How BookTok Is Changing The Publishing and Entertainment Industries
I, like many other internet obsessed Gen Z-ers, can attribute their somewhat newfound reading hobby to BookTok, or Book TikTok, an online community made of readers that share, review, and recommend books. Coming into the zeitgeist in August of 2020 when many of us were at home during the pandemic, the community is responsible for popularizing authors like Colleen Hoover, Emily Henry, and Taylor Jenkins Reid.
The power of this community is huge with over 181 billion views on TikTok that have helped to sell around 20 million books in 2021 alone. Many major booksellers have taken notice and have dedicated sections to the BookTok community, making it easier to find those viral reads. Influencers have also capitalized on this popularity by creating specific accounts dedicated to their reading habit.
This rise in popularity of certain titles on BookTok has captured the attention of TV and filmmakers. Taylor Jenkins Reid’s book got the TV treatment getting turned into a Prime Video original series Daisy Jones & the Six. Other successful adaptations include Normal People by Sally Rooney, The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas, The Summer I Turned Pretty by Jenny Han, Heartstopper by Alice Oseman, Conversations with Friends by Sally Rooney, and Red, White, and Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston.
This trend is also allowing authors to expand more on their stories. Jenny Han has had great success with her three movie series To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before on Netflix and The Summer I Turned Pretty show on Prime Video. Her success in the space also opened the door to a spinoff series; XO, Kitty. She is able to not only expand her worlds and tell more stories, but she has also been able to grow professionally from writing books to scripts, and now being a show runner. She has created media that is so entertaining and relatable, while also putting an emphasis on diversity and representation.
Colleen Hoover is undeniably the front runner when it comes to authors being catapulted to success from this community. In 2022 alone, she sold over 14.3 Million copies and over 24 million copies to date. The easy to read and palpable love stories capture you in the first chapter, making these page turners easily digestible. Ten years after independently publishing her first book, she earned 8 of the top 25 print sellers in 2022. Her first adaptation, It Ends With Us, was in production before the WGA and SAG strikes and garnered large talent, most notably the lead Blake Lively.
Given the strikes, many productions were put on hold, but deals have been made for many other BookTok viral hits including three of Emily Henry’s titles, The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid coming to Netflix, and Sarah J, Maas’ hit book series A Court of Thorns and Roses coming to Hulu.
Book adaptations are not a new trend. Many of the largest film franchises of all time are based on literary works. The Hunger Games, Harry Potter, The Hobbit, Maze Runner, and The Lord of the Rings are notably the most successful franchises to stem from books. Having a foundational fanbase from book fans, adaptations are set up for success as long as they live up to expectations.
The impact of this online community is changing the way in which authors get their work recognized not only by more readers, but by the entertainment industry. There is so much power in online communities and BookTok will be changing the kinds of stories that young readers demand not just in literary works, but in what appears on screen. Safe to say, this community is one to watch and may be a preview into the future of film and television.
