Top 3 Things I Do Not Like about Booktube and WHY!

Today I am talking about some of the things I like and dislike the most about being a booktuber as well as being a consumer of booktube.

#treebeardbookreviews #booktube #fantasybooks #booktubers #bookreview #books #bestbooks #fantasybooks #booktube #booktuber #bookstagram #bookworm #booklover #booknerd #bookish #book #reading #read

[DarkoDame]

I hate when booktubers oversell a book or series to be the greatest thing ever written! This has led to some personally disappointing reading experiences for me. I appreciate it when a review is balanced, and the booktuber mentions aspects of the book that may not be for everybody. Or are up front about their biases. For example, “This is a coming of age story and I am particularly partial to coming of age stories.”

[MaxFidler]

I like tags. They’re fun. But for the life of me I don’t understand sprints.

[Space_Ghost]

I've discovered some really awful Booktubers whilst trying to find reviews on books I'm considering reading. The thing I really dislike is a lot of them seem to be focused more on getting through a book for a sense of achievement and another 'completed' book to add to their bookshelf rather than actually taking in what the book is about. They will literally start the video by pointing out how many pages a book is (as if that's the main criteria of a book) and then give updates on how many pages they've got through rather than really talking about the content of the book. It's a bad attitude to have towards reading as a lot of them seem to have this weird competitive notion that blitzing through books as quickly as possible somehow makes you an intellectual when in reality they're reading at a primary level and missing a lot of the message, underlying themes and subtext to what they're reading.

[londonbyrd]

The one that gets me is multiple booktubers reviewing the same books and there not being anything new.

[jimsbooksreadingandstuff]

Booktube takes an intensely personal pastime reading and makes it social, that is the point with tags and Reading sprints, introducing a social element to an anti-social activity, and its not for everyone. I have created a lot of tags, but I said with the last one I did (The Istanbul Booktag) it would probably be my last because I feel interest is waning in them. I don't do sprints on my channel but I might tune in if a booktuber I am subscribed to is doing one, I always have a few books on the go and I am curious to see what others are reading.

[punkrockcerealbowl]

I didn’t think I would like book tags because I didn’t watch them before I started my channel. But after I started the channel and started making friends I began to see the benefit of tags. For me, they are less about books and more about learning who the booktubers is. Which can then inform you of their point of view for reviews and recommendations. That said, some of them are straight up dumb 😂

With reading sprints, that’s another thing I didn’t get until I popped into a couple. I’m not sure if you’re familiar with the pomodoro technique for productivity but it’s work for 25 minutes, break for 5, and repeat. That’s how I approach a lot of my work and reading because it helps you maintain concentration longer by giving you little breaks. Reading sprints work on a similar principle (at least the ones I like). You read for 20-30 minutes, not checking comments or anything. Then you come back and chat for 15 minutes or so. A lot of times sprints help me read when I otherwise wouldn’t.

For me, the main thing I don’t love about YouTube is when channels start focusing on growth more than community and books. I understand how it happens, the analytics are addicting and YouTube is kind of fueled by dopamine but still. It seems like it stresses the creators out and often makes the content not as enjoyable for the viewer over the long run.

Enjoyed this video and your thoughts a lot. Cheers!

[HankyUSA]

I didn't know about "reading sprints" but they don't sound good. What annoys me are the book haul videos and the videos about what people are planning on reading. Just tell me about it *after* you read it.

[MissusTayIor]

"If I get too comfortable it's lights out." Omg yes! At now 40 years old, I haven't been able to get through a book in one sitting without dosing off. I honestly never thought about being "slightly uncomfortable" to read like I once did.

[ToriTalks]

I appreciate the open discussions about these topics. As someone who runs and participates in sprints, I really think it depends on your personal reading style. I enjoy the accountability and end up often times reading more than I do when I don't make myself sit down with a group to read. I've gotten used to it, and I don't read too many comments during the sprints, so I end up getting pretty well immersed. I also have ADD, so it helps to know that other people are focusing and it keeps me from getting distracted as easily. And I'm also social, so reading with friends is fun. I've done well over 200 pages during longer sprints before.
That being said, I really think it comes down to each person's reading experience and what works for them.

[RedFuryBooks]

I don't understand reading sprints either. It seems like an incredibly inefficient use of time. Instead, read for an hour and then do a live stream afterwards - the back and forth doesn't make sense to me either.

[TornadoCreator]

Hey, I thought I'd explain reading sprints as they do seem ridiculous. Here's what I get from them.

I have quite severe ADHD, Chronic Pain, and Chronic Fatigue Syndrom. It's currently 2:40pm and I've been up since 9am but I've not picked up a book, I've not recorded a video, I've not done any writing, and I fell asleep for an hour at midday idly watching youtube. I seriously struggle with structure and I get deeply upset and angry with myself for it.

