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BookTok is a niche community on TikTok that focuses on everything books! From book recommendations to TBRs (to-be-read lists), BookTokers have created a haven of a literary landscape on TikTok. BookTok formed soon after the explosion of TikTok in 2020. Book lovers hopped on the app to share and recommend their favorite books. Unsurprisingly, a bookish niche cropped up on TikTok – mimicking ones on other social platforms like YouTube and Twitter.
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BookTok is special because of its unique power to promote books faster than ever before. Many books that BookTok couldn’t put down then saw overnight success for previously unknown authors. These books then saw a dramatic increase in book sales across the board.
BookTok Boosting Book Sales: An Overview
It is no secret that the advent of BookTok has affected the bookselling industry. According to the NPD BookScan, in 2021 book sales reached an almost 20-year peak with 825 million book copies sold in the US. The number has gone down slightly since then, with a 7% decrease in 2023 when 767 million book copies were sold. Still, this number is higher than in 2019, the year before TikTok became a household name. Additionally, in 2021, British book publisher Bloomsbury saw its profit grow by 220%, a number that is largely attributed to TikTok.
This past week at the London Book Fair, Barnes & Noble CEO James Daunt spoke about the positive impact of BookTok’s young adult readers on Barnes & Noble’s sales. Daunt said, “The kids are in the stores—we are full of young adults, and that’s bringing energy to our stores.” Thanks to these BookTok-inspired buyers, Daunt said that Barnes & Noble is experiencing “real sales momentum.”
Overnight Sensations: BookTok’s Biggest Titles
Most books that go viral on the app are young adult/adult fantasy and romance. Of those that go viral, many reach the New York Times bestsellers list seemingly overnight. In 2024, Colleen Hoover became the second best-selling BookTok author nearly 8 years after her first publication due to the hype surrounding her book It Ends With Us. This hype – from rave reviews to aesthetic edits to even the book’s bad reviews – were spearheaded by BookTokers who read and posted about her book.
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Another famous BookTok sensation is Rebecca Yarros’ Fourth Wing, Iron Flame, and the newest release, Onyx Storm. The spellbinding tale features dragon-riding protagonists and a tempestuous love triangle. Fourth Wing is one of the many titles popularising “romantasy,” or the romance-fantasy genre cropping up on TikTok. The romantasy hashtag has over 875,000 posts on TikTok as of the writing of this blog. Under this hashtag BookTokers post their favorite romantasies, be they Fourth Wing or otherwise.
These BookTok books have taken over tables and endcaps at bookstores such as Barnes & Noble. The releases of both Iron Flame and Onyx Storm were celebrated with midnight launch events at hundreds of Barnes & Nobles across the US.
Photo by Ava Fischer
BookTokers Push for Diverse Books
With the success of the romantasy genre and its leading titles, many are citing a diversity problem within BookTok. BookTokers have rightfully pointed out that searching “BookTok” only shows books written by and about white women. TikTok’s algorithm is inherently biased, creating an echo chamber that only discusses what is popular. In this case, the algorithm pushes books read and promoted by white women. The algorithm often underrepresents books by People of Color, LGBTQ+ creators, and other marginalized groups—if it shows them.
@amandanote I could write a paper about what I just experienced. #silverundernightfall #rinchupeco #booktok #bookish #bookworm
BookTokers have been calling for a diversification of reading lists. This would both enhance the quality of one’s personal reading experience and put pressure on the publishing industry.
Many BookTokers such as Kendra Keeter-Gray encourage their audience to follow a variety of creators and expand their reading tastes with the help of creator recommendations. Keeter-Gray said, “I can easily say that my side of BookTok and my ‘For You Page’ is a diverse space that features a variety of BIPOC, Disabled, and LGBTQ+ creators because I curated it to reflect such things.” By following and interacting with a variety of creators, users train their algorithm to curate diverse reading recommendations.
The release of the third book in the Legendborn series by Tracy Deonn has highlighted the lack of consideration for books by authors of color. The book, entitled Oathbound, was a highly anticipated fantasy release for many. Upon its release, readers found that the book was not placed at the front of Barnes & Noble bookstores. It also was not on tables specially curated for new releases. This was frustrating for many, especially as Oathbound was released as a Barnes & Noble Exclusive edition, implying a certain level of hype around the book and its marketing. BookTokers took to their platform to post about this issue. They wanted to put pressure not only on Barnes & Noble but the publishers for not properly promoting the release.
