Here on Crokes, we’ve discussed many of the problems in the BookTok / Book Tiktok community. We’ve touched on how it’s content is toxic, highlighted the damaging effects on children, and showed how it has destroyed the publishing industry. But what we haven’t covered yet is why Booktok has grown to be such a cultural juggernaut. In this post, we’re going to talk about the rise of BookTok and what elements made it so huge.
What was book social media pre-BookTok?
BookTok stands on the shoulders of giants, specifically the communities that came before it. Before there was the rise of BookTok, book communities existed on the other major social media platforms. Many of these had names.
BookTube, on YouTube, had long-form content such as reviews (including my personal favourite, the “rant review”), hauls, and monthly wrap-ups. Bookstagram, on Instagram, was visually beautiful and contained a lot of challenges to create eye-catching layouts, with short and snappy summaries.
Tumblr even had a share. The awkwardly named Bookblr community combined book content with the general quirkiness evident in Tumblr. Predating Tumblr was LiveJournal, which had book fans but no named community that I know of.
It’s also worth acknowledging that popular books, series, and genres also had active forums and messageboards in the ‘90s-’10s, which were niche communities that fostered discussion around books.
BookTok didn’t invent book social media, not even close. Books have been actively discussed on the Internet for a long time before. A lot of the conventions of BookTok content are based on the norms of these previous platforms. This includes providing reviews, regular wrap-ups of reading, trigger warnings, and spoiler alerts. as well as more creative content based on favourite works.
What made BookTok popular?
BookTok was primed by the fact that existing online communities were already discussing books. This meant there was a captive audience, already passionate about books, that started the the rise of BookTok early on.
But it’s skyrocketing fame is largely due to the TikTok app itself, and how it successfully capitalised on user attention to feeding an endless stream of book content. In short, the elements that made BookTok popular can be broken down as follows:
- The constant dopamine hits generated by short video content
- The TikTok algorithm targeting susceptible users
- The socio-cultural void created by the COVID-19 pandemic
Short-form video content
The rise of BookTok is TikTok is known to create constant dopamine hits through an endless stream of content. Each video on TikTok is intentionally short and snappy. This gave it an edge over other platforms by being more immediately digestible and fully engaging.
An Instagram image could be scrolled over, or sit in a feed and not clicked. A YouTube video might be skipped for being too long. But TikTok content is the Goldilocks point and heroin all at once. Just right in the middle, and addictive immediately.
This format fosters a superficial engagement with literature, where the focus is less on the substance of a book and more on its ability to generate a quick emotional response. The reduction of complex narratives to flashy, digestible snippets can oversimplify and even misrepresent the works being discussed.
Focusing on dopamine hits often leads to the promotion of the same few books. This creates a cycle where only the most easily marketable titles gain traction. This not only limits the diversity of voices in the book world but also diminishes the depth of discussion.
Nuanced critiques are sacrificed for attention-grabbing content. The result is a reading culture driven by trends and algorithms.
The TikTok algorithm
TikTok (via its previous incarnation music.ly) perfected the full-screen video feed. This allowed the ever-present algorithm to shove anything and everything into the user’s mouth.
The algorithm is known to analyse your behaviour on the app to the smallest detail, factoring in what videos you keep watching and what you skip. Additionally, it reads content elsewhere on your device, to essentially read your mind.
Anyone on TikTok with even a passing interest in books gets served BookTok content, and this inducts you into the community. Once you’re in, more videos are served. Compared to the Instagram and YouTube algorithms, TikTok is more effective at serving you more and more of what you like. For those who liked book content, they quickly got more and more of it, which created the rise of BookTok.
The pandemic lockdown effect
BookTok’s rise really owes its full success to the effects of the global pandemic. During that time, many people were locked inside and faced with the struggle of entertaining themselves. Not only did this lead many new users to TikTok in general, but it also got many people reading again.
BookTok became a virtual book club for millions, filling the social void left by lockdowns. With the outside world away, many people turned back to books to keep them entertained and TikTok to still be connected to the wider world. The combination of these two led to the rise of BookTok.
The app was a space where readers connected over shared interests and discussed their favourite books while feeling part of a larger community despite physical isolation. This sense of belonging and shared experience was amplified by the emotional resonance of the content.
The community’s growth was fuelled by this collective need for connection. Making BookTok not just a trend but a social coping mechanism during a challenging time.
The effect of the rise of BookTok
BookTok has had profound effects on both readers and the publishing industry. It has undoubtedly brought books back into the mainstream, especially among younger audiences. But the algorithm-driven nature of TikTok means that books that align with popular trends get the most visibility, pushing lesser-known or unconventional works to the sidelines.
Additionally, the fast-paced consumption of content on TikTok has changed the way people engage with books, favouring quick reads and viral recommendations over more complex or challenging literature. This shift has implications for what gets published, marketed, and discussed.
While BookTok has brought a love for reading to many, it has also reshaped the book world in ways that prioritise instant gratification and mass appeal. This is leaving a lasting impact that will be felt for years to come. The rise of BookTok is a burden for our current age, raising important questions about the future of book content and conversation.