The virtues and vices of BookTok
If it has become trendy to read, is that such a bad thing?
Layla Lee is a teenage author with more than 35,000 followers on Instagram, who uses social media primarily to promote her new book, “Nothing But Shadows.”
August 5, 2022
Maybe I’m just a nerd with too much free time on my hands, but I seem to have made my way onto Booktok in the past few months. It was by a wonderful and pleasant stroke of serendipity that I stumbled onto an awesome close-knit community where authors are directly communicating with their readers, kind of like an agora of the modern age that resulted in my list of books to read growing exponentially.
I also use social media to find new friends with similar interests as me.
— LAYLA LEE, author of 'Nothing But Shadows'
A typical TikTok video on Booktok entails a voracious reader displaying book recommendations, or an author describing their book in one or two extremely captivating sentences. I wouldn’t describe it as clickbait since many times these books turn out to be wonderfully written with creative plots and worthy of the hype.
Authors have been able to grow their audience by condensing their books into bite-sized 15-second videos and following up with behind-the-scenes content of their daily life and writing process, which allows them to connect with their followers.
Layla Lee, a teenage author on Instagram (@winter_writes17), uses social media to promote her new book, “Nothing But Shadows.”
“It’s a first-time writer’s reality to have difficulties being seen, and even when you do land yourself an agent, marketing your book is always up to you,” Lee says. “I also use social media to find new friends with similar interests as me.”
I really enjoy the personal touch that authors have added on social media because it reminds me of how many celebrities have done similar things to be “relatable,” but now that authors have started doing it, they have gained popularity and are getting the recognition that authors deserve.
Has TikTok made reading a trend now? Perhaps, now that people will run to their nearest library for a chance to get a TikTok-approved hardcover and that Barnes &Noble has its own “TikTok books” table.
When I entered this community, everyone welcomed me so warmly and I met so many nice people to share and exchange my stories with.
— LAYLA LEE, author of 'Nothing But Shadows'
And if it has become trendy to read, is that such a bad thing?
Readers wanting to read the most trendy books has simply made reading a more social activity which (as a bookworm) makes me happy to know that so many people are stopping by bookstores and spending more time at libraries.
One thing I have noticed is that unlike the vast majority of the Internet, in the Booktok community, people are able to disagree in a civil manner (but maybe I haven’t witnessed the worst of them).
Lee also agrees that the community of Bookstagram is very welcoming.
“Before I started this account, it was always difficult finding people to talk about books and writing with,” Lee says. “When I entered this community, everyone welcomed me so warmly and I met so many nice people to share and exchange my stories with.”
It is extremely refreshing to exchange ideas in a virtual atrium without being worried about the stress that accompanies an online argument. I often feel vulnerable when I talk about my book-related opinions online and I appreciate being able to do so without being judged. The virtual reading community is one of the few healthy ones on Tiktok, which I love and want to share with other readers.
However other writers have said that Booktok and Bookstagram can get toxic at times.
“You’re told that the tropes used in your book are boring. You see so many better writers than you. Social media is a very distracting place, and it’s easy to lose confidence in yourself. But it’s also true that writers these days need social platforms to have a healthy career, so I guess we should all just learn to brave through it!” Lee says positively.
Another thing I have discovered on Booktok is virtual book clubs, which connect people from different continents that somehow all made it to the same niche virtual community. It is really similar to gaming servers where people can meet others of similar interests. The point of books is to connect characters with readers and connect authors to readers, but the Book Tok community has made reading books a more “social” event.
–Aug. 5, 2022–
