The Surge of BookTok
How has this division of the popular app sent book sales flying upward?
June 4, 2021
BookTok has transformed the book industry, resulting in decade-old books hitting the bestseller list once again.
TikTok has created numerous trends, resulting in a division of TikTok called BookTok. From color-coded bookshelves to reenactments tiktokers have built BookTok into the community it is today. All readers alike post time-lapses of books based on genre, the emotional aftermath, popular reviews, and more. These favorable reviews of books by trusted tiktokers result in a surplus of readers purchasing a particular book. People on the app can easily like and save videos from BookTok they like and more will pop up on their feed. In a way, that community has become the fastest book club today.
Book-selling companies and publishers have started to recognize this community and their top book picks. Barnes & Noble is one of the first major book-selling companies to recognize
the power of BookTok and create a whole section in their stores and website containing trending favorites. Not only are companies jumping on the trend but so are publishers. Publishers promote books by sending special or early copies to well-known influencers in the community. Influencers can be paid from hundreds to thousands of dollars to promote a specific book to their large following.
Mostly ruled by young adults, fantasy and contemporary novels are the most popular. From Greek mythology retellings to unlikely teenage romance, BookTok has something for everyone. There’s no doubt that as long as the app is popular the popularity of BookTok will only grow.