Sobfests, pop songs: TikTok upends France鈥檚 lauded literary landscape
In her recent TikTok video, 19-year-old Victoire Ducluzeaud sobs in rapid-fire snapshots, as she recounts her recent reading experiences. In one clip, black mascara streaks down her cheeks as she waves a thick paperback in front of the camera, crying, 鈥淲hy?!鈥� In another, she can barely get the words out between tears, 鈥淗ow could he have done such a thing?鈥�
The video sobfest has received nearly 75,000 views, and readers can鈥檛 get enough. In this particular clip, comments range from, 鈥淕ive us your top five books that make you cry!鈥� to 鈥淣ow I feel less alone.鈥�
Ms. Ducluzeaud鈥檚 videos, which she has posted multiple times per day since 2021, are part of the latest phenomenon to hit France鈥檚 publishing world: #BookTok.
Why We Wrote This
A story focused onFrance鈥檚 publishing industry is staunchly conservative, but now young influencers on TikTok are using the hashtag #BookTok to create a newfound enthusiasm for reading 鈥� and challenging the way literature is consumed.
What began in the United States has now crossed the ocean to change the way French literature 鈥� especially novels for young adults 鈥� is being consumed. In addition to crying, BookTokeurs post videos of themselves gleefully unboxing book purchases, offering three-minute literary critiques, and using voice-overs and the latest pop songs to narrate their thoughts on recent reads.
While some publishers here are skeptical of #BookTok鈥檚 value, those who get on board are seeing their sales rise exponentially. In France, where literary critique gets its own national radio program and publishing houses are staunchly traditional, the popular platform is slowly turning the country鈥檚 literary landscape on its head. And through their contagious passion, the mostly young, female #BookTok influencers are generating a newfound enthusiasm for reading.
鈥淏ookTokeurs are being taken seriously now,鈥� says Camille Cardoso, a community manager for three French publishing houses鈥� social media accounts. 鈥淧ublishers are starting to see that they have an impact, that their opinion counts. ... Their videos shatter the distance. ... We feel their emotions,鈥� she says. 鈥淢ost publishers who work with young adult literature now know that partnering with influencers is absolutely essential to sell books.鈥澛�
鈥淎 strong and fast evolution鈥�
The #BookTok hashtag took off in the U.S. in 2020, with emotive videos created by a handful of young women, including Cait Jacobs of @caitsbooks and Ayman Chaudhary of @aymansbooks. In one clip, Ms. Chaudhary wails comically, holding her copy of Madeline Miller鈥檚 鈥淭he Song of Achilles,鈥� before throwing it against the wall. The same novel was included in a list of 鈥淏ooks that will make you sob,鈥� posted by Selene Velez on @moongirlreads_, and the viral videos caused a spike in the book鈥檚 sales nine years after it was first published. Since then, TikTok鈥檚 influence on publishing has exploded. Amazon has a TikTok Book Club, and Barnes & Noble stores across the U.S. dedicate a section to #BookTok recommendations. 聽
In France, it鈥檚 nearly impossible to calculate the number of new TikTok book lovers, with accounts popping up daily. But in September, 376,000 of the 13 billion TikTok videos associated with the #BookTok category worldwide came from French users. And those in the literary industry here are taking notice of the platform鈥檚 success.
鈥淲e are constantly trying to adapt and evolve with the trends,鈥� says Agn猫s Fradet, a digital project manager for youth literature at the Editis publishing house. 鈥淭ikTok has had such a strong and fast evolution. We see someone crying for a few seconds in a video and then a book sells 3 million copies. We鈥檝e had to adapt.鈥�
Editis, like most publishing houses for young adult literature, now has its own TikTok account alongside its Instagram and Facebook presence. The publisher regularly sends copies of books to influencers 鈥� either through unpaid or paid partnerships 鈥� to increase publicity and sales. Often, the decision of which books to translate into French is based on what does well on TikTok.
