We’ve been having a blast over on our TikTok page discovering the world of #BookTok and connecting with so many amazing readers. But it can be a little bit daunting to get into, so we’ve outlined some of our top tips to get you started on BookTok. Grab your smartphone and get ready to meet your new book friends!

Don’t be afraid

Everyone on BookTok is really friendly. It’s a safe space to talk about the books you love and with anything, you get out what you put in. So fill your profile with books you love and join in with some energetic discussions about plots, characters and series – just make sure you always flag a spoiler before you post! This is a reading community of people who love books and want to hear other people talk about books. Go for it!

Make Friends

BookTok is truly a community, get on there and follow people, interact with videos, comment, agree, disagree (respectfully). It opens up a whole new experience for readers to connect with other readers in their own little pocket of the internet. Use the search function to search for the books and authors you love, then give those BookTokers who’ve posted positive reviews about them a follow. It’s also a great way to gain inspiration for some of the content you might want to make as long as you remember to give credit wherever it may be due.

Be authentic

If you haven’t read a book, don’t pretend you have! If you’ve read a book that’s trending on TikTok but didn’t love it, that’s ok! Record a review explaining why you didn’t like it. As long as you’re not disrespectful, no one will mind. Books are subjective!

Lighting is everything

Seems obvious? It can make or break a video, good lighting goes a long way. TikTok is of course a very visual platform and in this age of great technological advancements viewers can easily be put off by bad or awkward lighting. It’s truer thank you think, good lighting makes people stick around. Luckily all you need for this is a good window with enough daylight flowing through. Set yourself up in front of one (facing not backing) and you’re good to go!

Think about your set-up

In the same vein as thinking about your lighting, think about your set up! What’s in the background of your video? It may go without saying that other book lovers love to look at beautiful bookcases or gorgeously stacked books so, if you can, add a little interest and depth to your video by filming in front of something interesting and not too distracting to compliment it (plants and art are classics to include too!) At the same time don’t let this stop you from hopping in front of the camera no matter what’s in the background, a well planned set up is just a nice bonus.

Sound check

No you don’t need to spend money on one of those tiny microphones we see all over TikTok (although they look so fun!) but it is best to make sure your audio is as clean and clear as can be. You can do this by filming at times you know would be quieter around you, closing windows/doors to fend off some background noise and making sure nothing is in the way of whatever mic you are using. Modern phone mics are pretty incredible and this should all be enough to give you crisp audio quality!

Have fun

There’s always something happening on TikTok whether its iconic memes from The Office or funny trending audios there’s lots to tap in to! There’s also a host of ways to play with your videos whether through editing, voice effects, sound bites etc. It is very much a space for play, in fact its the perfect place to unlock your inner child. Sink your teeth into the TikTok world, follow the trends, bend the trends, ignore the trends! Get creative with it and most of all have fun.