By Amanda Brill
Rowan Public Library

Unless you have been living under a rock, you are aware of the social media app TikTok, even if you do not have an account or scroll through videos for hours on end like yours truly. TikTok has become a space where people all over the world can come together in different communities to dance, sing and share news or funny cat videos. One such community is #BookTok.

Readers have used a variety of social media platforms to share their favorite books and authors since the inception of social media itself, but #Bookstagram (books reviewed and shared on Instagram) and #BookTok are the two that exploded exponentially in the height of the pandemic. Authors are also a huge part of #BookTok where they share their upcoming releases, foster dialog about their work and tease cover art and special editions. Lesser-known authors can see a rise in popularity if a popular reviewer takes the time to make a video about a story that resonates with them.

In 2020 for example, author E. Lockhart saw a resurgence of her young adult thriller “We Were Liars” despite being published six years prior in 2014. Madeline Miller saw a similar uptick in readership for her 2011 novel “Song of Achilles.” More recently, Colleen Hoover has seen a massive rise in popularity in her novels, to the point where “It Ends with Us” was just made into a major feature film. All these books are available at any Rowan Public Library location if you want to see what makes them so popular.

#BookTok popularity does have its downsides; authors have stated they feel even more pressure to promote their books on top of writing, touring and signing. Xiran Jay Zhao, author of the young adult novel “Iron Widow,” said making videos that would gain traction takes away precious writing or researching time. While Zhao may have a level of comfort being on camera, some authors might not, leading to awkward interactions and fewer views on videos.

Social media connects the world in many ways. One does not have to be an avid user of the platform to see the benefits of using TikTok to find a new favorite author or feel the pressure of publishers to create more engagement with readers. I use TikTok as one way to decompress after a long day and scrolling through and seeing what my favorite authors are reading helps me find new authors I normally would not have tried. To find out if Rowan Public Library has a book you’ve seen on #BookTok, search the online catalog at www.RowanPublicLibrary.org or call 980-432-8670.

Amanda Brill is young adult librarian at Rowan Public Library.