Publishers are only one part of the puzzle, however, and booksellers like the Presqu鈥櫭甽e bookstore in Strasbourg now offers a #BookTok search function on its website. The annual Book Fair of Youth Literature in Montreuil has its own TikTok account.
Authors are using the platform as a place of exchange. Jo毛l Dicker 鈥� winner of France鈥檚 Prix Goncourt in teen literature in 2012 鈥� opened a TikTok account in October, telling users, 鈥淚 really think we need to be on all channels that allow people to read and be read.鈥�
Those efforts are slowly translating into sales. According to the Centre National du Livre (National Book Center), 18% of French people ages 7 to 25 choose books based on having heard about them on social media such as Instagram and TikTok.
French publisher Hachette Romans recently saw its first TikTok bestseller with its translated version of Tillie Cole鈥檚 鈥淎 Thousand Boy Kisses.鈥� Even though it came out in 2016, the book sold 9,000 copies in the last six months after it was featured on social media.
Publishers credit these types of success stories not to Instagram 鈥� which functions based on photos and well-crafted stories 鈥� but to TikTok and its specific ability to break down barriers.聽
鈥淲ith Instagram, it鈥檚 very aesthetic and thought out, but TikTok is much more immediate,鈥� says Ms. Fradet of Editis. 鈥淲e see the person鈥檚 emotions right away; there鈥檚 no filter. It鈥檚 much more accessible than a classic literary critique one might read.鈥�
Questioning BookTok鈥檚 impact
Still, some question the seriousness of the #BookTok phenomenon 鈥� whether it鈥檚 more about pumping up book sales or if it鈥檚 truly affecting how French people, particularly youths, read.
鈥淚 do wonder if BookTok is having the most impact on young people who already read regularly, or if it鈥檚 actually pushing those who don鈥檛 read at all to read more,鈥� says Sylvie Vassallo, the director of the Youth Book Fair in Montreuil. 鈥淚n the end, there鈥檚 nothing harmful about it. Anything that helps people read more is a positive thing.鈥�
BookTok has also been criticized as promoting 鈥渓owbrow鈥� literature, since more #BookTok influencers post about young adult fiction in the fantasy or romance genres than the classics, like Proust or Voltaire.
While many of the videos are less than 30 seconds long and focus on one aspect of a book 鈥� like how the user felt reading a racy scene, or what it鈥檚 like to spend the whole day immersed in a book 鈥� others are more serious critiques. And that has created questions about what literary criticism, a sacred beast in France, means today.
鈥淸BookTok] isn鈥檛 literary critique. It鈥檚 about selling books,鈥� says Arnaud Viviant, a literary critic for La Masque et la Plume, a national public radio program on France Inter that has existed since 1955. 鈥淧retty soon, quality readers will be like whales: an endangered species. And we need good readers to have good writers.鈥�
But that isn鈥檛 necessarily the opinion of those doing it. Pauline Locufier, who at 19 years old has 45,000 followers on her account @lectrice_a_plein_temps, has considered becoming a critic one day 鈥� even if she understands that her TikTok posts are more book summaries than true critiques.
鈥淪ome people tell me, 鈥榊ou should be reading the classics,鈥� but young adult fiction is what I prefer,鈥� says Ms. Locufier. 鈥淚鈥檓 always reading literary reviews and observing critics. I want to learn the right vocabulary and have their presence. They are the reference in the industry.鈥�
Ms. Ducluzeaud says she posts to TikTok for the pure love of books and sharing. She has always enjoyed reading, and posting to her 174,000-odd followers via her @nous_les_lecteurs account has allowed her to go even further. In 2021, she read 149 books and in 2022, she read 219.
Since she started posting about her reading adventures online, she has made friends with people across France and the world.聽
鈥淪o many people have written me saying, 鈥業 had stopped reading but thanks to you, I started again,鈥� says Ms. Ducluzeaud. 鈥淚 just want to share my passion.鈥�
