How BookTok Helped Sell 825 Million Print Books Last Year

Are we witnessing a reading renaissance?

Alongside the curious increase in CD sales last year, it seems things deemed ‘uncool’ or 'outdated' are making their way back into popular culture.

Young people are no longer dodging the bookshops, instead favouring a good read over a flick through their socials. But, ironically, it’s social media that has a large part to play in all this.

The tag #booktok on TikTok aggregates a total 35.8 billion views on the app. It’s emerged in popularity since the pandemic has brought people back inside, and the views aren’t going anywhere.

2021 was the best-selling year for print books in the U.S., with 825 million copies sold according to NPD Bookscan. This is the highest amount since the data started being tracked in 2004.

A boost in sales in the Young Adult category was primarily due to TikTok’s influence, while the Adult Fiction category drove more than half of 2021’s overall market gains.

You might have heard of It Ends With Us by Colleen Hoover, which was championed by BookTok last year, despite being originally published in 2016. It sold more than 770,000 copies last year.

The influential force of TikTok also brought They Both Die At The End by Adam Silvera and The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller to the top of bestseller lists.

Retailers have caught onto the trend, with most stores now including a specific ‘BookTok’ section for people to easily grab the platform’s latest faves. You might also notice sections on websites like Dymocks and Goodreads.

It’s not just TikTok that’s in a reading frenzy. YouTube also has a tonne of content, with ‘BookTubers’ like Jack Edwards and uncarley.

If you wanna get into reading too but don’t know where to start (aside from the #booktok tag), we’ve got you covered! Check out our article on Six Books to Smash Before The End of Summer.

Plus, for 10% off sitewide on Booktopia, check out the exclusive Student Edge discount!

Who said Gen-Z didn't know how to read?!