So Impressed With Teen Booktubers! Giants of the Publishing Industry!

I'm rarely on YouTube. Do you have links to ones you find especially noteworthy? Do they seem to be reading beyond the YA markets?

KTC said:

My reading choices these days come from intelligent thought-provoking YouTube videos posted by teens. I am so impressed.

Thoughts? (-:

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Um, what's a booktuber? I am out of touch ... again ...

Book reviews on YouTube? Linky to some you like?

Er... yeah, I'm pretty in tune with Youtube and haven't come across what you're talking about. I've seen some people suggest certain books (aside from their normal content), but no teens having such a strong influence on the publishing industry through their videos on youtube--hell, giant reviewers on youtube barely have pull on any industry, even when that industry specifically asks them for input.

Edit for cross post: Oh, well, haven't seen any of these peeps... or anyone they are affiliated with, or anything regarding them. Probably youtube's recommendation system working against me and for you, KTC.

KTC said:

Teen Booktubers OWN YouTube. They get hundreds of thousands of hits.

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...no... just no, sorry, no. I know you're being very enthusiastic, but youtube is vast. The people who "own" youtube are gamers and the music industry as they hold the most subscribers and views throughout the site. Past that there's sketch comedy, vloggers, product unboxing and reviews and such--I guess you'd mix book reviews with product reviews, but then they would be greatly overshadowed by the tech industry.

It might seem that way because Google personalizes your video feed to enforce you to watch videos that you're more likely to click through--like book reviews from teens because you've watched more ads I mean, book reviews from teens from similar videos. Facebook, twitter, and other sites do this as well.

Most of what I've seen after you named a few are a good group of people hovering over 50K subs and a few rare ones over 100K. Those aren't bad whatsoever, and if you think that youtube has a better subscription service that could broadcast book reviews in a good manner, it seems like a great setup. I'll have to take a good look around--I do like me some top yearly lists.

I'm quite sure a fair amount of booktubers are being compensated to offer 'reviews', most of which don't actually review the book. From what I've seen, it's a 'this is why I like it' kind of review. Nonetheless, these kids will be the difference between hit and miss soon. And publishers... it seems they're taking on more 'new talent' who coincidently happen to have an existing platform. Zoella to name an example.

KTC said:

Wow. Literal much. Jesus.

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I know what Wow means. Kind of. And Jesus, too. Kind of.

I don't have a clue what a booktuber is. Maybe a kind of underground vegetative growth leading to the emergence of a book?

caw

Booktubers... I was picturing some sort of book/potato hybrid.

I'm not sure whether I'm relieved or disappointed.

On one hand -- no nightmare-inducing books that have mutated into lumpy, dirty tendril-sprouting, multi-eyed horrors.

On the other, no salty, french-fried novels. Mmm; twice the addictiveness!

I like salty, french-fried novels, especially dipped in milk chocolate, no, wait, that's potato chips. Sorry for the derail.

I'm happy you're impressed, KTC. I read some of the comment threads off the videos, and I'm happy to see a mix of strong novels outside of the usual YA magnet books.

But YouTube will try to trick you with your preferences, into presenting more and more of what you only like to see. I have fun with Google whenever I'm doing story research, because YouTube will keep trying to find vids I might like. One week it was men dancing the tango, the next it was Croatian tourist guides.

Eh, booktubing is just another review avenue. Time will tell if it gets completely taken over by corporate-funded reviewers. I'm not really into it, because I have limited time. I can read and comprehend a written book review in a few dozen seconds or less. With a YouTuber, I'm held hostage to the speed and efficiency of their delivery. (Why I read the comments instead of clicking on the smiling face in the camera.) But I am pleased to see their enthusiasm for books.

I'd never heard of booktubers, so, thanks, Kevin, for the information. It does seem like a natural development and I'm always glad to see shared pleasure in reading books take a new form (countering the notion that books and reading are dying out.)

I don't happen to be someone who enjoys videos -- I watch as little as possible and strongly prefer to take information via text. But, yeah, this is pretty neat.

I've seen these, and some of these folks are quite good. But I generally prefer blog reviews.

Same here. For some reason the vlogger reviews that I've seen tend to be at the 'I love this book and you should, too' level. Which is fine, but I more value meatier reviews that tell me *why* that person loved, hated, or was indifferent to the book. Text seems to fit those discussions a bit better, but that's just me.

I do love me some movie and gamer vlogs, and subscribe to them.

Most readers I know . . . well, read. Even the teens that buy my books read reviews. On Goodreads, on blogs, in magazines. I haven't heard of booktubers, and I follow the YA market pretty close. But then, I don't spend much time on YouTube because I don't have an internet connection that allows much video.

I'm not a Youtube viewer, but the idea seems cool.

Have to admit I don't get the point of video reviews.

Oh god maybe I'm getting old.

I very much doubt that a bunch of kids on YouTube have significant clout. Or that I'd care much what a bunch of kids on YouTube thinks about books.

I also distrust any reviewer who never reviews anything negatively. A bubbling suffusion of squee means they either have indiscriminate tastes, will not warn you when something sucks, or are shills.

Booktubers have so little clout in the publishing industry that they may as well not exist.

"Clout"?

Who cares? I don't think that's the point here at all. Some people are enthusiastic about this venue for reviews, and apparently have been directed to some good books this way. Why is that a problem?

As far as clout goes, anyone in this thread might as well not exist, for all the effect that would have on the publishing industry as a whole. So what?

As I said, I don't watch videos any more than I really have to as I don't enjoy that, but I don't feel the need to deride video book reviews for that reason. If in fact they are uniformly positive, that would raise a question, but even so, maybe the reviewers just choose not to give time to books they don't care for.

Meh. Tempest in a teacup, y'all.

Oh, I think it's great that kids are doing video book reviews, and I'm sure they generate a lot of enthusiasm among those who follow them.

But, it's a niche hobby, and I think the OP got some raised eyebrows and a bit of skepticism because of the claim that this is some sort of industry-shaking trend.

I prefer Crash Course and Extra Credits.

Along with the Honest movie reviews.