In April, we wrote about #BookTok, describing it as “the “last wholesome place” on the internet. We then asked: can it stay that way?
Depending on how you see the platform — and how you view Amazon — the answer may be here. Amazon has now decided to sponsor the TikTok Book Club, in an effort towards “connecting more readers with books and sharing the experience and joy of reading”.
According to a statement by the pair of companies, the collaboration is an offshoot of Amazon’s campaign called “That Reading Feeling Awaits”. The global campaign aims to inspire a deeper love of reading, much like TikTok’s book community already has.
The partnership, then, may be natural but it’s coming at an interesting time. Amazon is currently being boycotted by a slew of prominent TikTokkers. In a campaign entitled #PeopleOverPrime, 70 creators have vowed to “prevent Amazon from monetizing one of the largest social media platforms in the world”.
Amazon, meanwhile, appears intent on cementing a presence on TikTok, with this collab being yet another example of their (ahem) perseverance.
There’s not much information about how tangible this sponsorship will be. So far, it appears that Amazon’s involvement comes in the form of free, reading-themed emojis on TikTok, by searching for @amazonbooks in Stickers. These stickers can be placed on #BookTok-themed videos. The TikTok Book Club logo and in-app hubs are now also stamped with “Presented by Amazon Books” written underneath.
The TikTok Book Club read for the month, Bolu Babalola’s Honey and Spice, was also selected for Amazon’s Editors’ Pick earlier this summer, as a part of their Feel-good fiction round-up. Babalola also shared her own summer reading picks on the Amazon Editor’s Choice blog yesterday, another facet of the crossover between Amazon and TikTok.
Lisa De Meyer, UK country manager at Amazon Books, said, “At Amazon, our team’s mission is to inspire reading, celebrate books of all genres and all ways of reading. We’re excited to support the #BookTok community’s love of reading and offer new visual ways of expressing that reading feeling.”
The company’s focus on TikTok Book Club is a strong move, especially in light of their current standing with some TikTokkers. The book club came to fruition this summer, and has already gained significant traction across the platform and the wider publishing community.