UK's First #BookTok Bestseller List
Introduction
The UK has a new list of popular books. The list comes from TikTok. People on TikTok use #BookTok to talk about books. The list uses sales numbers and hashtag data.
Main Body
The first list has only women writers. Chloe Walsh has six books on it. Her books are about teenagers at a private school. Many books are romance or 'romantasy' (romance and fantasy). Some old books become popular again. For example, 'The Secret History' from 1992 is on the list. Two TikTok influencers say why romantasy is popular. Fans share ideas and recommendations. Young readers trust friends and creators more than critics. They use social media more than news. One self-published series sold out after the influencers talked about it. Industry people have different ideas. One publisher says TikTok helps romance books. Another says traditional marketing is still important. A third says BookTok starts interest, but other things help too. Shops now have 'TikTok made me buy it' sections. 11 million book sales in 2025 came from #BookTok. That is about 6% of all sales. The new list does not replace old lists. Readers like Amy use TikTok for book ideas.
Conclusion
The new list shows TikTok's power. But it is only one part of book marketing. Old ways still work for some books and readers.