What's your opinion on "Booktok"?

[MoSSurII]

So me personally, I avoid Tiktok like the plague, but, like any part of the internet, stuff seems to escape from there onto other platforms. One of these, which I learnt about recently, is "Booktok," the part of Tiktok where people talk about their favorite (And hated) novels.
Now of course, I'm pretty sure some of the Tiktokers have great tastes, but, from what I've seen as a bystander from outside the platform, most of the popular stuff within the community is smut (Sorry, dunno if I can say this word so I'm being cautious) with only one paragraph containing social commentary preventing it from actually being called that.
What do y'all think? Have you gotten recommendations from there which were actually good reads? Or do you share my sentiment?
If you'd like to know some of what Booktok offers, I recommend this video

 

[Finchbearer]

I’m not on TikTok, though I might consider it if I publish and it’s still popular. I see quite a lot of booktok recs on Pinterest, of which I use fairly frequently if I want to know what an Anglo Saxon warrior looks like for example…

In my opinion, if you’re writing YA and you’re not on TikTok, you’re doing yourself a misjustice, as it’s usually younger people using the app.

After unblurring your blurred bit, smut is pretty much the most popular ‘literature’ if you can call it that, and yes romantasy is very popular, and booktok gives books a spice rating.

 

[Ban]

I'd agree with Finch that TikTok probably has its greatest use for YA writers (or soft-core erotica). I have never used the platform, but I doubt short-form videos geared towards a predominantly teenage audience will do much good for writers catering to different types of reader. As for book recommendations as a reader, I find Goodreads to be useful enough. Being able to see and read a plethora of reviews seems more useful to me than listening to the bite-sized opinion of a singular person on TikTok.

 

[pmmg]

I think one might go mad trying to keep up with all the media and social media platforms. I barely use facebook, and just now starting to look at whats out there. I have never used TikTok, and feel it would take a lot of energy to become fluent in its ways. My suspicion is, it will be yesterdays news by the time I get to it.

But...I will take anything that is effective in reaching a market. I just may be slow at getting to it.

We had a tiktok influencer on here once who offered to help, but then faded. Maybe they left contact info.

 

[pmmg]

Tik Tok

I think it was janedoe0018 from this thread. Maybe you can find her on tiktok.

 

[Devor]

I haven't uploaded any videos, but I use TikTok pretty actively. It gets kind of a bad rap. All the gen-zers are there being crazy. But it's not like that's the only thing on there. For instance, someone asked "Why do people give Gen X a free pass?" and damn did the Gen-X TikTokers make themselves known. But I digress...

BookTok just refers to TikTokers who want to talk about books. You can get tons of good recommendations. I follow one person who does a series, "One Classic Book You Should Read, and One You Can Skip." Any time she's named a book I've read, I've agreed with her all but once. I follow another series which reads 1-star review from popular books, leaving you to guess (or read the comments, or wait for the follow up video) which book it is. The reviews are funny. There are also some solid resources. I follow an editor who talks about subjects like agents, contracts, finding an editor, and stuff like that, with great advice. I've seen all sorts of decent fantasy book reviews, usually with fewer spoilers than I'd like (I mean, if it's on the blurb it's not a spoiler, stop talking up a book when I still know nothing about it. *sigh* /endrant).

It's true the books that go viral selling on Booktok tend to be YA and kind of smutty. There's a brief history to that: One very prolific author was able to rally a lot of people into posting sales videos for her books, for which those influencers gain a commission. Many of those influencers have expanded to selling other books similar to the one that got them started, as other authors keep trying to replicate that success. So it's there. But it's more organized than you'd realize, and doesn't represent all that Booktok is. And if you scroll through it a few times you'll stop seeing it. The platform isn't just a bunch of fangirls squeeing about a book you'll hate. That's not what's happening at all.

 

[MoSSurII]

I haven't uploaded any videos, but I use TikTok pretty actively. It gets kind of a bad rap. All the gen-zers are there being crazy. But it's not like that's the only thing on there. For instance, someone asked "Why do people give Gen X a free pass?" and damn did the Gen-X TikTokers make themselves known. But I digress...

BookTok just refers to TikTokers who want to talk about books. You can get tons of good recommendations. I follow one person who does a series, "One Classic Book You Should Read, and One You Can Skip." Any time she's named a book I've read, I've agreed with her all but once. I follow another series which reads 1-star review from popular books, leaving you to guess (or read the comments, or wait for the follow up video) which book it is. The reviews are funny. There are also some solid resources. I follow an editor who talks about subjects like agents, contracts, finding an editor, and stuff like that, with great advice. I've seen all sorts of decent fantasy book reviews, usually with fewer spoilers than I'd like (I mean, if it's on the blurb it's not a spoiler, stop talking up a book when I still know nothing about it. *sigh* /endrant).

