With thousands of new books getting published each year, as an author, it’s natural to find yourself lost amid the vast competition. Standing out seems nearly impossible. Traditional marketing methods don’t seem to be working, either, leaving you unheard and frustrated.
That’s where BookTok comes into the picture. For the uninitiated, BookTok is a subcommunity in TikTok where authors, readers, literary critics, and all sorts of book lovers create short TikTok videos on their favorite books.
It’s a place where authors can connect with their audience in a way they never thought possible.
In this article, we’ll cover the ins and outs of BookTok, including how it works, content ideas, and specific strategies to help you leverage this powerful social media tool.
Understanding BookTok: TikTok For Authors
BookTok isn’t just a hashtag; it’s a revolution. Imagine a bustling virtual library where bibliophiles, authors, and bookworms come together to share their love for books through short, engaging videos.
These videos, often no longer than 60 seconds, can encompass book recommendations, reviews, summaries, and creative book-related content.
That’s the essence of BookTok – building a thriving online community within TikTok dedicated to all things literary.
BookTok statistics tell a compelling story:
- A 2023 survey found that 48% of TikTok users in the US and 53% of Canadian users reported reading more because of BookTok’s influence.
- The last time we checked, the subcommunity stood at 215.8B views.
The best part? BookTok is so inclusive that there’s something for everyone…
Picture shelves overflowing with diverse genres, each attracting its own tribe; fantasy enthusiasts discussing ancient lore and intricate magic systems; romance readers swooning over steamy plots and swoon-worthy heroes, dissecting tropes and fangirling over their OTPs.
Then you have discussions about coming-of-age struggles, YA fantasy, indie authors, identity searches, and first loves that make hearts flutter.
But BookTok isn’t just divided by genre – it’s also a melting pot of diverse voices, experiences, and perspectives. Think LGBTQ+ representation, POC literature appreciation, and discussions about mental health.
Trending Tales and Viral Content
Just like every social media platform, BookTok also has the capacity to make you go viral.
And the impact goes beyond viral trends. TikTok virality actually translates into tangible book sales as well.
ChelleWritesRomance, with approximately 550k followers, is a testament to the platform’s power. Her engaging videos about the writing process, the relatable author struggles, and glimpses into her steamy romance novels garnered a loyal fanbase, translating into real-world success. Her BookTok fame helped her publish her own romance series, proving that BookTok love spills over onto bookstore shelves.
And it’s not just one isolated success story coming from BookTok.
According to a report by the Telegraph, “BookTok” is sending teens and young adults flocking to bookstores in droves, almost like it’s a Harry Potter sequel. Thanks to TikTok influencers, new books and authors are having a moment in the spotlight.
Another compelling example is the book “It Ends With Us” by Colleen Hoover, which initially sold 21,000 copies upon its release in 2016. However, the TikTok community’s endorsement breathed new life into its sales at the end of 2020. By the summer of 2021, the book had soared to 450,000 copies sold. And thanks to TikTok virality, Hollywood is now all set to turn this into a movie starring familiar faces like Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni.
What’s more, if you look at the statistics by BookScan, BookTok helped authors sell a whopping 20 million printed copies in 2021 alone. This number went up another 50% in 2022.
But how does this literary magic happen? TikTok’s algorithm plays a crucial role.
Analyzing the TikTok Algorithm: Decoding Organic Reach and Its Impact on Book Sales
One thing about TikTok is that, unlike other social platforms like Instagram, their algorithm favors recent video performances over the follower count. It analyzes user behavior, engagement patterns, recently viewed videos, and content preferences to curate a personalized feed for each user.
This algorithmic approach ensures that content is not only entertaining but also relevant to individual interests.
This means if you’re an author who has yet to find fame on BookTok, you still stand a chance.
You’ll just have to start creating whatever is trending in your vertical and appeal to your target audience by displaying your book in the best light possible – it could be a witty review or a captivating character sketch – and you never know when you’ll end up getting viral, reaching millions.
The key is to be authentic and creative on BookTok and build a connection with your target audience.
