion for reading they never knew existed. Personally, it transformed reading from an annoyance into a pleasure, and I'm not the only one. In a world where time on our phones often usurps reading time, anything that gets people happy about books again is worth it. Whether your taste is fantasy, romance, thrillers, or nonfiction, there's a spot for you on BookTok, no matter what. Related
