BookTok helps drive renewed interest in reading

Social media trends such as BookTok and Bookstagram are encouraging people to spend more time reading, while helping drive sales of romance, fantasy and other popular genres. 

The online communities on TikTok, Instagram and YouTube bring together readers, authors and creators who share reviews, recommendations and bookshelf tours. The trend has helped books go viral, introduced new readers to the hobby and, for some, contributed to lower screen time, according to BBC.

Mia, a 14-year-old reader from Bristol, said watching book-related content online had not prevented her from reducing her overall screen time.

"I've had such a cut from screen time like with Netflix and Disney+. I don't really go on those anymore because I think, well, what would I prefer to do? Watch a TV series or find out what happens next in my book?"

She said reading helped keep her engaged and encouraged others to explore different genres.

The influence of BookTok has also spread into physical bookstores, with dedicated sections appearing in shops. A BookTok chart launched earlier this year combines traditional bestseller data with UK sales figures and analysis of the #BookTok hashtag, according to the BBC.

Romance and romantasy titles dominated the inaugural chart.

The trend has also inspired new businesses. Holly Irwin, 20, began sharing book reviews on Instagram in 2021 and now has more than 149,000 followers across Instagram and TikTok. After discovering romance novels during the Covid-19 pandemic, she and her mother decided to open a specialist romance bookshop in Cirencester.

"We got back home to New Zealand and just thought life's too short... you've got to follow your dreams and you've got to give it a go."

Holly said the shop, which opened in August, had attracted local readers and visitors from elsewhere, with some BookTok-driven subgenres selling particularly quickly.

"It's definitely because of BookTok… everyone has just been on such a cowboy romance kick."

The wider publishing market has also grown. According to the Publishers Association, UK publishing income reached a record £7.4bn in 2025, driven partly by growing demand for fiction, children's books and audiobooks.

While romance and saga sales fell 15% last year to 10.1m units, sales remained twice as high as in 2019. Sci-fi and fantasy sales rose 42% year-on-year to 8.8m units, up 183% from 2019.

Holly said the impact of online communities on the physical book market had surprised her.

"It blows me away, the power of social media," she added.

By Sabina Mammadli