BookTok’s Community Connection

When the topic of reading arises, most people envision a leisurely solo pastime. Maybe there is the occasional “book club” where wine flows and the book is discussed for five minutes before veering into an unrelated discussion. Now, a new, transformative influence is reinvigorating the literary landscape, revolutionizing our approach to books.  

Enter BookTok, a large community found on TikTok that has created a new platform where people can discuss and celebrate books. Whatever genre someone is into, it has been covered. Multiple influencers help people find their next perfect book. It has popularized words such as TBR, DNF and smut. It has catapulted indie authors into the spotlight. But how is that possible? 

For starters, TikTok makes book recommendations easy and digestible. Instead of having to search on Google for the top 10 books to read and have to read only the synopsis of the book, BookTok simplifies this process by having readers post either short teasers of the text or their reviews on the book, as shown in TikToks posted by influencers such as @sam.bookfanatic and @bookswithcam. 

In addition, it is mainly all behind the screen. Although that may seem to make the point of community null and void, it still involves people interacting with each other and sharing content. A bonus to this is that people can pursue books that they may not have in person due to the nature of the content and the stigma attached to the genre, such as romance. 

According to Publishers Weekly, adult fiction is the fastest-growing genre in book sales. One major section that is contributing to the mass popularity is romance, which saw a 34.6 percent increase in sales with fantasy following closely behind at 26.5 percent in the first half of 2023. Both of these are major genres featured on BookTok. 

Imagine finding 10 people who all read the same book as you. Each of you might have the same theories on how the sequel is going to turn out, or you might just be able to vent to each other about the book-throwing cliffhangers without waiting for everyone to finish the book. Whether it is dissecting the ending of one book or passionately critiquing characters like Tampon — I mean, Tamlin — from Sarah J. Mass’s “A Court of Thorns and Roses,” BookTok brings readers closer together. 

According to Forbes, around 825.7 million print books were sold in 2021, which was an almost nine percent increase from 2020. That doesn’t even account for the reading done either on e-readers or online. In addition, independent publishers and authors are having their time to shine. Books that would normally never have been looked at by one of the big publishing houses are now leading the charge in book sales when, in the past, that would never have been the case. 

Maybe the most significant benefit is that people are reading again. Due to the pandemic, more people had time to explore their hobbies and passions. There was an over 22-percent increase in recreational reading in 2020 according to the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics. It also showed people under the age of 34 having the largest increase in readership, which correlates with the main demographics of BookTok. 

BookTok Influencers are making it popular to buy physical books. It is now a trend to adorn books with colorful tabs to mark favorite scenes or write commentary in the margins. This trend has elevated the experience of reading and refreshed the relationship between readers and their books. 

Even when people walk into a Barnes and Noble, there is at least one table with the label “Books Seen on BookTok.” There are even tables inspired by some of the more famous characters seen on the app. This has allowed for many people to have a more interactive experience both on the app and off.  

Whether people are already a part of BookTok or are just discovering the new community, the world of reading is changing with the progression of technology, and BookTok is the one leading the charge. It has been a key part in influencing and entertaining a new generation of book lovers and rekindling the love of a good book. BookTok has created a vibrant space where readers can discover new books but also find a sense of belonging in a world where people can feel alone in their thoughts, ultimately transforming reading from a solitary activity into a thriving, interconnected community.