I am not a social media person. I’m a 59-year-old adult with college and graduate degrees, a long attention span, a deep suspicion of any technology designed to make people dance in their kitchens, and a general belief that most things worth doing can be accomplished without ring lights.
Unfortunately, modern book publishing has decided that authors must now promote their work on TikTok.
So I did what any responsible professional would do: I packed my intellectual dignity, created an account, and went to investigate.
I’m pleased to report that I survived.
The descent into BookTok madness has been harrowing at times.
Also enlightening.
Here are ten things I learned.
(1) Privacy Is. . . Not the Vibe
Authenticity is valued so highly that people lead with everything.
Screen names, bios, and profile pictures are dense with personal detail and meaning-laden emojis. Favorite subgenres. Preferred tropes. Whether the reader likes their romances "closed door," "open door," or "kick the door off the hinges."
That's before you get to marital status, employment status, religious identity, preferred book formats, preferred lengths, favorite cover styles, whether they ever DNF ("did not finish") a book, and whether they're a genre reader or a "mood reader."
It's the literary equivalent of a baseball card, except the stats are emotional.
(2) There Is a Sub-Sub-Sub-Genre for Everyone
Just as there is a lid for every pot, there is a subgenre for every human being.
Actually, make that sub-sub-sub-genre.
These categories are astonishingly specific. And like house paint, they mix together to form still more categories.
Romantasy. Dark academia. Cozy fantasy. Small-town enemies-to-lovers paranormal slow-burn with morally gray shapeshifters.
Somewhere out there is exactly the book someone has been waiting their whole life to read.
(3) The Quiet Kids Won
BookTok feels like a reunion of the thoughtful, introverted people from high school—the ones who spent lunch reading instead of talking.
Only now they’ve found each other.
And with one click, you can eat lunch at their table.
(4) People Know Exactly What They Like
Readers on BookTok have extremely specific tastes, and they are not shy about sharing them.
Dragons or shapeshifters? Grumpy protagonists or sunshine ones? Dystopian worlds or post-apocalyptic ones? Epic fantasy or cozy fantasy? Young adult, new adult, or something that refuses to stay inside any category at all?
Whatever the answer, there is a passionate community of readers waiting for it.
(5) The Algorithm Is The Sun God
The platform is intensely self-referential, and the competition for attention is fierce.
Every time you open the app, you'll encounter a parade of influencers explaining how to "go viral on TikTok" using mysterious techniques involving posting times, trending sounds, and strategic hand gestures.
None of them explain why you'd want to go viral, except that you can monetize your account once you do—which, coincidentally, is exactly what they have done.
Conspicuously absent from most of these tutorials is any suggestion that you might simply create something useful, interesting, or entertaining.
Apparently that approach is considered reckless.
(6) Women Run the Show
Women—and people who identify as female—appear to be the most passionate readers and the most active voices in the BookTok community.
Men are around too. But we’re clearly the visiting team.
(7) A Lot of People Want to Write
Despite the fact that millions of books are published every year, BookTok is full of aspiring writers, emerging writers, unpublished writers, and writers who are quietly working on their fifth manuscript while still describing themselves as "working on my first."
The dream of writing a book is alive and well.
And in very good company.
(8) BookTok Is Very Honest
Readers on BookTok are remarkably direct about what they want.
If I had a dollar for every bio containing phrases like "bring on the spice," "morally gray heroes only," "the smuttier the better," or "dark romance forever"—I wouldn't need to sell any books.
And honestly? Good for them. Readers know what they enjoy, and they aren't shy about saying so.
(9) Reading Goals Are Serious Business
Those mysterious numbers in bios—like 21/52—are reading goals. Readers track progress against annual targets.
There are also genre goals, author-diversity goals, TBR ("to-be-read") list goals, follower goals, reading-streak goals, and occasionally "reduce my screen time" goals.
This last one is particularly ambitious on TikTok.
(10) The People Are Great
I came to BookTok as a skeptic.
I found everything I expected—noise, algorithm-driven chaos, and people lip-syncing and dancing in their kitchens.
But I also found something I didn't expect.
Readers recommending books to strangers with the urgency of someone pressing something precious into another person's hands. People who have loved stories their whole lives and spent years feeling a little alone in that—suddenly discovering there are thousands of them. Millions, maybe.
I've always believed that reading is one of the most private acts there is. A conversation between a reader and a writer, across time and space, with no one else in the room.
BookTok hasn't changed that. It's added something to it.
A room full of people who all just had the same conversation. And are absolutely delighted to have found each other.
As The Washashore’s main character, Silas Lopez, might say, “That there's a good story.”
The platform may be a little wild.
But the people there remind you why stories matter in the first place.
If you are interested in ordering The Washashore you can find it at—or order it from— these local bookstores: Wellesley Books (Wellesley, MA), The Bookshop of Needham (Needham, MA), Provincetown Bookshop (Provincetown, MA) and Elm Street Books (New Canaan, CT)
Or if you want the convenience and speed of online, but still want to support local bookstores, grab The Washashore through Bookshop.org
Reach Out to Me: Facebook Author Page | Say Hi on TikTok | Say Hi on Instagram
Or if you are an EBook or Online person: Kindle eBook | Barnes & Noble eBook | Kobo eBook | iTunes eBook | Google eBook | Amazon Paperback & Hardcover | B&N Paperback & Hardcover
Leave a Review where it helps most with the algorithm: Review The Washashore on Amazon Leave a Review where it also helps a lot: Review The Washashore on Goodreads
