Summary of "Readers Can’t Get Enough of BookTok. Publishers Are Cashing In" – The Journal

Release Date: December 18, 2024

In this engaging episode of The Journal, hosted by Jessica Mendoza, the focus is on the transformative impact of BookTok—the book-centric community within TikTok—on the publishing industry. The episode delves into how BookTok has revitalized genres like romance and fantasy, reshaped marketing strategies, and empowered both authors and readers. Through insightful interviews with bookstore owner Leah Koch, author Penn Cole, and Penguin Random House’s Felicity Valance, the episode paints a comprehensive picture of this cultural phenomenon.

The Rise of BookTok and Its Impact on Romance Novels

Leah Koch of Rip Bodice, a romance-focused bookstore with locations in LA and Brooklyn, shares her firsthand experience with the surge in BookTok’s influence on romance literature.

• Defining Romance Novels: Leah emphasizes that a true romance novel requires a central love story and a happy ending, dismissing any tragic conclusions as contrary to the genre's essence. (00:16)

  Leah Koch (00:16): "You need two things to be a romance novel. You need a central love story and a happy ending."

• BookTok’s Influence on Sales: Initially surprised by unique requests tied to BookTok trends, Leah noticed a direct correlation between TikTok popularity and sales spikes.

  Leah Koch (02:12): “Young people were coming into the shop with shopping lists of things that they had seen on TikTok.”

Leah recounts how BookTok drove customers to Rip Bodice for both trending titles and niche genres like “cowboy werewolves,” demonstrating the platform’s broad reach within the romance community.

Penn Cole: A Success Story in Romantasy Through BookTok

Penn Cole, a self-published author in the romantasy subgenre, shares her journey of leveraging BookTok to catapult her career.

• Entering the Romantasy Genre: Penn describes discovering her passion for sports romance and more fantastical subgenres, eventually creating her own blend of romance and fantasy.

  Penn Cole (05:36): “I really wanted to write that book that I'd always been kind of dreaming about writing.”

• Self-Publishing Strategy: Choosing to self-publish allowed Penn to retain financial control and directly engage with her audience through platforms like TikTok.

  Penn Cole (07:58): “I knew pretty early on that I wanted to self publish because frankly, if you're going to do all of that work yourself, you want to keep the money.”

• Building a Following on BookTok: Penn’s diligent daily posting and interaction with her audience, despite initial setbacks like fluctuating sales, ultimately led to a substantial follower base and impressive sales figures.

  Penn Cole (14:26): “By the end of the first year, I think we'd sold like 300,000 copies of the books. Those numbers were just kind of mind boggling.”

• Signing with Atria: Recognizing the limitations of self-publishing for broader market access, Penn partnered with Atria, a division of Simon & Schuster, to enhance her distribution and continue her upward trajectory.

  Penn Cole (15:12): “I think by the end of the year we're going to hit a million copies sold in about a year and a half of the books being on the market.”

Penn’s story underscores the potent combination of self-publishing savvy and BookTok’s marketing power, illustrating a new pathway to success for modern authors.

Industry Insights: Felicity Valance on BookTok’s Role in Publishing

Felicity Valance, Director of Digital Marketing for Penguin Young Readers at Penguin Random House, provides an industry perspective on how BookTok is revolutionizing publishing strategies.

• Algorithm-Driven Recommendations: Felicity explains how TikTok’s algorithm personalizes content, enabling publishers to identify and respond to emerging trends in real-time.

  Felicity Valance (18:21): “TikTok will then say, oh, this person likes this. We'll give them more of that.”

• Rediscovering and Releasing Backlist Titles: The platform has prompted publishers to revisit and rejuvenate older titles by giving them new covers and promoting them to a fresh audience.

  Felicity Valance (20:25): “We're aware of books from our backlist, that the read itself really speaks to what the reader's interested in.”

• Collaborating with Influencers: Felicity highlights the importance of working with authors and influencers to effectively market books to the right audiences on BookTok.

  Felicity Valance (21:14): “We kind of pivoted our resources a little bit and said, you know what, let's focus on creating content for this platform more for our key core audience.”

Her insights reveal how traditional publishing houses are adapting to the dynamic and interactive nature of BookTok, leveraging it to enhance both new and existing titles' visibility and sales.

Challenges and Criticisms Faced by BookTok Authors

Despite its success, BookTok presents several challenges, particularly for authors in genres like romance and fantasy, which often face stigma within the literary mainstream.

• Negative Perceptions: Both Felicity and Penn address the backlash against BookTok, where detractors dismiss BookTok-endorsed books as low-quality or "fluff."

  Penn Cole (23:34): “People discount my books and assume they're going to be fluff, they're not going to be serious.”

  Felicity Valance (22:32): “Reading is such an enjoyable pastime that we want people to not feel pressured to read the right books.”

• Mental Health Strain: Penn discusses the emotional toll of constant online presence, including dealing with negative comments and the pressure to maintain BookTok momentum.

  Penn Cole (24:52): “I had to start going to therapy. I had to seek professional help because it was. I felt so guilty.”

These challenges highlight the precarious balance authors must maintain between leveraging social media for success and safeguarding their mental well-being amidst public scrutiny.

The Future of BookTok and Its Lasting Impact on Publishing

As the episode concludes, it reflects on the enduring legacy of BookTok, even amidst potential regulatory challenges like the looming TikTok ban in the U.S.

• Resilience of BookTok’s Influence: Even if TikTok faces restrictions, the methodologies and reader behaviors fostered by BookTok are likely to persist across other social media platforms.

  Penn Cole (26:33): “TikTok is changing and will continue to change everything about publishing. It's giving readers power that they have never had before.”

• Empowerment of Readers and Authors: BookTok democratizes book discovery, shifting power from traditional gatekeepers to the consumers, allowing authors to connect directly with their audience and authorship to thrive outside conventional publishing constraints.

Overall, the episode underscores that BookTok has not only invigorated specific literary genres but also instigated a broader paradigm shift in the publishing industry, prioritizing reader preferences and interactive marketing over traditional, stagnant promotional models.

Notable Quotes:

• Leah Koch (00:16): "You need two things to be a romance novel. You need a central love story and a happy ending."
• Penn Cole (05:36): “I really wanted to write that book that I'd always been kind of dreaming about writing.”
• Felicity Valance (18:21): “TikTok will then say, oh, this person likes this. We'll give them more of that.”
• Penn Cole (14:26): “By the end of the first year, I think we'd sold like 300,000 copies of the books. Those numbers were just kind of mind boggling.”
• Penn Cole (23:34): “People discount my books and assume they're going to be fluff, they're not going to be serious.”
• Penn Cole (26:33): “TikTok is changing and will continue to change everything about publishing. It's giving readers power that they have never had before.”

This episode of The Journal provides a comprehensive exploration of BookTok’s transformative role in the publishing landscape, highlighting both its catalytic potential for authors and the systemic shifts it necessitates within traditional publishing paradigms.