Should We Be Buying Books On BookTok Shop? Here’s What Authors And Experts Think.

TikTok shop is not a safe place – not because the items on TikTok shop aren’t worth buying, they are. The problem with TikTok shop is that it makes it too easy to buy things you don’t need.

Want to buy the corsx snail mucin? Just go on TikTok. How about a new make-up brush or concealer? Off to TikTok, we go. 

You can even buy a 24-pack of loo roll on the clock app, it’s insanity. Now, the BookTok girls can get in with the fun.

We now have the option of buying books directly from the app from publishers like HarperCollins UK, WH Smith, Bloomsbury, and bookshop.org all selling books via TikTok Shop.

No one can doubt the power of BookTok and its affect on book sales. BookTok helped authors sell 20 million printed books in 2021, according to BookScan.

Last year, the publishing industry saw a “record-breaking year” of book sales. 669 million physical books were sold in the UK in 2022, a 4% increase from 2021, one of the biggest levels to ever be recorded.

The book world is flourishing, especially with the help of BookTok. But, how will this new move affect authors?

Laura Summers, the Director of BookMachine, ‘a Creative Agency, a Community, and a Campus, dedicated to the world of Publishing’, thinks users being able to buy books directly from the app is ultimately a good thing.

“TikTok users typically spend more than an hour daily on the platform,” she says. 

 “Social media usage can be super addictive so we think the fact that BookTokkers can now buy their books (both in print and in digital) directly from the platform, can only be a good thing for readers and for the industry – whether that be for the authors, the publishers or the booksellers.”

Summers says she’s seeing more books getting into more hands and literacy rates are increasing amongst younger readers as a result. Though it’s linked to larger retailers, it isn’t limited to them, she explains.

“By linking BookTok to Bookshop.org for example, the platform has enabled book buyers globally to connect with independent bookshops. It’s great for smaller businesses, and book buyers alike,” she adds.

Niamh Wallace who is a 24-year-old BookTokker from Edinburgh says although TikTok shop is a great sales opportunity for authors and publishers, using it wisely is necessary as a big success point of BookTok is the organic connection it fosters with its target audience. 

“Being strategic about how often you use those call-to-action points is vital to avoid coming across too sales-ey all of the time,” she says.

“But TikTok shop can be a great tool for smaller authors and indie bookshops to take control over their sales and audience connections especially as the environment becomes more competitive.”

Ultimately Wallace thinks, “it’s nice to reward customer/follower loyalty by providing bespoke discounts on TikTok shop that will entice the audience to engage more with the content and to feel the benefits of interacting with author or publisher accounts which will help build the organic relationship too.”