January 29, 2025
If you are a reader who enjoys writing reviews, sharing your insights, and engaging with fellow bookworms, you might find the vibrant community of BookTube to be your next destination.
But there’s a problem: starting a YouTube channel can be an exciting adventure but also quite daunting. After all, recording yourself and uploading the video is clearly not enough.
So the question remains: where do you start?
From research to execution, the following tips and strategies can help you kick off your BookTube journey on the right foot, capture the attention of other readers, and set you on the path to success.
The first step is understanding the field you’re entering. Studying your target audience, what users look for in BookTubers, and the best ways to convey your content can make or break your YouTube channel.
Don’t be afraid to watch a few BookTube content creators with a clinical eye—studying their formatting, editing, and the topic ideas they come up with, among other things. Likewise, checking podcasts about books can give you a general idea of what to do.
However, this is just a learning experience, not a copying experiment. Remember that being original is the key to success.
BookTube is overflowing with content creators offering book reviews and their opinions on literature. Finding a niche that helps you create something unique is essential for standing out above the crowd and securing an audience.
The most popular way to define your niche is to focus on specific book genres. For example, you could discuss horror or paranormal books in your channel or perhaps romantasy releases. Another approach can be analyzing books, regardless of genre, from a unique perspective, such as a feminist or sociopolitical lens.
Whatever you choose, just be sure to pick something you love.
After selecting your niche and the type of content you will produce, the next step is to ensure the package is vibrant, eye-catching, and instantly recognizable.
Your channel’s name, logo, banner, color palettes, the thumbnail style you use, clothes, and even voice tone will become part of your brand, so deciding which ones reflect your content most efficiently while still allowing you to stand out is essential.
Your filming area is also related to your branding. The backgrounds, decorations, and general ambiance are essential to conveying the type of BookTuber you’ll be.
Showcasing your bookshelves is an excellent way to convey what you talk about in books and help watchers feel at ease. However, you’ll have to go beyond that.
For example, if your branding and content are meant to be cozy and relaxing, muted colors, plants, and even some candles could help create the ambiance. If, on the other hand, you prefer horror or mystery, a darker type of decoration might work.
What is a BookTuber without books? You probably already have a collection of books you’re eager to discuss, so those are perfect starting points for your channel.
However, you should already consider new books you’d like to feature. As a BookTuber, you will need to get access to many books quickly, so securing the means to acquire books as cheaply as possible is essential. For example, you can compare book prices on BookScouter or visit your local library regularly.
If you’re starting on BookTube, there is no need to invest in an expensive DSLR camera immediately. After all, you have yet to discover what you truly need to make your vision come to life.
As a beginner, your phone camera is enough. However, try to optimize it as best as possible—purchase a good tripod, microphone, and ring light. These can be found at bargain prices online, making your content look high-quality with minimal investment.
What type of videos would you like to produce? Creating a content plan is scheduling your success long-term, as it gives you a general vision of the direction you want your channel to take.
For example, you can plan to review a book series each Friday or share a Top 10 list of any given topic once a month. Planning carefully for each video and its perfect release time can guarantee a consistent and coherent content output, benefitting your visibility within YouTube and giving viewers something to expect.
Life happens. Maybe you have other responsibilities, or you run out of fumes and need a break—you simply don’t have the time or energy to work on your channel every week.
In those cases, it’s crucial to have pre-made videos ready and queued up to ensure you can continue releasing content on schedule. Even if you don’t have an audience yet, consistently publishing ensures that any potential viewer has more of your content to engage with, which increases your chances of gaining a subscription.
To attract traffic to your channel and increase views, you must appear on the search result pages and ensure YouTube recommends your video to people viewing similar content. Much of this is down to luck, but you can increase your odds with Search Engine Optimization (SEO) practices.
Including keywords, meta descriptions, and eye-catching titles can go a long way—after all, a video called “Ranking Every Book Fantasy Villain” is bound to grab viewers’ attention more than one titled “Book Fantasy Villains.”
If you’ve ever scrolled through YouTube shorts, you know the algorithm will likely send you videos from small channels, which means that any Shorts you upload will likely improve your discoverability and grant you extra visibility.
Publish regular YouTube short content, trying to make it as eye-catching as possible. You can share a fast review, short book recommendations, or even drop an interesting analysis or opinion that may intrigue readers.
While the earlier tips and tricks can shape your YouTube channel and its content, merely releasing videos and hoping the algorithm favors them is not enough—you need to promote your channel, engage with your audience, and connect with other creators.
In short, you must become part of the BookTube community.
Promoting your channel on social media, commenting on other creators’ videos, responding to the comments you receive, and participating in trends and challenges are all excellent ways to meet others and establish your presence within the BookTube space.
However, while these strategies are practical and help you grow your channel, the most crucial aspect is that they can be key to creating new relationships, building connections, and having fun!
