BookTok is a community on TikTok that centers around, well, books. It’s an online place for readers to share recommendations, share commentary and connect with other people through their love of books. It has increasingly become more popular, influencing reading trends and boosting sales of specific books. In some ways, it’s the modern book club. What makes BookTok different, and somewhat worse, is that the community often focuses on hype over substance. It takes away that meaningful conversation and replaces it with surface level literary engagement.
It is popular for a reason, though. BookTok’s appeal lies in its accessibility, anyone can watch and engage with these short form videos. For a lot of people, they don’t have book clubs or literary communities in their area, so this is a way to connect with those who share your same passion. Within BookTok, anyone can share or recommend, creating a more open space for book discussions. This openness boosts book sales and introduces reading to audiences who may not have engaged with literature otherwise.
Although it has popularized reading, it often prioritizes virality over substance. Typical tropes such as “sad girl” or “spicy fantasy” are promoted because they know they will be widely loved. This leads to only specific titles getting the spotlight. This emphasis encourages authors to write more for trends than craft because audiences favor quick emotional impact over originality. This leaves varied writing and perspectives in the dark.
Deep analysis and critical discussion is often glossed over in BookTok. For a video to go viral, content creators must offer short little snippets instead of actually diving into the material. This leaves discussion coming up short, and allows readers to see some work as only surface deep.
BookTok has, undeniably, inspired a new wave of readers by making books exciting and accessible. Yet, unlike real book clubs, it lacks meaningful discussions. If we were able to blend these two together in a more seamless way we could encourage reading without stifling authors and publishing companies.
