TikTok, the video-sharing social media platform, has popularized just about every trend you could think of creating. No matter how bizarre, the app has a way of making nearly anything and everything viral. From ‘what’s living in your head rent-free,’ to ‘parents be like’, or the ‘I was today years old’ life hacks, TikTok has it all.

Now another emerges — BookTok. Readers, writers, and editors alike have all joined in on the trend. These book-loving influencers have resurrected old novels and introduced new ones. The #BookTok trend has more than 6.4 billion views and it grows bigger every day. Think of it as the quickest book club you’ll ever join.

From book spoiler alerts to authors giving writing tips, here is everything you need to know if you’re starting out as a BookTok for beginners.

What is BookTok?

BookTok for beginners can look at it like this, Booktokers are simply TikTok users who make short 60-second video clips of books. They may act out scenes from their favorite stories, show off their colorful bookshelves, or dramatically react to new releases. BookTok fills the app with book recommendations that will make you cry, laugh, or fall in love with its characters. Users in this community may also share opinions about what’s on the shelf in stores and what’s it like to be a bookseller. While the tag does highlight a ton of YA, fantasy novels, and fanfiction stories, there is a sizeable community of readers who branch outside of those genres. This community also values literature more than any other competition or trend.

Authors and Publishers on BookTok

This community is not just young adults who love to read; publishers and bookstores are also joining the BookTok community. Barnes and Noble has a BookTok page dedicated to popular books, and the stores display viral titles from the app. Publishers too have joined the community trend. They promote their titles and connect with popular BookTok influencers to endorse their titles, sometimes sending them ARC copies.

Some authors are finding their books revived on the app. The hashtag #thesongofachilles reached more than 22 million views once Book Tokers got a hold of Madeline Miller’s The Song of Achilles written in 2012. Sarah J. Maas and the hashtag #throneofglass stands at about 244 million views. The #sixofcrows from author Leigh Bardugo’s 2015 book Six of Crows is trending with 146 million views. No matter if they are a classic or a new read, BookTokers will find a way to make them viral in no time.

Getting Started

If you are new to TikTok and want to step into the BookTok corner of the world, start searching the simple hashtag #BookTok and you can discover popular creators to follow. Also, like bookstagram, Instagram’s world for book lovers, influential book accounts are endless. Following an account with 50K followers or more is a good place to start. After this, your next steps are even simpler – videomaking. Think of this as a challenge with no right answer. Find your favorite song, a few inspiring reads and there you have it. Many BookTokers even opt to not to show their face by simply showing a stack of books or an individual book, one at a time. Some popular book trends to start you off are: ‘books that had me sobbing at 3 am,’ ‘books I couldn’t put down,’ or ‘books that BookTok made me buy.’

Current authors and aspiring authors, this community is also for you. Getting started with your own author #BookTok page can go a few ways. You can start by promoting your previous books with a short video of yourself. It is a treat for the fans who love you and an introduction for the viewers who don’t know you. Some authors also give out tips on how they start writing. Others allow viewers to comment on which direction their plot should go if they are in the middle of writing a story or show their writing process on boards filled with colorful sticky notes. Remember this BookTok for beginners tip, even if you post, engaging in the BookTok community is crucial, and in return, it can even raise attention for your books.

Check out this fun example from a popular BookToker.