When TikTok came onto the scene in 2017, no one could have imagined the effect it would have on the publishing industry. Bookstores are flourishing, debut authors are finding success, and novels that are decades old are getting movie and TV deals. Many people thought reading was dead and that it was the end of the book industry as we knew it, but turns out, it was only the beginning.
What Is #BookTok?
BookTok is an online community of book enthusiasts who post videos on TikTok gushing over their new favorite books, participating in trends, visiting bookstores, and more. And this isn’t just a niche corner of the internet—there are over eighty-two million posts using the BookTok hashtag.
Before BookTok, there were online communities like BookTube (on YouTube) and Bookstagram (on Instagram). While these still exist, BookTok took their success and brought it to the mainstream. Now, there are tables at bookstores labeled “As Seen on #BookTok.” Authors are getting TV deals based on BookTok success. BookTok events are being held across the globe. It’s word of mouth on an exponential scale, and it doesn’t seem to be slowing down.
#BookTok’s Tangible Impact
Before the pandemic, Barnes and Noble was failing, Borders had already closed all its locations, and it seemed like another bookstore chain was next. But during the pandemic, something unexpected happened: Reading rates soared. BookTok, after emerging in late 2019, exploded as people were stuck at home and looking for a new way to connect. In their newfound free time, people discovered, or even rediscovered, a love for reading and started sharing that with others online, inspiring even more to pick up a book.
Although people were unable to go in person to bookstores in 2020, as retail locations reopened to the public, they immediately saw significant booms in sales, with trade book sales being up over 19 percent in February 2021 compared to the previous year. Sales have only continued to rise since then. Barnes and Noble plans to open new locations, and hundreds of new independent bookstores have opened after fears that the brick-and-mortar institutions would be lost to us forever.
Children’s Books on #BookTok
While many see BookTok as a platform dominated by romance, it has something to offer for everyone. There is a thriving community for children’s books, where moms, educators, and librarians are sharing children’s book recommendations about different important topics, like acceptance, feelings, different cultures, and more.
BookTok is also a space where teens can find belonging and discover that reading is cool again! The popularity of young adult books especially has increased since the rise of BookTok, again raising the question about how to differentiate between young and new adult fiction.
#BookTok as a Marketing Tool
We can’t control the algorithm, but we can do our best to influence it. Popular creators on BookTok often partner with authors and publishers to promote new books. But the great thing about BookTok is that you can use it yourself! You can take control of your book’s future, posting about it as much as your heart desires.
Many authors published debut books to unheard-of success after posting consistently about their upcoming release. Others started as book influencers, then became authors after drawing a wide audience. By following trends and connecting with other creators, new authors can utilize BookTok to their advantage to grow their audience before release day even arrives.
Blue Balloon Books’s marketing team is here to set you up for success and help you get started on social media (including BookTok). Submit your book idea today!