TikTok users—what does your For You page look like these days? Filled with algorithmically curated book recommendations, fun and upbeat bookish content creators, and the latest sci-fi thriller or dragon fantasy-romance hybrid that everyone’s talking about?
If your camera roll consists mainly of screenshots of books that sound interesting and you’ve been itching to pay your local bookstore a visit lately, you may have stumbled across BookTok, a subgenre of TikTok dedicated to books, literature, and the love of reading.
What is BookTok?
Short for “Book TikTok,” BookTok is simply a community of TikTok users who create bookish content and share a passion for all things literary. That can include everything from reviewing recent reads, making recommendations based on genre, style, or overall vibes, and mini-vlogs of shopping trips at independent book shops and big-box retailers. (Speaking of bookstores, you may have even noticed that certain places have even started dedicating entire tables or sections to books that have gone viral on BookTok!)
But BookTok-centered merchandising isn’t the only influence TikTok has had on the literary world. What began as a hashtag on the platform ended up evolving into one of the largest social media communities for book lovers to date. On an individual level, BookTok has had a hand in reigniting a love for readers in millions of users around the world. But it has also played a major role in generating buzz for new titles, creating a new avenue for author-reader connections, and boosting book sales at unprecedented rates.
What exactly sets a novel apart from a book? We’ve authored a helpful explainer.
How do you get to BookTok?
Anyone with a TikTok account can be a part of BookTok. There are several ways to start indicating to the algorithm that you’d like to see book-related content, but the easiest and most straightforward method is simply searching for and actively following bookish hashtags.
Once you’ve spent some time watching and engaging with book content that resonates and aligns with your own personal reading taste, the algorithm will continue recommending videos with similar focuses. (Your own engagement is key here—if you mainly read feel-good beach reads and slow burn romance novels, don’t spend time in the epic fantasy or extreme horror corners of BookTok!)
As with any other social media platform, you can also follow your favorite bookish content creators directly to stay up-to-date on their latest posts.
BookTok slang & lingo
If you’re new to the world of BookTok, phrases like “added it to my TBR” and “received an ARC from the publisher” may leave you scratching your head.
Every online community has its own unspoken collection of slang terms, and BookTok is no different. Let’s define a handful of the most popular and widely used BookTok phrases to help you navigate the platform like a literary pro.
What does TBR mean on BookTok?
The abbreviation TBR literally stands for “To Be Read,” but it typically refers to a list of books that someone eventually wants to read. This list could be literal (a stack or shelf of unread physical books) or figurative (referring to all of the books on someone’s radar).
You’ll probably hear this phrase in situations when someone buys a new book (“Just added all of these books to my TBR”), recommends a book (“10 new thrillers to add to your TBR”), or complains that their TBR list is ever-growing. So many books; so little time!
What does DNF mean on BookTok?
While DNF, or “Did Not Finish,” is a full sentence on its own, the term is more frequently used as a verb in online bookish communities. Example: “I DNF’d the book, it was so boring!” Regardless of how you use it or see it used, the point is that DNF can be associated with mostly negative feelings about a title.
What does CR mean on BookTok?
This one’s easy: CR stands for “Current Read,” or whatever book someone’s working through at the current moment. This abbreviation is popularly found in captions or social media bios of bookish content creators and updated regularly as a way of showcasing their real-time reads to their audience.
What does HEA mean on BookTok?
Most commonly seen in the romance circles of BookTok, HEA stands for “Happily Ever After,” the formulaic and mostly expected ending of a romantic comedy. This industry and genre standard means that revealing that a book ends in an HEA isn’t necessarily a spoiler per se, but some readers might want to know one way or another before picking up a title.
What does Book Haul mean on BookTok?
If you’ve ever bought new books at your local bookstore, only to come home and excitedly talk through them all one by one to your best friend, roommate, or family member, then you’ve unknowingly created your own offline book haul. Online, a haul refers to “a video, photo, or report of something taken or acquired.” So on TikTok, book haul videos simply showcase a collection of books that a creator recently bought, purchased, or acquired in one way or another. Library book hauls are a thing, too!
What does POV mean on BookTok?
Before the term POV became a TikTok trend, it was a literary acronym to indicate a story’s point of view character, the main person whose perspective we’re reading from and whose internal thoughts, emotions, and experiences drive the narrative.
What does Wrap-Up mean on BookTok?
Wrap-Ups are a staple video in the BookTok community, as they provide an overview of everything an individual read during the month, season, quarter, or any other determined length of time. During wrap-up videos, creators often talk through the book’s general premise before getting into their own personal opinion of the title. Think of it as a mini-review of sorts!
What does ARC mean on BookTok?
Have your eye on a title that doesn’t release until later in the year? Not to make you jealous or anything, but your favorite content creators may be granted early access to the book through an ARC, short for “Advanced Reader’s Copy.” (The respective version in the realm of audiobooks is an ALC, short for “Advanced Listener’s Copy.”) Often provided by publishers and publicity professionals, ARCs are meant to generate buzz and positive word of mouth prior to a book’s release.
What does Reading Slump mean on BookTok?
Never consumed any bookish content online before? If you’re a lifelong reader, chances are you’ve still experienced a reading slump, or a period of time where reading loses its luster. A slump is “period of decline.”
Maybe you’ve been reading some duds lately, taking the time to explore non-reading hobbies, or unable to focus on much of anything. If you’re not feeling super compelled to pick up a book, you might be in a bit of a reading slump.