New and established authors stand a chance to garner a loyal fanbase by sharing personal anecdotes, book inspirations, or the journey behind a novel, authors create a relatable narrative that resonates with viewers.
Unlike the gatekeepers of traditional publishing, BookTok empowers all voices, giving undiscovered gems and small authors a chance to shine. Whether you’re a quirky cat lady writing cozy mysteries, a sarcastic historian exploring dark academia, or an aspiring poet sharing snippets of your soul – everyone has a place on BookTok and your unique voice is your passport to BookTok fame.
Creating Your Author Profile on BookTok
The first step to setting up your author profile is obviously signing up for the TikTok platform and creating your business profile. But don’t rush into it without carefully considering your genre and identifying your target audiences, among other preliminaries.
Here’s a helpful step-by-step guide to help you create your profile on BookTok to reach the right readers:
Create a TikTok Business account
Creating a TikTok Business account is a straightforward process and requires a few clicks.
Simply follow these steps to create a TikTok Business account:
Step 1: Download & Sign Up:
- Download the TikTok app if you haven’t already.
- Open the app and tap “Profile” in the bottom right corner.
- Choose “Sign Up” and select “Use phone or email” or log in with an existing account (e.g., Google, Facebook).
Step 2: Switch to a Business Account:
- On your Profile page, click the three dots in the top right corner.
- Go to “Settings and Privacy” and then “Account.”
- Finally, choose “Switch to Business Account” and select your preferred category (e.g., Author, Writer, Education).
Step 3: Optimize Your Settings:
- Explore “Creator tools” to access analytics, schedule videos, and utilize promotional features.
- Enable Live Q&A sessions and duets to interact with your audience directly.
- Link your business TikTok account to your Instagram account for cross-promotion.
Identify your genre and target audience
After you create your TikTok Business account, the next obvious step is to write your bio and username – both of which are a big part of your author persona.
But before you start with that, you have to identify your genre and target audience. How else will you build your author persona and create content to attract the target audience before you even know who you’re targeting?
Ask yourself: are you a purveyor of heart-wrenching historical sagas or a weaver of witty rom-coms?
Recognizing your genre is the first step in crafting your author brand on TikTok, helping you guide your content and attract the right audience.
Here are some popular genres on BookTok:
- Romance
- Fantasy
- Young Adult
- Thriller
- Historical Fiction
When you make up your mind about your genre, dive deeper into your target audience analysis.
For example, a 2023 study by Oberlo states that over 36% of TikTok users are aged between 18 and 24. Knowing your viewers’ age group helps you create content that truly resonates with them.
Your genre will already give you some idea about your target audience, but this information might not be enough.
Here are some quick ways to help you identify your target audience so you create content that directly talks to them:
- Research popular BookTok trends in your genre: Look around BookTok to see what type of content other creators in your niche are creating. Determine the type of audiences they are catering to, so you can also align your content similarly.
- Engage with the BookTok community: Engage with other creators in your niche, respond to comments, and observe discussions. This will give you an idea of your target readership.
- Understand general TikTok demographics: Gaining insights into regular TikTok demographics will also help you align yourself and your content with your target audience.
- Leverage built-in TikTok analytics tools: If you’ve already posted a few times on BookTok and have a decent viewer/follower count, it’s time to check the insights and analytics provided by TikTok. It will help you determine your user demographics and engagement patterns.
Now that you know who you’re addressing, it will be easier for you to craft your author bio and make your content more personalized. You’ll be able to create tailored content for your audience and go beyond casual audience engagement. After all, the end goal is to garner a devoted community of readers who not only like your content but also turn into loyal book buyers and readers.
And you don’t always have to be set in your way – don’t forget to test and iterate. Once you’ve identified the content that resonates with your target audience, don’t shy away from experimenting with different types of content.
Observe audience reactions and use that information to continue to refine your content to connect with your target audience and compel them to buy and read your books.
Set up your BookTok profile
Now that you know who you’re creating content for, it’s time to set up your BookTok profile.
Begin by creating your username – think of it as your literary alias. Make sure it’s catchy, easy to remember, and directly related to your genre. No matter how popular you get or how many loyal readers you garner down the line, you’ll always be associated with your username.
For example, Chelle Sloan’s username “chellewritesromance,” succinctly communicates her literary focus.
Then comes your TikTok bio. You have two options: you can either mention your genre here, or you can tell a story.
For example, are you a historian who brings the past to life? A whimsical romance writer who believes in happily ever afters?
The key is to sprinkle in your personality, use trending keywords, and most importantly, pique the reader’s interest.
The next step would be to add your profile picture. BookTok is first and foremost a way to connect with fellow book lovers and share your content with them – it’s not an advertising platform.
Make sure you’re not using an impersonal book cover as a profile picture. Keep it personal and human. Pose with your favorite mug if you want to and use your own face on your display picture, so potential readers know the real you.
You might also want to add a captivating book trailer to your profile, something that will give readers a glimpse inside your book.
BookTok isn’t Goodreads – It’s a visual platform. It’s the platform where you have to show your readers what your book is all about rather than merely telling them. You can either create a trailer or a mini-movie teaser to tease the plot and give an idea about your writing style.
Finally, include relevant links to your profile. If you’ve already written or published something, make sure you include a link to your website, book page, or a relevant platform where users can explore and purchase your books.
Engaging Content Ideas For Authors: Types of Content That Resonate With The Audience
Word Wizards create their BookTok profiles in hopes of promoting their books and connecting with like-minded individuals and potential readers.
But BookTok – and TikTok, in general – isn’t just about promoting your products and trying to boost sales. It’s primarily about showcasing your personality, building a community platform, and showing the person behind the words. The book sales will follow.
At the heart of it all lies engaging content. If you’re not sure where to start, check out these engaging content ideas to help you connect with potential readers and garner a loyal fanbase.
Book-specific content
The first type of content will be book-specific. After all, it all boils down to one thing – making your books reach your target audience.
- Sneak peeks and teasers from your novel: Do you remember waiting with bated breath for the next Harry Potter series? You can channel a similar level of anticipation by giving your audience a glimpse of your upcoming book or teasing the main protagonists or antagonists of your story.
For example, a famous fantasy author on BookTok, MJ Woodman, shared a glimpse of her book’s plot with a trending sound in the background (accompanied by relevant hashtags). The video went, sparking a wave of enthusiastic readers viral with many viewers commenting how the plot alone makes them want to read her book.
- A behind-the-scenes glimpse into the writing process: BookTok isn’t just a place where potential readers come to hang out. It’s a literary haven for ardent readers, book lovers, and authors who would be equally excited to see your writing process as much as the final book. Don’t shy away from giving a peek into your book research or even the messy desk. It’s BookTok – here authenticity and the human side sells.
- Character and world-building explorations: To invoke more curiosity, introduce your characters through humorous skits, dramatic monologues, or even TikTok’s built-in voice filters. Give viewers a glimpse of their personalities, appearance, and the world you’ve built around them.
- Answering reader questions about your book: Suspense is good but don’t leave your readers completely hanging. Host a Q&A session to address their questions about your book and your writing process to keep them engaged and motivated to read it when it’s finally out.
General literary content
Your BookTok profile can’t be all about marketing your own book. At the end of the day, BookTok is a literary platform where all book lovers congregate to share tidbits about their favorite books.
Here are some content marketing ideas you can emulate to create videos about general literary content:
- Book recommendations and reviews (yours and others): You likely read several books yourself. Some you end up liking, others not so much. Feel free to share your reviews and experiences with books you read with your followers. This not only showcases your love for literature but also helps you build a community and authority in your niche.
- Writing tips and inspiration for fellow authors: For example, authors like A.L. Knorr provide valuable tips and inspiration based on their own experiences in the writing world, offering guidance to aspiring writers on TikTok. Take a page out of their book and share educational content to inspire and provide value to your audience.
- Debating common literary tropes and themes: Keep an eye on current trends or debates about literary tropes, like the “enemies-to-lovers” theme – and use them as a way to engage with your BookTok community. You can also link these themes with your book or other popular books.
