10 things I wish I'd known before starting a Booktube channel

[@LuminousLibro]

"Basically the negative sides of running a KZbin channel are... people." hahaha! You said it, girl.

[@SpinstersLibrary]

True though :P

[@Palestinian_holocaust]

@@SpinstersLibrary FEMINISM IS DEEPLY ROOTED IN COMMUNISM

[@Palestinian_holocaust]

U sound OVERLY SENSITIVE AND AGEIST

[@sayatheblakat]

The only reason I want to date someone is so they can manage my hair for me.

[@ValerieJackson-c5g]

Contemplating whether to be a booktuber. This was good to hear. Thanks.

[@cappuccinocrafts2412]

I love how both the worst and the best thing is people. Pretty accurate, I'd say. :)

[@SpinstersLibrary]

Yes I want more of the lovely book people and fewer of the internet trolls please

[@MishelleLexi]

I have just started a booktube channel so this was really interesting :) haha I also get most of my books very late from second hand shops, so I hope people don't mind hearing about books a fair while after they come out!

[@bookswithbenjamin8902]

The older ones are the best

[@heyitsgabs21]

tbh i literally couldn't care what books people are talking about (aside from if its something in the realm of what i read), i am so out of the loop of what is new lol, but its how people talk about it. I remember back in 2015/16 everyone use to just read the newest stuff and that was all they talked about but they didnt really say anything about any of the books, they use to just say stuff like "it was so good", "i loved it", "you need to read it", shallow, surface level stuff. It was so rare to hear about why someone thaught it was a good book.

[@saintdonoghue]

This was SO good! I'm feeling the strong urge to make a response video of my own!

[@SpinstersLibrary]

Please do!

[@secretsauceofstorycraft]

Hey, as a new booktuber, I really appreciate this video. So few folks talk about these things. Its really nice to hear some REAL commentary. Thank you! I get so many of those spammy emails!! I would also say something like going through "booktube hangover" where you begin to read books because you have to (video list idea or because read along or whatever) and then you stop enjoying reading or escaping like you would usually. I do think you can get over this, but it occurs more often than people think.

[@covergirlbooks]

9:43 This. Yes. Explaining what you do to people who clearly aren’t interested 😂 I just got started, and I have done it 4xs. I was relating to my husband that someone I spoke to didn’t know what a TBR was, and he said, “Honestly? I don’t know either.” 🤦🏻‍♀️

[@RendeeFredrickson]

Okay, I love how honest you are in this. I am thinking of starting my own booktube channel. I am in research mode at the moment.

[@SpinstersLibrary]

Wonderful, hope you enjoy it!

[@SpinstersLibrary]

Forgive the self-promotion, but if you found this video because you're looking to start a booktube channel yourself, you might find this video series on my channel useful, it's called "How I Booktube" and is about the entire process in detail: kzbin.info/aero/PL1SPZJREHYE6hc0W6LFqr1nK3UkZXuTfn

[@magicinthemundane9527]

Thank you!

[@bethannebruninga-socolar]

Thanks! I will follow up with your series. I appreciated your comment in this video about how being a booktuber has made you a more conscientious, focused reader. That's exactly why I just started my channel - I've never been able to make myself write reviews (on goodreads, for example) but I can absolutely babble on about them!

[@marilenasaraidari3932]

Thank you for this video and for discussing about the hate comments and how you cope with them. I am very hesitant of starting a booktube because I'm not a native English speaker so my accent stands out. Your video really motivated me to start my channel despite the fact I'll eventually encounter hate myself. Keep posting :)

[@NerdyNurseReads]

I love how many books booktube has brought into my life!!!! And the friends I've made are wonderful

[@aichanbainsidhe33]

Thank you for this! I've been debating for awhile now about starting my own channel, and this is helpful.

[@JulEnglefaris]

For emails: "use my name". I can picture people emailing you like "Dear Spinster" 😂😂 This video was amazing.

