How BookTok is Revolutionizing the Literary World?
How BookTok is Revolutionizing the Literary World?
If you want a book to go viral or for a special edition's sales to skyrocket, TikTok's #BookTok hashtag might be the answer. The current state of the literary world is such that if you see a book everywhere, BookTok is likely behind it. In the past five years, BookTok has significantly increased global book sales and broadened the diversity within the publishing industry. A prime example is Colleen Hoover's novel "It Ends With Us," which has recently been turned into a movie due to its massive popularity and received mixed reviews worldwide. The 2016 novel saw sales increase by about 700% between 2020 and 2021, with Hoover being the second-best-selling author on BookTok in 2024, selling nearly 2 million copies.
The Birth of Bestsellers
"During the pandemic, no one really released new books, and many books published five to ten years ago became popular," says a 24-year-old content creator with over 916,000 followers. The #BookTok hashtag, a byproduct of lockdown, inspired many young people to create book-related content, forming an international book lover community that even surpassed the reach of Bookstagram.
The power of the BookTok phenomenon can also be observed in the case of Madeline Miller's "The Song of Achilles," whose sales skyrocketed after a viral TikTok video first made it a bestseller. This was just the beginning of how a few-second-long videos changed the way books are marketed. Book enthusiasts either passionately loved or were moved to tears by their favorite books, critiqued them, or dressed up as book heroes, instantly turning books into bestsellers. Publishers have now reached out to influential BookTokers, offering payment or free books in exchange for promoting titles in TikTok videos.
Thanks to BookTok, many authors have become recognized, including Sarah J. Maas, V. E. Schwab, Holly Jackson, Emily Henry, Alice Oseman, and even the classic Russian writer Fyodor Dostoevsky. In 2024, Sarah J. Maas, author of the fantasy series "Throne of Glass," "A Court of Thorns and Roses," and "Crescent City," sold nearly 5 million copies in the first half of the year. Although Maas was relatively popular in the young adult (YA) literary world before the era of BookTok, she acknowledged that her unprecedented fame is owed entirely to BookTok.
Interestingly, some authors have secured major publishing deals on the platform after catching the attention of publishers with viral concept videos. The debut video for Colombian-American Alex Aster’s "Lightlark" became so popular that it led to both book and film deals, and his novel made the bestseller lists even before its release.
A Flourishing Era of Diversity
According to Zoulfa, the word-of-mouth recommendations spreading through the platform have opened the door for diversity. She believes that if a reader takes the time to recommend a book on TikTok, it can truly impact them: "It feels very organic and real when you see people crying and saying that a book is amazing."
New Ways to Discover
Zoulfa adds that BookTok breaks down communication barriers around the world: "The discussion about diversity that is now happening on TikTok in relation to books is helping people expand their horizons with books they might never have thought of reading, or even knew existed."
BookTok has seen significant growth over the past five years, with a strong focus on marginalized communities. Yet she feels there is still room for improvement: "I hope it becomes even more diverse and inclusive. It's great how far we've come, but I think there's still much work ahead, and I would like to see bookstores and publishers give more space to minority creators and authors."
Many bookstores around the world have already set up special sections for BookTok recommendations, where the impact of BookTok is impressive: "There is a place for every type of reader, and anyone who wants to become a reader will find their match. This is one of the most colorful communities I have ever been part of. It has forever changed the world of book publishing and bookstores."