- Sharing funny/relatable author experiences: Have a funny backstory related to your book you think will leave your viewers in splits? Or a publisher rejection story you think will make them go “aww?” If so, don’t hesitate to share these little tidbits that tie your personal life to your book. It will help you build a personal connection with your readers, potentially increasing your viewer base.
Interactive/community-driven content
Now comes the time to tap into another integral part of TikTok content – community-driven content. Here are some ideas:
- Duets and stitches with other BookTok creators: You can collaborate with other authors in your genre to hold literary debates. This will also help you display your work in front of a new audience (more on this in the next section).
- Q&A sessions and polls to interact with viewers: Host Q&A sessions to address questions about your writing process, upcoming books, or opinions on literary topics. This will lead to a more personal engagement with your audience and an increase in interaction.
- Hosting writing challenges and book clubs: For example, you can host a challenge to write a very short story (under 500 words) that contains a complete narrative arc as a way to test concise and impactful storytelling.
Congrats, you’re almost ready to wow your audience with interactive videos. But before you start, let’s discuss some tips and strategies that will help you further in your video content creation process.
Proven Strategies to Promote Your Books on BookTok
As an author, creating content on BookTok and trying to build a loyal community of readers can be exciting and equally daunting. But with the right strategies, this task becomes a lot easier.
We narrowed down some of the most valuable strategies to help you navigate this literary haven:
1. Utilize trending sounds and challenges to tap into BookTok’s momentum.
We’ve already seen the shocking statistics that show how BookTok helped propel erstwhile unknown authors to overnight success.
So much so that even an A-list Hollywood celebrity like Will Smith turned to BookTok to promote his book. And despite being a household name, he didn’t just turn up on BookTok to talk about his book blithely.
Understanding the essence of BookTok, he cleverly used a trending sound in a humorous video to talk about his book, increasing his outreach and encouraging people to check out his book. Notice the #booktok hashtag accompanying the video to ensure this video reaches the right audience.
Since TikTok’s algorithm favors current trends, taking part in trending BookTok challenges or using viral audio can help you enhance your video’s discoverability. It’s also more likely to appear in users’ “For You” pages.
But how will you always stay abreast of trends? And what’s the best way to utilize current trends?
Here are some helpful tips:
- Stay updated: Regularly monitor BookTok trends, sounds, and challenges in your niche. TikTok’s Discover page will be helpful here.
- Create authentic content: While you’re using trending challenges, don’t entirely replicate what others are doing. Create your version and add your own personality to it, so your audience feels a connection with your personal brand.
- Engage with your audience: Merely posting content wouldn’t suffice. Once comments and likes start pouring in, don’t forget to respond.
- Create your own challenge: You can also create your own challenge related to your book’s theme to encourage user-generated content and interaction with your readers.
- Add your book’s elements: Use trends to highlight elements of your book. For example, if there’s a dance challenge, you could adapt it to represent something unique about your book’s characters or setting.
- Leverage hashtags: Don’t forget to add hashtags related to the trends you’re participating in, making it easier for your audience to discover your content. Utilizing relevant hashtags like #BookTok, #YAfiction, or #fantasyreads will not only help you increase your discoverability but also signal your genre to new viewers.
2. Create a compelling book cover reveal and trailers
TikTok is a highly visual platform. Everywhere you turn, you’ll see creators masterfully making appealing videos with eye-catching visuals and viral, infectious music.
To garner a following of loyal readers, you’ll also have to find a way to give a more visually appealing twist to your BookTok videos. One way to entice your audience is by creating compelling book trailers and cover reveals.
Take the famous BookTok author Victoria Aveyard’s videos, for instance. She keeps her audience hooked to her videos by creating book trailers with visuals, music, and text that set the mood and resonate with potential readers.
Some authors even turn cover reveals into interactive events to engage with their followers and invoke excitement. This also helps them turn their cover reveals into shared community experiences.
Here are some tips to consider when creating trailers and reveals for your BookTok account:
- Keep the theme consistent and focus on quality: Again, TikTok is a highly visual platform, so make sure you use high-quality images, engaging graphics, and a consistent color palette that resonates with your book’s cover and theme.
- Set a narrative: Set an intriguing narrative around your book that either teases the plot, the characters, or the world you conjured up.
