Today's Read Contributor In February 2022, the influence of BookTok, a vibrant literary community on TikTok, became undeniable as it continued to shape reading trends and book sales. This platform, where users share book recommendations, reviews, and discussions, has turned into a powerful tool for both authors and publishers. It brought back older titles and gave them new life, with books like It Ends with Us by Colleen Hoover experiencing an unexpected surge in popularity. Originally published in 2016, the novel climbed the bestseller lists months after its initial release, propelled largely by the enthusiastic BookTok community.
This rise in popularity highlighted the growing role of social media in not only influencing what readers pick up but also reshaping the traditional book marketing landscape. Platforms like BookTok have allowed older, backlist titles to find new audiences, often reintroducing them to younger generations or people who might have missed them when they first launched. What was once considered a traditional marketing route—book tours, reviews, and press releases—has evolved, with TikTok offering an organic, peer-to-peer style of promotion. The power of recommendation through short, engaging videos has proven to be highly effective in driving book sales.
Publishers and authors took note of this trend, recognizing TikTok’s potential as a marketing platform that could rejuvenate interest in older books. The viral nature of BookTok’s recommendations, where specific scenes or themes are highlighted in quick clips, encourages people to purchase and read books quickly, often leading to a cascade effect of new readers picking up a title. As a result, many publishers began to actively engage with the platform, either by working with influencers or by promoting new releases and backlist titles directly to the BookTok audience.
This shift has been especially impactful for authors like Hoover, whose backlist works, previously overshadowed by newer releases, now saw renewed attention. Books that had been released years ago found themselves topping bestseller lists, with BookTok’s recommendations driving a wave of interest from readers who felt inspired by the passionate discussions and reviews circulating online.
The impact of BookTok is reshaping how books are marketed and consumed, proving that social media platforms, especially those with engaged, active communities like TikTok, can be a major force in the literary world. The trend also underscores how social media has the potential to level the playing field for books, allowing lesser-known authors and backlist titles to gain attention, sometimes even surpassing the latest releases in popularity. This phenomenon has created a lasting shift in the book industry, demonstrating the power of digital communities in shaping what books people read, recommend, and ultimately buy.