@kcs.booksnthings Why tf is onyx storm still have TABLES “plural” at the front of the store and it came out like 2 months ago?? #oathbound #oathboundtracydeonn #legendbornbook
These BookTokers are fostering the continuing conversation around diversity and inclusivity in the book industry. It is by no means a new conversation. In 2020, the Twitter hashtag #PublishingPaidMe revealed that popular, well-established Black authors made less in advance (a signing bonus paid to the author before a book’s publication) than not only white authors but unknown white authors, who were receiving “astronomical” payments in advance. This revelation only confirmed the entrenched racial biases within the publishing industry. Additionally, the New York Times reported that in 2018 only 11% of books published were by authors of color, while 85% of publishing professionals who acquired and edited books were white.
These BookTokers know this and take up the mantle of pushing for more diverse books. This push to diversify book recommendations and uplift stories written by authors of color is just the first step in pushing for an equal playing field on BookTok, in bookstores, and in the wider publishing industry.
@azantareads 14 books this month!! books mentioned: The Atlas Six by Olivie Blake Flirting with Disaster by Naina Kumar Somadina by Akwaeke Emezi Sing Me to Sleep and Drown Me with Dreams by Gabi Burton Something Like Love and Tempest by Beverly Jenkins Legendborn and Bloodmarked by Tracy Deonn Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo Dark Lover by JR Ward Audre & Bash Are Just Friends by Tia Williams Huda F Wants to Know? by Huda Fahmy Lord of Shadows by Cassandra Clare #bookreviews #bookrecommendation #legendborn #cassandraclare #theatlassix #leighbardugo #readingwrapup #booktok #azantareads
♬ Chill and gentle lo-fi/10 minutes(1455687) – nightbird_bgm
BookToker Azanta Thakur has found her niche promoting books by Muslim authors, telling Elle, “Supporting Muslim authors is how I feel like I can best give back to them and everything they’ve done for Muslim readers around the world.” It is these creators putting in the work to read and recommend books by authors of all backgrounds. They work to hold the publishing and bookselling industries accountable when it comes to featuring and publishing diverse books.
The Author-to-BookToker Pipeline: A Blessing or a Curse?
Authors producing lead BookTok titles such as Colleen Hoover and Rebecca Yarros, as well as Ali Hazelwood, Olivie Blake, and many more have found overnight success on TikTok largely due to BookTokers posting about their books. For some, it’s a dream come true, but for authors who don’t blow up overnight, BookTok is a mixed bag.
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Publishers are taking advantage of the hype around BookTok books to not only publish and promote books based on what’s selling via TikTok, but they’re also encouraging and in some cases requiring authors to promote their own books via BookTok.
Because BookTok is a cheap and relatively quick form of book marketing, authors are becoming BookTokers themselves for book promotion. Some authors such as Hania Czaban, a Polish author of three books, find this task challenging but exciting. Czaban said it helps her get her message across: “We can now convey meaning and tell a bigger story, a story about stories, about ourselves, and about the message we want to get across. And our readers become part of this story.”
Other authors enjoy using BookTok as a space to market their self-published books. In the case of author Jeanne O’Riley who marketed her enemies-to-lovers self-published book on TikTok, the BookTok community helped her go viral and secure a traditional publishing deal.
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There are many who are less thrilled with the idea of marketing their own books on TikTok, as it takes time away from their actual job…writing the book. It seems that the days of the solitary writer, working unperturbed by the outside world may be behind us. For many it feels as if publishers are offloading the pressure of marketing onto the author. This responsibility is likely neither one the author wants nor has time for.
@victoriaaveyard it’s fine this is fine authors are doing fine
It is here that BookTokers can help bridge the gap between a recently published book and its target audience, especially BookTokers who are making an effort to break out of the white romantasy echo chamber and supporting works by authors of color. For better or for worse, authors are encouraged if not expected to join the BookTok fray to promote their work.
Conclusion
BookTok and BookTokers have had an enormous impact on the publishing industry. The community helps boost sales for publishers and creates viral cultural moments for authors. Yet, BookTok itself is a mixed bag, between the diversity problem and the pressure on authors to go viral. Many BookTokers are unafraid to take on the responsibility of holding the publishing industry accountable. BookTokers are doing the work, pushing towards diversity, inclusion, and equality in the literary landscape.
@laurenhuisreading WHOS COMING?? #booktok #book #books #bookish #bookrecs #read #reading #reader #booktiktok #booktoker #bookworm #readingbooks #booktokfyp #bookrecommendations #bookshopping #bookshop #buyingbooks