- Incorporate trending music and sound effects: We can’t stress this enough: use trending music and sound effects to get discovered by more of your target audience. That said, the music should also match your book’s theme and be able to set the mood. Luckily, TikTok has an extensive library with free music you can use.
- Create suspense for cover reveals: Humans love suspense. Capitalize on this by building anticipation around your plot or characters that will leave them wanting more of your book. You can then also start a countdown to the reveal date.
- Encourage viewers to interact with your video: What sets social media apart from regular promotional modes is how interactive it is. Take advantage of this by encouraging your audience to leave comments. For example, you can ask their opinion on your trailer or ask them to guess the plot based on your teaser.
3. Implementing TikTok SEO
Search engine optimization (SEO) is a big thing on the internet. Optimizing your content and website propels you to higher search engine rankings, helping you gain organic traffic and get discovered by your target audience.
Similarly, SEO plays an integral role in social media marketing. Optimizing your TikTok videos will help you appear in TikTok searches as well as on Google.
When implementing TikTok, start with the classic – keyword research. Just like your regular SEO, TikTok SEO also involves finding out phrases your target audience is searching for and adding them to your video captions, descriptions, and hashtags. You can use the usual keyword research tools for this, including Google Ads Keyword Planner, Ahrefs, SEMrush, and the like.
You can further use TikTok’s search bar directly to determine what phrases your audiences are searching for.
Simply enter the keywords you pulled from keyword research tools in TikTok’s search bar. TikTok will automatically display all the top phrases people are searching for to reach videos like yours.
Keyword stuffing is only one part of TikTok SEO.
At the heart of it are your audiences and creating the type of content that resonates with them. You can directly reach out to them by creating a video or running a poll asking them the type of content they want you to create.
The more people comment, like, and interact with your videos, the better it’s going to be for your TikTok discoverability. And make sure you promptly respond to the comments on your videos. It’s like killing two birds with one stone – building a community while also increasing interactivity, which is an integral part of SEO.
4. Partner with other BookTok authors for cross-promotion
When you collaborate with other authors in your niche, both of you will get exposure to a wider audience and boost discoverability. They benefit from your following and you from theirs – a win-win for both!
Here are some activities you can collaborate on:
- Host joint live sessions on TikTok to talk about each other’s work
- Talk about your writing processes and industry insights
- Hold joint giveaways to tap into newer audiences
- Participate in reading challenges
- Organize contests to encourage followers to interact with both of your content. Ask them to tag their friends in the comments or like your content
However, make sure you collaborate with someone who shares a similar target audience and create videos for the same genre. Otherwise, what’s the point of tapping into an audience that probably won’t be interested in reading your book?
5. Engage with BookTok influencers
Beyond collaborating with fellow authors, you can also leverage influencer marketing to appeal to your target audience.
From Colleen Hoover’s “It Ends With Us” to “The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo’ by Taylor Jenkins Reid leading the fiction chart, we’ve already seen how BookTok influencers have propelled authors to overnight fame.
According to BookScan, BookTok has also helped authors sell 20 million printed books in 2021 alone. These sales went up by another 50 percent in 2022. These are serious numbers.
What’s particularly interesting about these numbers is that BookTok’s reach isn’t confined to big-name authors and major publishers. The virality often gets momentum from ordinary creators who share their honest opinions on the books they like.
When these creators – akin to micro-influencers – put a spotlight on a book, it can spark a viral sensation, potentially racking up millions of views and substantial sales.
Collaborating with these BookTok influencers is a strategic move for authors. While these influencers enjoy a substantial follower count, it’s not so extensive that they lose their relatability or appear commercialized.
Their followers, though fewer than those of larger influencers, tend to be highly engaged and trust the creators’ recommendations, perceiving them as authentic and heartfelt opinions.
Look at this viral book recommendation video by a BookTok influencer:
But how will you collaborate with a BookTok influencer?
Begin by identifying the influencers that post content related to your genre. Look at their engagement rates, not just the follower count.
Once you find the influencers you want to collaborate with, reach out to them via email or by directly messaging them. They often mention the way to access them in their bios.
