TikTokers have created a new space for the book community. BookTok is a cosy corner of the internet, where book enthusiasts often share their favourite YA fiction titles.
The internet is finally gaining some wholesome content – and we can thank BookTok for that. BookTok is a place where literature lovers share their thoughts on recent reads. TikTok videos with the ‘#BookTok’ tag first gained popularity in 2020 and have gained over 42bn views. Young adult (YA) fiction is particularly popular on BookTok, where creators share their best-loved YA books. From romance, fantasy, thrillers, and LGBTQ+ novels, BookTok plays a significant role in promoting fiction.
Dilayra Verburgh, 19-years-old, began her BookTok journey in 2020 during the first lockdown. “I had spare time on my hands, I loved reading and I wanted to share my passion with others,” she says.
Her TikTok handle, @gayotic_bookworm, has attracted over 153,000 followers and her videos have received over 6.3m likes. Dilayra is part of the LGBTQ+ community and loves to recommend her favourite YA queer books. “I’ve always loved reading, but BookTok helps me find and recommend books with representation in them,” Dilayra says.
Dilayra’s most watched video is titled ‘If a sapphic book is worth your time: yes or no edition,’ which has acquired almost 700,000 views. In this particular video, Dilayra holds up books featuring lesbian themes and simply says ‘yes’ or ‘no’. “I mostly post sapphic recommendations because they are hard to find and I want people like me to read books they can relate to,” she says.
“BookTok is a community. You share your love for books in a non-judgemental environment.” – Dilayra Verburgh
Apart from creating book content herself, Dilayra also watches other BookToker’s videos and says, “I love seeing what other people are reading. It helps me find books I wouldn’t find otherwise.” One of Dilayra’s favourite BookTok discoveries is The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, by Taylor Jenkins Reid, which was first released in June 2017. The novel has profited from the BookTok community, as sales sky-rocketed after it went viral on the platform. A new edition of the Simon & Schuster novel, released in October 2021, has sold over 118,000 copies. The publishing company recognises the novel’s popularity on TikTok, labelling it ‘The TikTok Sensation’ and listing it under a category named ‘TikTok made me buy it!’ on their website.
“All it takes is one viral video. Books that were unknown can become bestsellers in a day. BookTok has more power than you think,” says Dilayra.
While BookTok is especially valuable for publishers promoting new releases, it also allows for the rediscovery of older novels. Adam Silvera’s 2017 YA science fiction novel, ‘They Both Die at the End’ found its way back into the book community after grabbing the attention of BookTokers.
Since its fame on BookTok, Silvera’s novel has earned a spot on the New York Times YA bestsellers list and is currently being adapted for TV. “Books that came out years ago are becoming wildly popular now and it’s all because BookTokers promote them,” says Dilayra.
Afi Atiqah, a 26-year-old, who goes by the handle @whatafireads on TikTok, boasts over 14,000 followers. The Malaysian BookToker regularly posts YA fiction recommendations and ‘unboxing’ videos, where she unwraps parcels containing books. Like Dilayra, Afi also created her page during the first wave of the pandemic. “At first, I used TikTok to post and edit my book hauls. It turned out that one of my posts had blown up and, in a way, the rest is history,” Afi says.
One of the things Afi most likes about BookTok is its accepting nature. She says that “there was a time where liking books portrayed someone as a nerd, someone without a social life” and that now “loving books is no longer embarrassing.” She believes this change in perspective has helped boost the YA fiction market as people are eager to read more.
According to Afi, the BookTok community has proven to be one which embraces community and representation. “I have seen so many recommendations for LGBTQ+ young adult books, and books which have characters from all different backgrounds in them – it’s absolutely wonderful,” Afi says.
Note: TikTokers have given permission for Evolve to use screengrabs.
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