[@naomisbookshelf]

The Booktube community is something that I really enjoy! I has often struggled to talk about my new favourite books in my real life so it gives me an outlet to talk about it and relate with others. The fear of missing out is hard for me as well. I do try to read most new releases from the library but it can be hard to wait!

[@SpinstersLibrary]

Yeah, by the time you've finally gotten your hands on a book it's no longer a new release...

[@bookhunterrr3973]

this is my first video from your channel and totally loved this, as i just started my channel 2 weeks ago and still have a lot to learn! thank you for the tips! i know i'll be binging on your videos in the days ahead

[@HannVictoria]

I also only just started a book channel! Id love to be friends and discuss these things with tiny channels :) I just subbed to you xx

[@bookhunterrr3973]

@@HannVictoria yay thanks! Heading to your channel right now. So glad to connect with you :)

[@Cheezwizzie]

Love this. Just started making book related videos and this was helpful. Subbed

[@SpinstersLibrary]

Thank you!

[@seriela]

I hope this becomes a tag like Alex's Favorite Writers video. I was frankly terrified of starting a Booktube channel because of the horrendous comments I had seen on some other channels (not Booktube ones). So far, probably because I'm very small and will probably remain small, it hasn't attracted trolls. I've been very encouraged by the warmth of the community. I'll stop here, because there's so much to say about all the points you brought up, Claudia. Ciao!

[@SpinstersLibrary]

It did become a tag! Check out Steve Donoghue's video if you haven't yet, it's really fun :)

[@thesmolbookworm7681]

This is amazing. This video was helpful since I was thinking of being a Booktuber

[@SpinstersLibrary]

Thank you, glad it helped!

[@mlp4apc]

Love your video. I learned much and it was most entertaining. I am still not ready to start a channel...yet.

[@youareherediversity7321]

Thankyou for this video. I started posting book reviews as a fun way of sharing my thoughts about diversity in children’s books, I didn’t even realise there was such a community.

[@secret_step]

Hey thanks you so much for such an honest review. I was looking to start book tube channel coz i love to read books and suddenly saw your video. Now i am confident about what should i serve to my audience. Thanks once again

[@SteffieBaggins]

Love the video, totally loving the plants in your background

[@seracanread215]

Hiya! I know this is an older video, but I just want to say there are some golden bits of advice in here for someone starting a booktube channel, so thank you. I just started my own and am already getting boggled down by it instead of just enjoying it... But the goal is to become part of the community here and as you said that's definitely the good part. So onwards and let's talk about books!!

[@SpinstersLibrary]

Glad this was useful! Hope you enjoy making booktube videos, definitely don't stress too much about it ☺️ something I need to remind myself of more as well

[@krosero]

So interesting to get this perspective, thank you! Very real and relatable.

[@OmnivorousReader]

lol, this is great! Video editing is the main thing that puts me off taking my reviewing to youtube, (Booktube) I have been reviewing on Goodreads for over ten years now and I kind of want to back up my reviews.

[@WhimsicalFamilyLife]

I loved your #7, as I feel that happening. Well, as a newbie, I'm still trying to increase my consciousness beyond general feelings:) I'm definitely learning new skills. I too LOVE the new books I have discovered from BookTube, which I discovered a a year ago. Slowly over the months I found my desire to join the community grow. Thank you! Loved getting to know you a bit and learn some of your experience.

[@beatingaroundthebooks]

I also found my way here from Steve Donoghue's video, and I'm an instant subscriber. A love for literature AND cats? Sold!

[@JuanReads]

It sounds like the positive things outweigh the negatives! My channel is still small as I only started it a few months ago but so far it's been an overwhelmingly positive experience because of some of the things you highlight in your video. And it just gets better. May it long continue! Thanks for making such an honest video!

[@SpinstersLibrary]

Thank you, I'm glad you're enjoying your booktube journey so far!

