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UK introduces official BookTok bestseller chart
Britain has unveiled its first official bestseller list driven by TikTok's influential #BookTok community, merging sales data with social media trends to reflect how digital creators are transforming reading habits.
Chart highlights female authors and revived classics
The inaugural top 20, compiled by Media Control and NielsenIQ BookData, features exclusively female writers, with Irish author Chloe Walsh's Boys of Tommen series appearing six times. The list also includes Donna Tartt's 1992 novel The Secret History, which has gained a new audience through TikTok decades after its release.
Many titles on the chart are tied to recent or upcoming screen adaptations, such as Colleen Hoover's It Ends With Us and Rebecca Yarros's Fourth Wing.
Romantasy dominates as BookTok fuels genre's rise
The chart is heavily skewed toward "romantasy"-a blend of romance and fantasy-with books by Sarah J. Maas and Yarros securing spots. BookTok influencers Kris and Mads attribute this trend to the genre's accessibility and the passionate online communities built around it.
"It's such an accessible genre and allows readers to get passionate about something light and fun with other people."
BookTok influencers Kris and Mads
The duo notes that younger readers are more likely to discover books through social media than traditional outlets, with recommendations from creators driving swift sales spikes. They cite the self-published series The Unselected Journals of Emma M Lion, which sold out on Amazon after being featured on BookTok.
Publishers embrace BookTok's role in discovery
Lucy Stewart, deputy publishing director at Hodder & Stoughton, says TikTok has amplified genres like romance, fostering "a huge rise in unabashed public appreciation, sales, and respect." She welcomes the platform's ability to make reading more accessible.
For readers like Amy, 32, from Hampshire, BookTok serves as a tool for exploration. "It's helped me discover genres I never would have known about otherwise," she says, calling it invaluable for overcoming reading slumps.
BookTok's influence extends beyond the app
NielsenIQ BookData reports that 11 million UK book sales in 2025-about 6% of the total-were attributed to BookTok. Young adult author Abiola Bello notes retailers are responding directly to these trends, with WH Smith introducing a "TikTok made me buy it" section in stores.
Sara Roberts, senior marketing manager at Transworld, describes BookTok as "one of the most powerful forces in publishing" and a key trendspotter. However, she emphasizes that traditional marketing remains critical for reaching broader audiences, as some books thrive on BookTok while others rely on reviews and media coverage.
"BookTok can be the spark, but everything else needs to be in place to catch that momentum."
Claire Simmonds, publishing director at Evermore