When reaching out, offer value-driven collaborations. It could be a free copy of your book in exchange for a review, access to your exclusive content, or monetary compensation.
And don’t try to sway their opinion. Allow influencers to give genuine feedback about your book. Authentic reviews can be more impactful than scripted promotions.
Pro Tip: Carefully monitor the engagement and reach of your collaborations with influencers to determine whether it was effective or not. It will help you create better influencer marketing campaigns in the future.
6. Run book giveaways and contests to incentivize engagement
I don’t like free stuff – said no one ever.
Hosting a giveaway or a reward-based contest is an excellent way to engage potential readers and build a thriving community. It’s not a new technique either. Instagram influencers have been using giveaways and contests to generate traffic and engagement for a while now.
BookTok isn’t any different.
Running a giveaway will help you create excitement among your existing and target audience and increase visibility for your work.
For example, you can post a video announcing a giveaway of signed copies of your latest book, asking your followers to like, comment, or share the post for a chance to win. These contests often see high engagement rates, as they offer tangible rewards for simple interactions.
If you’re not a famous author yet, you can grab eyeballs by hosting a giveaway for another sought-after book in your genre. But it has to be in your genre, so only your target audiences flock to the giveaway.
To begin, create a TikTok video to announce the contest or giveaway using engaging visuals, trending sounds, and a clear call-to-action.
Where do you head next? Here’s how you can go about hosting a BookTok giveaway or a contest:
- Mention the guidelines: Clearly mention the rules for entering, including how you plan to choose the winner and when the giveaway ends.
- Promote across platforms: It’s not just BookTok; there’s a thriving community of budding authors and ardent readers on other social media platforms like Instagram as well. To make sure your giveaway reaches every potential reader possible, share it across platforms.
- Leverage hashtags: Use relevant hashtags to increase the discoverability of your contest video. This can include popular BookTok hashtags and specific ones created for your contest.
- Engage with participants: BookTok is a collaborative, community-driven space, so you can’t simply post a giveaway video and call it a day. Make sure you actively engage with participants and answer all their queries in the comments.
- Create a follow-up video: After the contest, post follow-up content. This could be a video announcing the winner, thanking participants, or showcasing prize delivery. You might also want to feature your favorite entries in your upcoming videos as a way to thank them and incentivize their participation.
Look at this giveaway video by a BookTok creator, for instance.
She clearly states the rules for entering the giveaway toward the end of her video (which she also mentions in her caption). The end date of the giveaway is also clear, leaving no doubt in the minds of participants. She’s also using trending background music in the video, along with relevant hashtags, enhancing her giveaway video’s appeal as well as outreach.
This combination of clarity, trend engagement, and strategic hashtag use helped her gain substantial traction on her video.
Leveraging the Power of BookTok for Literary Success
If you’ve been struggling to get your book into the hands of an eager audience, BookTok has the potential to put an end to your struggles. It puts the power in the hands of ordinary, budding authors and TikTok users rather than A-list authors and the publishing industry, giving you a unique opportunity to connect with a diverse reading community.
From taking part in interactive giveaways to collaborating with fellow BookTok users, there are multiple ways to get your book and yourself out there. TikTok is also one of the most popular social media platforms today, so just posting regularly and creating regular content that resonates with your audience can do wonders for your writing career.
By utilizing TikTok tips like trending sounds and sharing authentic stories, authors also stand a chance to increase their outreach without spending even a single penny. You can now spend that money on self-publishing instead.
Remember, on BookTok, it’s not just about selling a book through a social media network; it’s about telling a story that resonates, captivates, and ultimately finds a home in the hearts of readers worldwide.
And one last note – TikTok works just as well for coaches too, which we cover here in our TikTok for coaches guide.
Jeff Cobb, Founder of Learning Revolution
Jeff Cobb is an expert in online education and the business of adult lifelong learning. Over the past 20+ years he has built a thriving career based on that expertise – as an entrepreneur, a consultant, an author, and a speaker. Learning Revolution is a place where Jeff curates tips, insights, and resources to help you build a thriving expertise-based business. Learn more about Jeff Cobb here.
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