A Guest Post by Author Dane Cobain
Good morning and happy hump day my lovely bookworms!
I’ve got a treat for you today! Author and poet, Dane Cobain has graced us with some wonderful information about Booktube and how to get started. I don’t know about any of you, but the idea of getting to know authors and their work on a more personal level seems interesting. Let’s get to it then!
Introducing BookTube: What it is and How it Can Help
Gone are
the days when people had only a couple of major TV channels to choose from.
These days, viewers are switching up their habits and consuming more and more
of their content online. In fact, millennials now spend more time
watching Netflix than live TV.
the days when people had only a couple of major TV channels to choose from.
These days, viewers are switching up their habits and consuming more and more
of their content online. In fact, millennials now spend more time
watching Netflix than live TV.
Netflix
is known for creating its own high quality content, and readers in particular
are in for a treat. They had a hand in the BBC adaptation of Douglas Adams’
Dirk Gently series, and they also funded and distributed Shadowhunters, an adaptation
of Cassandra Clare’s Mortal Instruments series.
is known for creating its own high quality content, and readers in particular
are in for a treat. They had a hand in the BBC adaptation of Douglas Adams’
Dirk Gently series, and they also funded and distributed Shadowhunters, an adaptation
of Cassandra Clare’s Mortal Instruments series.
But it’s
not just Netflix – and Amazon, who are funding shows of their own – who are
putting out video for readers to sink their teeth into. There’s a thriving
community of content creators over on YouTube who are helping millions of
viewers to discover their next great read.
not just Netflix – and Amazon, who are funding shows of their own – who are
putting out video for readers to sink their teeth into. There’s a thriving
community of content creators over on YouTube who are helping millions of
viewers to discover their next great read.
Better Than Netflix
If you have access to an internet connection, you’ve probably visited YouTube.
In fact, over a billion people (a third of all internet users) have an account
on the site, and they watch hundreds
of millions of hours of video every day. It’s also the
second largest search engine in the world behind Google, which owns it. It’s
hard to understate how massive it is.
Because
of that, it’s home to all sorts of stuff. How-tos and tutorials for everything
from hair and beauty to printer maintenance. Cat videos and musical
performances, and one guy who literally
films himself sitting and smiling for four hours a day. People
play games, record their reactions as they watch movie trailers and – yes –
even talk about the books that they’re reading.
of that, it’s home to all sorts of stuff. How-tos and tutorials for everything
from hair and beauty to printer maintenance. Cat videos and musical
performances, and one guy who literally
films himself sitting and smiling for four hours a day. People
play games, record their reactions as they watch movie trailers and – yes –
even talk about the books that they’re reading.
A lot of
people are quick to dismiss YouTube as simply being a repository for videos,
and they fail to see it as what it is – a true social network. To see that in
action, you only have to find a successful channel and check out a couple of
videos before looking at the comments and the way that they evolve over time.
people are quick to dismiss YouTube as simply being a repository for videos,
and they fail to see it as what it is – a true social network. To see that in
action, you only have to find a successful channel and check out a couple of
videos before looking at the comments and the way that they evolve over time.
Most of
the big YouTube channels have a legion of die-hard followers, who watch every
video that they upload and who comment, rate and share every video as the
channel grows and evolves. Pewdiepie, the most subscribed to YouTuber in the
world, has matured along with the platform, and his ‘Bro Army’ has helped him
to shape the content that he creates. You’ll spot that same sense of community
around all sorts of YouTubers, from STRSkillSchool, who teaches kids how to be
better at football, to the LA Beast, who started out with food challenges and
ended up campaigning for the
re-release of Crystal Pepsi.
the big YouTube channels have a legion of die-hard followers, who watch every
video that they upload and who comment, rate and share every video as the
channel grows and evolves. Pewdiepie, the most subscribed to YouTuber in the
world, has matured along with the platform, and his ‘Bro Army’ has helped him
to shape the content that he creates. You’ll spot that same sense of community
around all sorts of YouTubers, from STRSkillSchool, who teaches kids how to be
better at football, to the LA Beast, who started out with food challenges and
ended up campaigning for the
re-release of Crystal Pepsi.
Introducing BookTube
BookTube, then, is a natural progression. Broadly speaking, the term refers to
the community of readers that’s made YouTube its home by uploading regular
videos about books and their authors. And they make all kinds of content, from
TBR (to-be-read) videos to book hauls, author interviews and vlogs of bookish
days out.
In fact,
it’s not unusual to see popular YouTubers on the bestseller charts. John Green
made his name on YouTube around the same time that The Fault In Our Stars
became a hit, and Zoella and Pewdiepie have both released books to capitalise
on their fame.
it’s not unusual to see popular YouTubers on the bestseller charts. John Green
made his name on YouTube around the same time that The Fault In Our Stars
became a hit, and Zoella and Pewdiepie have both released books to capitalise
on their fame.
But it’s
not just the big names that are using YouTube – and BookTube – to make a
statement. Many BookTubers are simultaneously working on releases of their own,
and many authors are catering to this bookish audience by working with
established personalities to pick up reviews, interviews and other publicity
opportunities.
not just the big names that are using YouTube – and BookTube – to make a
statement. Many BookTubers are simultaneously working on releases of their own,
and many authors are catering to this bookish audience by working with
established personalities to pick up reviews, interviews and other publicity
opportunities.
Who To Watch
It’s hard to explain just how useful BookTube can be as an author. If nothing
else, it’s a fascinating look into what young(er) readers are up to, and if you
watch enough videos, you’ll start to get a feel for the different thing that
reviewers are looking out for.
Be sure
to check out some of the more popular personalities – such as Ariel Bissett (the
founder of BookTubeAThon), Ginger Reads Lainey (who
created Top Five Wednesday), and Christine from PolandBananas (who has
far, far too much energy) – to see what other people are watching.
to check out some of the more popular personalities – such as Ariel Bissett (the
founder of BookTubeAThon), Ginger Reads Lainey (who
created Top Five Wednesday), and Christine from PolandBananas (who has
far, far too much energy) – to see what other people are watching.
And, if
you use YouTube more regularly, as a social network and not just a place to
keep your videos, be sure to subscribe to them. Ultimately, it’s hard to
understand the YouTube community without being a part of it, and your readers
are just waiting for you to join them. So what’s stopping you?
you use YouTube more regularly, as a social network and not just a place to
keep your videos, be sure to subscribe to them. Ultimately, it’s hard to
understand the YouTube community without being a part of it, and your readers
are just waiting for you to join them. So what’s stopping you?
Your Turn
Do you watch any BookTubers? If so, what are your favourite channels? And will
you be filming videos of your own in the future? Let us know with a comment!
This post is written by Dane Cobain and sponsored by Publishing Addict, an organisation that offers author websites and a Twitter management service to help authors to establish a brand, connect with their readers and to sell more books.
