undercover_lesbeean t1_jdatx7x wrote on March 23, 2023 at 1:38 AM

#2,311,833

genuinely can not imagine ONE positive thing about booktok. It's ruining reading

Handyandy58 t1_jdau53f wrote on March 23, 2023 at 1:40 AM

#2,311,851

I don't really see it as any better or worse than any other sort of web 2.0 outlet for book discussion. Seems to me that it has all the same upsides and downsides of booktube, bookstagram, etc.

Handyandy58 t1_jdau6v3 wrote on March 23, 2023 at 1:40 AM

#2,311,855

Replying to undercover_lesbeean (#2,311,833)

How is it "ruining reading"?

Pipe-International t1_jdav73j wrote on March 23, 2023 at 1:48 AM

#2,311,935

Pop fiction has for a long time been more popular than more serious literature. I mean, it’s in the name, ‘popular’ fiction. Even among avid reading adults and older people who have been reading for decades, trashy consumerist novels are extremely popular. Not to bag on romance, but there’s a reason it’s the biggest selling genre.

Most young people mature with experience and they soon learn that these tropes are just tropes. Also, if they want erotica we live in a world now that pornhub is easier & quicker to access & navigate than Goodreads.

So I wouldn’t worry too much about it. It’s not the books being marketed that’s changed but just the manner in which they are now being marketed.

I dont use booktok though so I may be under estimating it? Idk

undercover_lesbeean t1_jdb0r7q wrote on March 23, 2023 at 2:30 AM

#2,312,384

Replying to Handyandy58 (#2,311,855)

commodification of books-churning out books that are basically carbon copy repeats, rinse repeat

Pipe-International t1_jdb2hv5 wrote on March 23, 2023 at 2:43 AM

#2,312,528

Replying to undercover_lesbeean (#2,312,384)

This has been a thing for books nearly forever. It’s not new because of TikTok.

undercover_lesbeean t1_jdb3hf6 wrote on March 23, 2023 at 2:51 AM

#2,312,629

Replying to Pipe-International (#2,312,528)

ofc not, but it's becoming more widespread. bookstores now have "booktok rec" tables, and when i tell you that it's just rows and rows of the SAME FUCKING BOOK, they all just look the same, it makes me want to cry

Pipe-International t1_jdb4frl wrote on March 23, 2023 at 2:59 AM

#2,312,732

Replying to undercover_lesbeean (#2,312,629)

Well that’s been a thing for a long time too. TikTok is just the newest platform of an age old marketing strategy. Use to be ‘New York Times Best Sellers’ tables and ‘Oprah Winfrey Bookclub Recommendation’ stands. And it would literally be the same old same old trendy book that month.