At first, this post was going to be about the banning of TikTok in the United States and how, even with the ban, the book community that was created on the platform, BookTok, would always exist but just to evolve into something different. I am not on TikTok and even though the ban has been lifted, I still have no intention of signing up for the app. Not only was I not interested in signing up for another app and devoting my time in posting on it, the idea of short videos for information just seemed very daunting to me. But I understood why it appealed to others, especially when it came to BookTok.
“Books have the power to bring people together and when book lovers are looking for a space, whether physical or online, to talk about books, we always find one.”
BookTok gave people a chance to discover new authors, uplift new voices and rediscover their love for reading. As some people have said, it has revolutionized the book industry. So, losing something like BookTok so drastically, creators and readers alike, would leave a missing space for them.
But I knew that we would be fine.
Books have the power to bring people together and when book lovers are looking for a space, whether physical or online, to talk about books, we always find one. Wherever we are and what safe space we have created for ourselves, that will be our book community. And I think that if this ban lasted a little bit longer, people would have realized that. But in a gut knee reaction, people were looking for alternatives, even going on Threads and BlueSky, trying to find a similar community they had on TikTok. But just like with any disruption, the real truth comes out.
I am not here to say that TikTok is bad. Like any social media platform, it has its ups and downs. What I saw today, however, with the brief shutdown of the platform, will make me never want to sign up for the app. On Threads, I saw people expressing their opinions of TikTok and being abused and gaslighted for unwarranted reasons. The statements highlighted issues that I have seen on not only BookTok but on all social media platforms: the lack of diversity when it comes to books. Yes, some creators make sure to keep their pages and posts diverse as possible but that doesn’t mean that there aren’t systematic issues and not everyone meets with the same success that you see with the top trending books on the platforms. However, some BookTokers felt that it was attack on their content or platform preference and it was not that at all. It then turned to that a bookstagram vs. BookTok and/or BookTube vs. BookTok fight. It was like people forgot why we got into this in the first place and missed the main objective of sharing books we love. I guess when it comes to views, followers and money, that always trumps everything.
So, I will close out on this: for the book bloggers, bookstagrammers and booktubers, don’t let anyone make you feel bad the platform you choose. Whether you continue on the platform of your choice or you move on something new, don’t take abuse from anyone and let them deter you from the goals and missions you set for yourself when you created this space. Remember your love of reading books and the power that it brings to you and go from there.
And for the BookTokers, I am glad that you got your platform, and I wish you success. However, my suggestion is not to rely on one platform and diversify across different ones so you can build up your presence. This ban was temporary, but I have a feeling it will happen again, sometime in the future. Relying on one platform is risky and gives you a chance to create a more resilient brand. It might take work but anything that deals with creativity doesn’t come easy. Also, when you are in this sphere, you have to take both the pros and cons and realize and accept all flaws of the book industry. You don’t have to agree just see that there are difference of opinions and not necessarily an attack on you.
We have a hard 4 years coming up and creating strife and discourse among ourselves is not going to help matters. We and our audiences are going to need books now more than ever. Let’s not discourage that with abuse and gaslighting. Add book love, not stress, for 2025.
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