TikTok is not all bad - it gets young people to read

TikTok has become more just than a platform to perform trendy dances - it also encourages younger users to read more books.

TikTok’s sub-community Booktok is a large community of readers who share their opinions, fan arts and book recommendations with others on the platform.

NZ On Air’s 2024 report ‘Where are the Audiences’ shows that 52 per cent of 15–24-year-olds use TikTok with Booktok being a place for young readers to connect.

Since the COVID-19 lockdown, publishers have noticed a difference in readers’ buying habits thanks to the online community.

Marketing manager of Hachette Aotearoa, Sacha Beguely, says that during the COVID-19 lockdowns, people were connecting online through Booktok which saw an increase in book sales.

“People were connecting, readers were connecting to each other across the world and creating a community through TikTok.”

“So [book sales] globally would have started in around 2020. We probably started seeing an impact on sales in New Zealand after that so 2021/22,” said Beguely.

Social media’s influence can be seen with Whitcoulls Top 100 of 2024 books being dominated by the books that are popular online.

For example, Sarah J. Mass’ popular series A Court of Thorne and Roses and Rebecca Yarros’ Fourth Wing took the top two spots in Whitcoulls Top 100 books of 2024. Both are very popular on the sub-community.

Beguely says that an author's ability to connect with readers online can be a great way to promote their work.

“There's a lot of self-promotion that happens with Booktok authors and I think that's a good thing, they all have communities.

“They often have Facebook reader groups; they have people follow them on their social channels and they can talk directly to their readers.”

Frequent user of Booktok, Lotte Corrigan, says that the platform allows users with similar reading interests to connect online and form friendships.

“If it was just me watching these videos, it's kind of boring, but the fact that you can go and make friends through [Booktok] and talk to people, it makes the experience better.”

Corrigan says that connecting with users online with the same book interests is a bonding experience.

Corrigan says that the online community enhances the experience of the books through connectivity.

“It's kind of like you get to escape to a different world and seeing what can come off Booktok and the fan art that people make and just seeing how big something can grow.

“The author makes the book, but the community makes it better.”