For me, a reading sprint gives me social encouragement and accountability, it ensures I use my time productively. Yes, reading in 20 min bursts and then chatting for 10 mins, then reading for another 20 and chatting for 10 is distracted reading... but I wouldn't have read for that hour, I would have doomscrolled Reddit, or zombied out in front of YouTube, or fallen asleep again (huge problem for me). Once I'm doing something I can keep it going, but reading takes effort and is tiring. Sprints make me feel less crippled by my constant physical exhaustion, the community helps.

Maybe I'm a special case, but I think a lot of people feel exhausted, unmotivated, and anxious; especially for those who work stressful jobs. Sprints make reading social, and they include planned breaks to ease you into the reading.

I know struggling to read must seem like a weird problem to have but pain, fatigue, brain fog, and the general sense of inadequacy those bring, makes it hard. A sprint lightens that load, at least they did for me.

[lydiam.]

I really dislike hauls, unhauls, TBR's, bookshelf tours, etc. I watch booktube to get great book recommendations. I don't care what somebody's most anticipated books are. I want to hear what someone has read and what they thought about it and why.

[strixytom]

My least-favourite part of booktube / booktok is on shorts when they hold up books sideways for 30 seconds so you can't see what's actually on their covers before finally turning them over. Like, you want the engagement metrics, I get it 😒 (btw for anyone else who hates this, at least on TikTok if you tap to pause, the play bar will appear at the bottom and you can skip to the end)

[TheChannelofaDisappointedMan]

Having poured a lot of time and energy into various tag videos, I disagree somewhat. They can be a good watch when done well, though I accept some people just press record and run through the prompts, giving answers off the top of their heads. Those can be tedious.

Also, my channel needs a mix of heavy and lighter content because I don't want it to be pitched at more experienced readers only. I don't mind if my subscribers pick and choose which of my videos to watch to suit themselves.

Re sprints, they just seem to be about clocking up watch hours. I can't think of any other reason for their existence.

What I don't like are channels that are monetized, offered tiered Patreon subscriptions, etc. I think literature is for everyone, so having premium content grates with me.

Also, Booktubers with large numbers of subs who complain that Booktube is dying/trumpet how great the "community" is, but who never recommend any new channels. I am followed by a lot of big Booktubers, but of them only two helped me by giving me some exposure. I notice monetized channels like to recommend other monetized channels, which is sad to me, that logic/greed makes helping smaller channels grow equals taking food out of their own mouths/risks creating a fresh rival for eyeballs.

Shorts! The pits. Never make them, never watch them.

Best things, comments, emails, recommendations, forming genuinely useful relationships. Been amazing for broadening my reading.

[theprogressivemichigander]

I also don't understand the appeal of book sprints. I wouldn't get distracted by them, but when I'm reading a book I completely drown out the world around me. So they serve no purpose. I certainly can't imagine commenting on YouTube while reading.

[thelibraryladder]

I share your puzzlement, Dan, about tags and sprints (and I typically don't watch either type of video). Both formats seem like they're designed primarily to generate watch time and AdSense revenue for relatively little effort on the part of the channel (as compared to more substantive kinds of videos).

I think well-designed tags can serve a useful function by providing insight into a channel's reading tastes and experiences, but I think they work better as community posts, where viewers can learn in less than a minute what might take 10-20 minutes to learn from a video. My experience with tags is limited, though. I've been tagged only once since starting my channel, and I responded by creating a community post with my answers to the questions. It was a lot easier to respond that way, because it took me only about 40 minutes in total to think of my answers, type them up, and upload a group photo of the books I referenced in my response.

Sprints, on the other hand, seem like a very strange way to read. I read best (and enjoy and retain it the most) when I can fully immerse myself in a book without interruption or distraction for an extended period of at least an hour. Breaking up my reading into smaller, 15- or 20-minute segments makes it difficult for me to capture that immersive aspect, especially if in the back of my mind I know something else is waiting for my attention (such as viewers and commenters during a livestreamed sprint).

[TangibleReads]

Booktube definitley has its moments but i love all the book people

[J.R.Carrel]

Depending on the tag they can be fun but a lot of them are boring. As far as self-published authors I read between 60 and 70 books a year there's no real reason I couldn't fit one a month then. I've been trying to do that the last few months. I agree 100% with you on reading Sprint. What they really are is a excuse to do a live discussion about what you're currently reading. Which there's nothing wrong with that

[DragonessPixie]

I think the thing that annoys me most with booktube is people doing absolutely MASSIVE book hauls and then couple months later going a massive UNHAUL with a bunch of the unread books they buy… I mean I understand getting rid of unread books that are DNFed but why buy a book only to get rid of it later? Just seems like a waste.

[WordsinTime]

Grumpy Dan! Although not unreasonable Dan haha. I have also stopped doing book tags, and have never been particularly interested in reading sprints. I agree that the community is one of the best parts of BookTube!