[@genresandjournals]

I love this video. Your honesty is always so refreshing. I too wish that I could meet some booktubers in real life! My channel is too small to get trolls like you have but I think I would be like you and screen shot and have a good laugh. The weirdest comment I’ve gotten was someone promoting their books on amazon in my comments. Like what the heck? Nope, my comment section is not your advertisement section.

[@SpinstersLibrary]

Haha, I'm pretty sure I've had the same person spamming my comment section. I think I blocked them.

[@JessietheSleepyKoala]

This was a really helpful overview of things to expect, thank you! That creepy message was just so... bizarre. xD It almost sounded like a bot but not quite??? Anyway, thank you for the tips, I'll keep them in mind - I've just started my channel (first video!! hype but scary) and am hoping it goes wells.

[@debayanganguly8464]

That was really helpful. WIll keep them in mind when I start my channel.

[@adjk689]

I felt the hair suggestion was funny., Hilarious ( Not a bad point. I mean a partner who sorted my hair could save me time) Anyways thanks for this. I am thinking of starting a Book youtube channel and its so good that you are all out there helping us out. Thanks

[@kellireadsalot]

Lovely video and helpful! I can’t wait to check out some of your other videos. I’m late to the party! I just started last week. ❤️

[@TheNerdyCowgirlReads]

I just started a new booktube channel! 💙 thank you for all these great things to think about!

[@RaspberryReads]

I'm just starting my booktube channel and this was really helpful, thanks!

[@katherine_and_cats]

This video came at such a perfect time! I literally just came back to youtube after a 3 month break because hate comments bothered me so much. Someone told me that me talking about classics is like a dog trying to play mozart. I need to grow a thicker skin! But yes, definitely agree, there are many great benefits to booktube too! x

[@SpinstersLibrary]

Ugh people are the worst, but I'm glad that you've come back. Keep talking about those classics, girl!

[@katherine_and_cats]

@@SpinstersLibrary I will! I've just started getting really into Jane Austen (very much helped along by your videos about her) and I will talk about her books as much as I want haha x

[@bhbdhajar4401]

I saw your video quiet late after u posted it and it really gave me the confidence to carry on I started early this year but I was giving up now I´ll never think about it ever again.

[@SpinstersLibrary]

Glad you found your confidence again! But it's also okay to take a break if making video stresses you more than it brings you joy.

[@bhbdhajar4401]

@@SpinstersLibrary thank u ❤️

[@bellathereader1328]

Very informative. Thanks!! I agree about explaining Booktube. Very funny but true what you said. When I tell people about my newfound “community”, I know my friends (in a nice way) are thinking that I am such a nerd girl but hey, I am, and Booktube is a great place to celebrate that!!

[@SpinstersLibrary]

well it's them missing out :D

[@ellasnovellas]

I recently started a booktube channel and really appreciate this video! it's great to know all the ups and downs so thank you!

[@SpinstersLibrary]

Glad this was useful, and good luck with your channel!

[@bookishshenanigans4769]

I loved this. I'm still only 6 months in but I have realised that I feel guilty about not reading some time because I feel more pressure to finish books but it's such a lovely community and I'm so glad I joined.

[@SpinstersLibrary]

Yeah, I definitely feel that pressure too!

[@RovingReader]

Thanks for making this! I'm hoping to improve in speaking and comprehension skills as a result of needing to speak about books after I read them and describe why I liked them.

[@carosfootprint]

Just subscribed after you mentioned Mitch Albom, I haven't heard anyone on booktube mention anyone like him and he wrote my favorite book of all time "Tuesdays With Morrie". I started my channel about a month ago now, I'm currently editing a video that should be up by today but I always get distracted with Booktube. I think that could be added on to your list. Also, I buy mostly second-hand too so I'm really glad you can be successful on here without getting all the latest book releases. Excited to see more from you :)

[@SpinstersLibrary]

Oops, hope you won't be disappointed, I generally don't read much contemporary fiction.

