As of December, #BookTok has more than 42.2 million posts on TikTok. It has inspired readers to share how a book has impacted them, improved discovery, and contributed to the resurgence of physical bookstores.
Morris said the community played a role in the success of authors such as Colleen Hoover, known for her hit book and movie It Ends With Us, and Taylor Jenkins Reid, whose novel The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo is being adapted by Netflix.
@kellyclarksonshow #booktok just gained a new member! @Kierra Lewis #fourthwing #kellyclarkson ♬ original sound – Kelly Clarkson Show
Communities like #BookTok let smaller brands reach global audiences, which is more challenging on other social media platforms, said Samantha Hicks, managing director of talent agency Shine Talent Group.
“These groups, which don’t exist elsewhere, create organic, community-driven reviews in comments, amplifying products like Byredo fragrances nd local spots while giving smaller brands global reach,” said Hicks. For example, creator Paul Fino’s content on TikTok finding new and unique fragrances many may not have heard about without #PerfumeTok.
But communities rarely overlap platforms
To keep their audience informed and engaged, creators are increasingly sharing information about other platforms where they can be found to keep their followers.
However, for communities like #BookTok and #MovieTok, this has its challenges.
“Communities generally do not overlap across platforms,” said Fraser. “Pinterest, for example, offers a strong alternative for #BookTok given its functionality as a search engine rather than solely a social network.”