What is Booktok? For Book Lovers
What is Booktok
BookTok is a vibrant subcommunity on TikTok where users (BookTokers) create and share short videos about books, including reviews, recommendations, emotional reactions, and literary memes, sparking trends and significantly boosting book sales, especially in Young Adult (YA), fantasy, and romance genres, by showcasing a book’s aesthetic or specific tropes. It’s a powerful force for discovering new reads, with content driven by user passion and algorithm personalization rather than traditional marketing, making it a go-to source for bookish inspiration and community
BookTok is a subcommunity on the social media platform TikTok that focuses on books and literature. This book club emerged in late 2019 as TikTok was becoming more popular. Members of this subcommunity, known as the BookTokers, make videos reviewing, discussing, and joking about the books they read. These books range in genre, but many content creators tend to focus on young adult fiction, fantasy, and romance. The community has been known to impact the publishing industry and book sales along with general interest in reading.
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Key Aspects of BookTok:
- Content: Videos feature emotional reactions (e.g., crying readers), aesthetic book displays, discussions of literary tropes, and “as seen on BookTok” shelves in bookstores.
- Genres: While diverse, it heavily features YA, fantasy, romance, and dark academia, often featuring relatable characters and intense plots.
- Impact: It drives book sales, helps authors gain visibility, and encourages reading among young people, often causing books to go viral and top bestseller lists.
- Discovery: Users find BookTok content by searching for #BookTok or interacting with book-related videos, training their algorithm to show them more, explains this Reddit thread.
- Community: It’s a space for genuine connection, with creators sharing intimate feelings about books, fostering a sense of shared experience.
Booktok Statistics
BookTok has fundamentally reshaped the publishing industry by 2026, driving record-breaking sales and revitalizing backlist titles through viral trends.
Platform Reach & Engagement (2025–2026)
- Total Views: The #BookTok hashtag has accumulated over 370 billion views globally by mid-2025. Some 2026 reports project the hashtag surpassing 200 billion views on TikTok specifically.
- Content Volume: Over 52 million videos have been created under the hashtag.
- User Demographics: Approximately 71% of BookTok users are under the age of 30, with a heavy skew toward Gen Z and Millennial women.
TikTok Users Report Reading 50% More Because of BookTok
A recent poll asked 10,000 TikTok U.S. and Canadian users if they are reading more because of BookTok, and here are the results.
Impact on Sales & Consumption
- Purchasing Power: 45% of TikTok users report purchasing a book after seeing it on the platform.
- Revenue Growth: Books featured on BookTok see an average 600% increase in sales. In 2022 alone, sales driven by authors with large BookTok followings exceeded $760 million.
- Reading Habits:
- 48% of users in the U.S. and 53% in Canada report reading more due to BookTok’s influence.
- The average American TikTok user reported reading 60% more books annually compared to before their exposure to the platform.
- In the UK, 59% of 16–25 year olds credit BookTok with helping them discover a passion for reading.
Market Trends & Genre Dominance
- The “Backlist Boom”: Unlike traditional marketing which focuses on new releases, 70% of books sold in 2022 were backlist titles (older releases), a trend heavily attributed to the platform. For example, Colleen Hoover’s It Ends With Us (2016) saw a 42,133% sales increase years after its release.
- Top Genres: Romance, Fantasy, and “Romantasy” are the dominant genres. Sales in Science Fiction and Fantasy rose by 41.3% between 2023 and 2024, largely driven by viral titles like Fourth Wing.
- Physical Retail: Nearly half (49%) of Gen Z readers have visited a physical bookshop specifically to buy a book they saw on TikTok. This has led retailers like Barnes & Noble to create dedicated “BookTok” sections in-store.
Booktok Community
How to join Booktok
To join BookTok, create a TikTok account focused on books, start posting short, engaging videos (reviews, recommendations, trends) using #BookTok, and actively engage with the friendly community by following creators, commenting, and using TikTok’s tools like Stitch/Duet. Authenticity, consistency, and niche focus help you find your audience and grow, making it less about joining a formal group and more about participating in a vibrant algorithm-driven space.
Getting Started
- Create/Dedicated Account: Set up a TikTok account, potentially a new one just for books, to keep your content focused.
- Explore the Community: Search for
#BookTok, favorite authors, or genres, and like/follow accounts you enjoy so the algorithm learns your taste. - Post Your First Videos: Don’t overthink it; just start recording! Talk about a book you love, a recent read, or your TBR (To Be Read) list.
- Quick & Engaging: Keep videos short, use hooks, and get straight to the point.
- Content Mix: Share reviews, recommendations, aesthetic book stacks, or participate in trends
Growing Your Presence
- Hashtags are Key: Use popular tags like
#BookTok,#BookRecs,#FantasyRomance, etc., but also niche ones for your specific interests. - Engage Authentically: Reply to comments, respond to DMs, and comment on other creators’ videos to build connections.
- Join Trends: Use TikTok’s Duet and Stitch features to interact with popular videos and trends.
- Find Your Niche: Focus on a specific genre (romance, sci-fi, thriller) or style (cozy, dark academia) to attract like-minded readers.
- Be Consistent: Regular posting helps the algorithm favor your content and keeps your new followers engaged
what is Booktok: Hashtags
Popular BookTok hashtags include broad terms like #booktok, #bookstagram, #books, #booklover, #bookworm, #bibliophile, and specific niches like #spicybooktok, #bookaesthetic, #bookrecommendations, plus genre/trope tags (e.g., #fantasyromance, #enemieslovers) and viral ones like #ForYouPage (#FYP) to increase reach. Use a mix of general, niche, and trending tags to connect with readers, discover new content, and boost visibility on TikTok’s algorithm.
General & Community Hashtags
#booktok#bookstagram,#bookstagrammer,#bookcommunity#booklover,#bookworm,#bibliophile,#booknerd,#bookaddict#books,#reading,#bookish#bookaesthetic,#bookphotography,#bookshelf,#bookquotes
Niche & Trope Hashtags
#bookrecommendations,#bookrec#spicybooktok,#spicycontent,#romancereader,#sportsromance(for romance/spicy books)#fantasyromance,#darkromance(adapt to genre)#enemieslovers,#foundfamily,#booktropes(specific tropes)#bookreview,#bookhaul,#bookunboxing,#bookshopfinds
Viral & Engagement Hashtags
#ForYouPage,#ForYou,#FYP,#TrendingNow,#Viral(to hit broader audiences)#booktokfyp(combines BookTok with viral reach)#bookishfollowtrain(for community building)
How to Use Them
- Mix & Match: Combine broad, niche, and viral tags for best results.
- Be Specific: Use book titles, author names, and specific tropes (e.g.,
#TheFourthWing,#RebeccaYarros). - Check Trends: See what’s popular on BookTok right now by browsing the
#booktokfeed.
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