[@carosfootprint]

Spinster's Library my favorite genre is nonfiction but even so, I enjoy a little bit of everything! I’m loving your channel 🥰

[@readbythesun2013]

So many helpful and inspiring ideas for people, including myself, who are trying to start their own channel!

[@SpinstersLibrary]

Thank you so much!

[@emilyboivin613]

I think your channel is amazing. I have loved watching your channel grow.

[@SpinstersLibrary]

Thank you

[@sollopa]

I’ve been thinking about this for awhile so I really appreciate this. Thanks so much.

[@SpinstersLibrary]

Glad it was helpful!

[@booktime90]

This was so helpful! I just started a youtube channel! And I love how candid and funny you are! Thanks for sharing! I'm only at 35 subscribers and already got a weird scammy email. Maybe it's a right of passage lol

[@kreativekatevlog]

What a really informative video... thank you. I’ve literally just put my first video out there. I’m doing it to grow myself, to gain confidence, to build my somewhat shattered self esteem and to build my confidence in expressing myself. I’ve never edited before... that was a journey 🤣🤣🤣. I also hope to find some people who I can relate too. Before I started this I have wanted to belong to some kind of book club but I don’t (or I didn’t think until I started this) have any friends who read like I do.... now I know I have a handful of friends that do read I’ve also realised they are not interested in talking that much about them. Will be nice to make some connections (although people scare me 🤣🤣🤣) .... thank you once again for this !

[@reddleman2]

15:30 Putting it on my TBR list right now. Seems very handy for me as an ESL teacher. :-)

[@SpinstersLibrary]

I have yet to actually read it, but I've heard good things about it

[@reddleman2]

@@SpinstersLibrary As there are 52 ways, there should at least be a couple to turn into class material :)

[@preethijoseph9700]

You just got a fan girl :) I always wanted to start a booktube channel myself and then this popped up ! Really enjoyed the video.. Enlightening I suppose ! Thanks.. Subscribed !

[@SpinstersLibrary]

Thank you so much! You should definitely start a channel, it is a lot of fun :)

[@ONYXPages]

You're funny! Loved hearing your insights :)

[@lucykidd593]

This has really helped me as someone who is thinking about starting a book tube channel now I know some effects from it!

[@nerdycassidy]

This is really useful! I’m currently trying/wanting to start a booktube because it just looks like a lot of fun, so videos like these are super helpful. Thank you so much for your insight!

[@SpinstersLibrary]

Glad this was helpful. Good luck with your channel, hope you enjoy doing booktube as much as I do :)

[@nerdycassidy]

Spinster's Library thank you so much!

[@kristinisreading4866]

This video and your series on How to Booktube have been so helpful. I realized the need for improvement in how I state things from doing the closed captioning. I say “so, and, but” so much. 😂 Just wanted to say thank you for this great content.

[@SpinstersLibrary]

So glad it was useful! I've definitely noticed weird language quirks in my videos too. I say "so" a lot.

[@InfiniteText]

oh my god, I'm so sorry you've had such negative comments?! That's....wow...and you're right about the community. I really wish we all lived closer to each other. You are always welcome in Toronto...I wish the flight wasn't so darn expensive :( I totally agree about new skills, and reading books you normally wouldn't...and yes! I'm like..hm...I should save this for nonfiction november... who else outside booktube thinks this way? lol Great video!

[@SpinstersLibrary]

Same invitation for you if you're ever in Wales! And yeah, we're strange with our month long readathons.

[@thecozycommune]

You should definitely email publishers and ask for review copies of books you want to read. Who knows, they could have sent you The Testaments!

[@Audibleking]

I'm 10 years old I and just started my you-tube channel and I really like cats and books too! I review audiobooks on my channel! my mom is worried about getting mean comments - so she's going to moderate all the comments before I can see them. I hope I don't get any mean ones though.

[@SpinstersLibrary]

That's a goo idea of you and your mum - booktube is a lot more fun without those mean comments. Hope you enjoy your reading and reviewing!

