On the social network popular with young people TikTok, young women are embarking on book reviews to the point of exploding sales. A godsend for writers, who sometimes associate with them.
Nine Gorman, writer, and Mathieu Guibé, editor-writer
“I have a very specific memory of my first sales success thanks to #BookTok. Ashes Falling for the Sky (Albin Michel Jeunesse), the first volume of the trilogy released in 2018, became a phenomenon on the platform two years later. After reading this romance, the users filmed themselves crying, thus creating a certain curiosity around our work. They created a hashtag that has nearly 43 million views – enough to boost sales that had stabilized at a fairly low rate. In 2021, we had returned to sales relating to its release and this month, it is nearly 100,000 sales for the first two volumes. It is obvious that TikTok has given a second life to this novel, considered old for the publishing industry. I am impressed by the striking power of this social network which combines elements of creativity and discourse. Admittedly, young people support authors and their works but also seek advice from their peers. Booksellers are also interested in this phenomenon: in the United States, it is common to see shelves devoted exclusively to books that have been sold on #BookTok.
“However, this unexpected success is not sustainable, you have to build the loyalty of a community. On his account, Nine stages himself, shares his readings and exchanges with readers. Previously, the only direct relationship with them was at literary fairs. Now, we can quickly get their feelings and their criticisms which allow us to move forward in writing. This link woven on social networks makes it possible to desacralize the figure of the writer and to be stimulated in this activity, which is often solitary. Afterwards, it’s up to us to sort things out: we’re not going to let TikTok guide our writing. We don’t know when it starts or when it ends. #BookTok is an instant and fleeting phenomenon.”
Sarah Rivens, writer
“#BookTok has empowered books of all genres on social media. Users thus share their passion and some authors are even successful thanks to these short videos highlighting their work. Captive (HLab), first posted on Wattpad, is an example. I started writing this dark romance on the advice of a friend. I was far from imagining reaching 115,000 copies sold in August in metropolitan France for volume 1 (out of 180,000 printed) and 100,000 impressions for volume 2 in November.
“There was quickly a craze around my book thanks to TikTok. It’s certainly comforting to feel supported by so many people who love my stories as much as I do, but on the other hand, I feel a certain pressure to write my next novels. However, although some themes work better than others on this social network, I will not adapt my style. I write out of passion and only what I would like to read, being myself my first reader. Unfortunately, I haven’t read at all for a few years, abandoning my teenage passion to devote myself exclusively to the profession of writer.