BookTok Awards, Frankfurter Buchmesse, October 2023 – Photo courtesy: Frankfurter Buchmesse
By Erin L. Cox, Publisher | @erinlcox
It is no secret that #BookTok has had a significant impact on sales for titles that become popular on the platform. In some cases, it has even revived backlist titles, sometimes rocketing them to the top of traditional bestseller lists and forcing publishers to rush to reprint.One tool that may help publishers in the U.K. get ahead of demand is the launch of the official BookTok Charts for the United Kingdom which NielsenIQ BookData and Media Control announced yesterday.
This list will combine verified retail sales data collected by NielsenIQ BookData and the engagement from the #BookTok community. Published monthly, the list will reflect the impact and influence of the BookTok community which continues to grow.
“Following the successful launch of the #BookTok Charts in Germany, expanding into one of the largest international book markets, such as the United Kingdom, is the logical next step,” adds Ulrike Altig, Managing Director of Media Control and Book Researcher. “At Media Control, we are contributing our full expertise to the collection, analysis, and compilation of the #BookTok Charts in the UK. I am very pleased to continue this success story in the UK together with our partners NielsenIQ BookData and TikTok.”
TikTok and Media Control have been publishing the #BookTok bestseller list for Germany in The Börsenblatt since April 2023. This list features the 20 most successful titles on TikTok.
“#BookTok has had a significant influence on the book market. By bringing the #BookTok charts to the UK, our data foundation ensures that these trends can be assessed transparently and reliably based on real sales figures,” said Andre Breedt, Managing Director at NielsenIQ BookData.
The launch of the UK BookTok Charts will provide real analytical data that will identify emerging trends that could influence what types of books publishers acquire and perhaps help keep ahead of demand for titles that are doing well.
This might also be a bestseller list that BookTok creators can enjoy. The Bookseller noted that creators don’t tend to pay attention to bestseller lists because they don’t tend to feature the books they are interested in, but with a bestseller list of titles guided by their influence, that might change.