[@Audibleking]

@@SpinstersLibrary wow!! thank you so much for writing me a comment! I feel so cool!

[@brookeortiz7034]

Wow. You actually give some really practical advice about spending so much money to "keep up with the Joneses" so to speak. I really wonder how some of these booktubers afford all of their books. Thanks so much for this video! I have just discovered Booktube and am so happy to be here!

[@SpinstersLibrary]

Glad this was helpful!

[@NoorVD]

I might be 8 months late, but thank you for this video. I just started my booktube journey and this video was very helpful. 🧡❤

[@SpinstersLibrary]

Thank you! Glad this was useful, and I hope you enjoy booktubing :)

[@RenaKuro]

This is the first video of yours that I have seen. I'm thinking of starting a booktube channel and looking up every advice video I can. My main fear that has stopped me is my confidence so I am so glad to hear how it has helped you.

[@SpinstersLibrary]

Sorry for plugging my own content, but I have a video series titled "How I Booktube" which you might find useful. Each episode is about a particular step that goes into making booktube content, and you can find the playlist on my channel page. I hope you an muster the confidence to get started, because once you're hooked, you'll just keep going. Good luck with your channel :)

[@RenaKuro]

@@SpinstersLibrary Spinster's Library Thank you for letting me know. I will definitely check them out. I actually ended up here from Emmabooks similar Booktube 101 playlist.

[@adrianainbetweenpages6485]

I really resonated with your comment about changes in reading experience. It is one of the reasons I decided to stop rating books because as I read the book I kept thinking about the rating I would give it. Great video!

[@adrianainbetweenpages6485]

Also, I am not a new booktuber, but I have recently been trying to put more effort into my channel. Would love it if you check it out!

[@SpinstersLibrary]

That's a good solution to that problem!

[@jimsbooksreadingandstuff]

Interesting video, I'm thinking of being a booktuber some time in the future, so this has given me some things to mull over. I have always loved reading. I already have a blog where I review the books I read. By the time I get on, I'll probably be the oldest booktuber out there...

[@emilypnytl]

You mention that you don’t read new releases due to not usually buying new books. In the US, I can get on the waiting list to borrow new releases from my library and can usually read them within a couple months of release. Do you have the same thing in the UK?

[@SpinstersLibrary]

I'm not sure, but I'll look into it, thanks!

[@AtelierAhb]

Very thoughtful - I just found your channel from Steve Donoghue’s redo of this tag - I love blacklisted books and classics so I have subscribed and look forward to seeing more of your content. People yup - usually the source of ickiness in an otherwise innocuous pursuit!

[@SpinstersLibrary]

Thank you! Haha, people are the worst :D

[@whatpageareyouon]

I agree so much about the public speaking skills bit! I find myself much more in the swing of things in my day job when it comes to me having to give presentations every now and then. A wonderful video--I hope you manage to get to London some time for those occasional meet-ups!

[@SpinstersLibrary]

Thank you, I hope so too!

[@madebypernille]

I haven't really "started" yet, but def thinking about putting my thoughts into videos - this video certainly proved some of my initial prejudice on what to expect from "joining booktube" - although, I have seen quite a few videos on other channels refer to "booktube drama" and I have yet to see some *actual* drama haha. So maybe I should just go ahead and start putting together some videos xD

[@SpinstersLibrary]

I'm pretty oblivious to most of the drama really, though I feel like a lot of it actually happens on Twitter rather than booktube!

[@madebypernille]

@@SpinstersLibrary Yes - it really seems like it's going down on twitter (another good reason for me not to put too much effort into my twitter account haha!) I mean... I'm just here for the books xD

[@josmith5992]

Great video Claudia! I do think as a commentator who engages with the community a lot I get the best of both worlds, no trolling or spam but recommendations and connections, of course I don’t get the increase in skills or confidence and I do think anyone who starts a channel is courageous putting themselves out there but thank goodness so many do!