It's true the books that go viral selling on Booktok tend to be YA and kind of smutty. There's a brief history to that: One very prolific author was able to rally a lot of people into posting sales videos for her books, for which those influencers gain a commission. Many of those influencers have expanded to selling other books similar to the one that got them started, as other authors keep trying to replicate that success. So it's there. But it's more organized than you'd realize, and doesn't represent all that Booktok is. And if you scroll through it a few times you'll stop seeing it. The platform isn't just a bunch of fangirls squeeing about a book you'll hate. That's not what's happening at all.

I agree with this a lot, not from just a literature perspective, but, from a general perspective, too- Every social media has some sort of issue it's known for, Tiktok with it's crazy Gen-Z userbase, Twitter with it's crazy Millennial userbase, Instagram with the unrealistic standards it sets up and much, much more. Honestly, these are all loud minorities and even if you can't avoid such content, it's easy to ignore them and not let 'em affect you.

Maybe irrelevant, but, felt like I had to say it. Also I'm the thread starter, fight me.

 

[MoSSurII]

I’m not on TikTok, though I might consider it if I publish and it’s still popular. I see quite a lot of booktok recs on Pinterest, of which I use fairly frequently if I want to know what an Anglo Saxon warrior looks like for example…

In my opinion, if you’re writing YA and you’re not on TikTok, you’re doing yourself a misjustice, as it’s usually younger people using the app.

After unblurring your blurred bit, smut is pretty much the most popular ‘literature’ if you can call it that, and yes romantasy is very popular, and booktok gives books a spice rating.

Ooooh, I never actually knew they 'rated' how 'spicy' a book is. I'd see people talking about "how spicy a book is" and just thought it was a joke some to poke fun at Booktok-ers and their preference of smut-riddled novels

 

[pmmg]

Honestly, these are all loud minorities and even if you can't avoid such content, it's easy to ignore them and not let 'em affect you.

This is probably not as true as one might think.

 

[Finchbearer]

Ooooh, I never actually knew they 'rated' how 'spicy' a book is. I'd see people talking about "how spicy a book is" and just thought it was a joke some to poke fun at Booktok-ers and their preference of smut-riddled novels

I think we’re talking about teenagers here, who are wondering if their parents will let them read the book in question, so although rather silly, I suppose it offers a realistic gauge on whether it’d be ‘parent approved’ or not.

 

[pmmg]

I think far more likely, they are reading it, and their parents don't even know...or dont want to...

 

[Finchbearer]

That sort of thing didn’t even cross my mind when I was that age, but then again I wasn’t reading smut to be honest. I do see a lot of comments from (I am assuming) young girls in their mid-teens talking about whether their parents would let them read certain books or not. Maybe from stricter households…

 

[pmmg]

I hope that is the norm. That the parents are watching. If kids are asking that, it means there's a chance it might draw attention. But kids have so many ways to bypass parents today. I suspect the vast majority are.

 

[Ban]

They have access to more egregious stuff with a mere google search. I doubt written erotica is going to corrupt the youth if they already have access to the world wide web. In any event, the heavily censored TikTok (to bring it back a bit) is a far safer venue than most other media platforms.

I hope that is the norm. That the parents are watching. If kids are asking that, it means there's a chance it might draw attention. But kids have so many ways to bypass parents today. I suspect the vast majority are.

 

[pmmg]

I doubt written erotica is going to corrupt the youth if they already have access to the world wide web.

I doubt written erotica is going to corrupt the youth 'more' if they already have access to the world wide web.

Left out a word...

Is TikTok heavily censored? I am unaware.

 

[Ban]

I doubt written erotica is going to corrupt the youth 'more' if they already have access to the world wide web.

Left out a word...

Is TikTok heavily censored? I am unaware.

From what I have gathered it is. TikTok seems to crack down on even the most innocuous swears and "taboo" material, judging by the self-censorship that has spilled over from TikTok to youtube and other online venues. Someone with personal experience would know better though.

 

[pmmg]

I'd not heard that about TikTok. If its true, I am surprised it would be.

 

[Devor]

Is TikTok heavily censored? I am unaware.

Kind of? Censorship on TikTok is weird. Whenever you make a video, x number of people see it. If Y number of those people watch it long enough, then it’ll be shown to another batch of users. But apparently certain words and content are penalized with a smaller X in the algorithm. The result is people weirdly saying stuff like “unalived“ instead of killed, and other weird stuff.

 

[pmmg]

Just creating a new language one censor at a time.

 

[Devor]

Just creating a new language one censor at a time.

It doesn't help that TikTok isn't clear about what gets downgraded or why, or that tons of stuff can still go viral despite being penalized. It's very confusing for a lot of people.