With the dawn of #booktok and the resurgence of traditional publishing as well as book tropes, collections, and recommendations going viral on platforms like TikTok and Instagram, has reading become a popular hobby again—or will this bubble burst sooner than expected? We're here to talk about the #booktok phenomenon, along with its ups and downs.
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If you've ever scrolled through your social media feed and encountered influencers gushing about the latest published work of this so-and-so author or recounting (even reenacting!) their favorite fiction tropes, it's possible that you've come across the #booktok hashtag. This recent trend, so named because of book-related content becoming popular on TikTok, has taken the Internet by storm and gotten people to read fiction again, whether it's fantasy or romance, whether it's on their Kindles or their newly bought copies with glossy, eye-catching covers.
For many, it's become such an uplifting phenomenon, and it's built communities of enthusiastic readers who bond over their favorite stories, authors, characters, and tropes. That being said, is there a darker side to this trend, and as with many online trends, is it safe to assume that such a precipitous high precedes an inevitable low? Let's list off some of the pros and cons of #booktok and explore how it's both helped and harmed the online literary community today.
Pro: It's Opened Up a World of New Titles and Emerging Authors
In so many ways, advances in technology have made things easier for aspiring writers to put their stories out there, from publicizing their works via self-publishing to marketing their titles through their social media. TikTok and Instagram have definitely helped boost these budding authors and attracted new readers to them, even creating hype for their works in progress.
Con: Popularity Is Still a Deciding Factor for Book Recommendations
When you've been on #booktok for long enough, you start to see that the same titles and authors turn up on your For You page (FYP)—an echo chamber of sorts—leaving little room for emerging writers who wish to market their works without them being compared to more popular novels in the same genre. It's reached the point where they've had to mention these titles to boost their own (e.g., "If you loved [insert a book that you've seen on your FYP at least five times in the last hour], you'll definitely love this fantasy story!).
Pro: It's Created an Active Online Community of Book Lovers
With the slow decline of X (formerly known as Twitter) and Tumblr's poor video format support, readers take to #booktok and #bookstagram to post clips about their latest book recommendations according to trope or genre. These have become such effective platforms that even authors, new or established, use them to promote their upcoming novels to their reader bases.
Con: "Quantity over Quality" Is Becoming More Apparent
The rise of #booktok comes hand in hand with the growing ease of producing and, by extension, collecting traditionally published books. A closer look, however, shows an excess of stories with lukewarm critical/popular reception housed in glittery covers that would appear superficial (even repetitive) to the average reader. This is a shame because it goes to show that the proliferation of easily accessible works of fiction, if they offer nothing new to the table, can repel instead of attract new readers.
Pro: The Community It's Borne Is Incredibly Creative
Followers of #booktok and avid fans of the many titles recommended by this community have taken to expressing their love for these stories through the most creative means: from fanart, fancasts, and fancams to full-on cosplays and even fantasy-themed balls. Understandably, such creative endeavors catch the eye of various users, even those outside of the #booktok sphere, and get them interested in reading the works of fiction that inspire them.
Con: Tracking Apps Have Created a "Reading Race"
The downside of getting hooked onto popular #booktok titles is the pressure to keep up with the large fan communities that have been formed around them. This is worsened by the growing use of tracking apps for books to read—leading to an ever-lengthening "to read" list—along with the trend of reaching daily, weekly, monthly, or even yearly reading goals. While these have greatly helped in getting people to read again, social pressures to read every single day or even read several books in a short period can prevent readers from enjoying the hobby at their own pace and taking the time to bask in the titles they're currently reading.
Pro: It's Offered a Platform for Writers Who Wouldn't Normally Be Noticed by Big Publishers
It's thanks to #booktok that some titles, which normally wouldn't have gotten any spotlight before the COVID-19 pandemic, have been noticed by big names in publication and even become New York Times bestsellers. More and more, everyday readers in online communities, as opposed to the same old literary critics, have a say in deciding which books deserve attention and accolades.
Con: Biases and Discrimination Still Abound, Especially Toward BIPOC Authors
Unfortunately, the welcoming #booktok community isn't immune to cases of discrimination and even racism. Take, for example, the time sci-fi author Cait Corrain was caught using fake Goodreads accounts to review-bomb the books of debut authors, some of them POC. Fantasy author Xiran Jay Zhao has often spoken up against unfair treatment toward BIPOC writers compared to their white counterparts, whether it involves publishing deals or fan reception.
To conclude, for any book lover or up-and-coming writer, #booktok seems like an ideal community to belong to, with its enthusiastic fans, entertaining posts, and endless title recommendations. However, as with any online community, it's always a good idea to regard it with a discerning eye and remember that this trend has its benefits and setbacks. Still, we can't deny that this trend has helped bring fiction to the forefront of the world's attention and encouraged more and more people to read for enjoyment again.
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