[@letsbefrankcanadasforemost7818]

Thanks for all of the bad and good points of running a BookTube channel. Some I didn't expect. Now I know what to maybe expect.

[@jenniferbrooks]

I love this! And I completely agree with everything you’ve said. Luckily no trolls yet (but some strange ones that are more weird than anything else) but honestly, everything else has happened! At least the good far outweighs the bad!

[@SpinstersLibrary]

I'm sure the trolls will find you soon enough :P

[@kelliereviews5341]

I agree with you in more ways than one. For a beginner YT person, I love getting my books from the library. less money. I diversify also.

[@gabbu313]

I absolutely LOVE this video!!

[@SpinstersLibrary]

Thank you so much! Hope you enjoy making videos for booktube too, it's really fun!

[@KatTalks]

Enjoy your life while you are young. Hahahahah the way that you described TBR videos :'D Yes - I wouldn't say my public speaking has improved (I've always done a fair bit of that) but it has helped me speak into a camera and be more confident having an opinion. And yes, video editing too! Great points!

[@SpinstersLibrary]

Thank you! Good point about being more confident in your opinions, I've noticed that change too in myself.

[@PagesPlantsPastimes]

Thanks for this video! I am a new booktuber and have been feeling discouraged by how few viewers I have. I’m excited about the new skills I’ve gained, and I’ve been dreaming about doing this for years, so I’m excited to finally be doing it. But it is still discouraging to feel like no one is interested. I’ve been contemplating giving up, but I think I’m going to continue to work at it a little bit longer. I am enjoying it, even if I don’t have viewers.

[@SpinstersLibrary]

Well done for taking the plunge and starting your channel! I'd recommend doing the Booktube Newbie Tag, that always attracts viewers because many in the community use that tag to find new channels. Please don't give up!

[@PagesPlantsPastimes]

Spinster's Library Thanks, I will do that tag next

[@booksinchloeswonderland]

Ive just started my booktube channel so it's nice to see some info for beginners thank you ☺️

[@SpinstersLibrary]

Glad this was useful!

[@anna.francesca]

Really enjoyed hearing you speak on topics which sometimes aren’t spoken about.

[@SpinstersLibrary]

Thank you :)

[@annalisaslibrary]

I've read so many more books and expanded my horizons a lot since I started my channel - I'm very happy about that. Another thing I didn't expect was that I hate my face a lot less than I used to. My self esteem has been really terrible for a long time and I've been avoiding mirrors for just as long. But with my channel, I have to look at my face quite a lot and also listen to my voice while I edit. This was really painful for me for probably the first six months I was making videos, but very gradually, so that I didn't notice until it had already happened, I got used to it. I no longer hated either my face or my voice. Didn't love them, but they were more a neutral thing than something to cringe at. I even occasionally thought I looked nice, like when I would smile about a book I really loved (hence getting a screenshot of that for all my profile pictures). Plus I've met a load of feminists, which I was severely lacking in non-internet life, and it is such a relief to be able to talk among ourselves, and unload a bit.

[@SpinstersLibrary]

Wow, I hadn't even thought about the effect on self esteem and body confidence. It's definitely had the same effect on me. Maybe everyone should be forced to look at their face for several hours a week :D Thank you for sharing your experiences. Also your profile picture is lovely.

[@annalisaslibrary]

Ha ha, yes, that would be a good idea - and thank you!

[@deannascorner8112]

I’m a new “booktuber” though my channel has been around since 2018 when I posted my first video about “A Simple Favour”. I then chronicled my braces journey and sometimes I wonder if I should start a whole new channel for booktube or just embrace my past videos and where my journey has taken me!

[@nonfictionfeminist]

Oh wow. That Jane Austen comment ... it just ... wow. And I agree with the public speaking skills! I LOATHE public speaking. Talking to a camera was so weird at first, and I still feel super awkward filming in front of my husband, but I'm getting much better and slowly feeling less self-conscious.

[@SpinstersLibrary]

Yeah I still get awkward when I record with anyone non-feline in the house.

[@nonfictionfeminist]

@@SpinstersLibrary haha agreed

[@meghanthestorygirl4581]

This was such a good video! The thing I love about Booktube is when I'm bursting with things to say about a wonderful book, I can just turn the camera on and put all that excitement into a video. There's a place to process it now!

[@SpinstersLibrary]

Yeah, that's one of the best things about booktube!

[@MaryDeanDotCom]

I found you because I wanted to make a Virginia Woolf hair bun. Now I’ve ordered a copy of “52 Ways…” for my sister who teaches college writing. (It better be good!) I am encouraged by your positive attitude in spite of the spammers and scammers. Maybe I’ll dip my toes back into blogging. 😊

[@aspicereadsbooks7651]

I LOVE CATs and literature :D also hello. Good video! It really made me think about stuff I might have to deal with (good and bad) as a growing booktuber in the future!

[@HannahsBooks]

Somehow I had forgotten how weird it is to have these themed reading months! They have become part of my life from watching booktube for a few years before starting my channel. I have always been a bit obsessive when I get interested in a subject or author, so I suppose I've always grouped books together in a row--but not anything like I do now! (By the way, since you brought up the issue, I really love your hair!)

[@SpinstersLibrary]

Thank you! I never read books grouped together like that before booktube (except when I really got into a book series but that's not the same).

[@thedailyrach]

This video is so accurate!! I recently started my channel and I've already gotten the ”PR” email.

[@SpinstersLibrary]

Haha, you have been warned :D

[@thebabblingbook1492]

As a new booktuber, this was actually a lot of fun to watch. #things to look forward to... or look out for! Lol 🤣

[@SpinstersLibrary]

Thank you, glad this was useful :D

[@LiteraryStoner]

Love this list and definitely agree. Working on speaking more clearly, the friendships and learning about sooo many interesting books are wonderful positives of booktube!

[@gaiaathena-books]

I relate to a lot of these! I haven't got many emails, but I have got hate comments and authors and scammers in comments. It's true, new releases can be quite expensive and fomo is definitely a thing! I discovered so many good books through BookTube. I totally agree with your 10th point, the community is so nice, I wasn't expecting that either before I started my BookTube channel. I also didn't know how important social media was before I started my BookTube channel, but having Twitter and Instagram has helped with my channel and making friends with people in the BookTube community.

[@SpinstersLibrary]

Yeah, I'm enjoying all of the social aspects of booktube, both Twitter and Instagram, but my favourite is still the comment sections on videos :)

[@skeller61]

Hi, and thank you for your honest appraisal of running a booktube channel. I’m within a few years of retirement, have all the equipment to run a KZbin channel, and am thinking of the upsides and downsides of that endeavor. Here’s my list so far. I’d appreciate any thoughts you may have: First, the negatives: 1. To “make it” in KZbin, you have to confine your channel to a single area of interest. I have so many interests that I am afraid starting a channel about one of them would end up taking so much of my time that I would have to forego the pleasure I get from having so many eclectic interests. 2. Whenever you turn a hobby into a job, that is, when you feel you “have to” put out a video on a schedule, it can easily turn a pleasure into a chore. I can see this wouldn’t be as much of an issue if you are super passionate about one interest; however, in my case, I would want to pursue many topics that whatever audience I could build would simply not be interested in. I guess you could boil this down to a lack of freedom to explore multiple interests. 3. The hassle of dealing with the trolls, spammers, etc. that you mention in this video. 4. If one of your goals is to make money (aka monetize your channel), you might have to deal with advertising or promoting things that you would not otherwise want to. It may make you more interested in creating catchy thumbnails and delve into SEO and other ways of advertising your content that takes your time away from your passion. This includes creating social media accounts on platforms where you don’t really want to be, simply to get eyeballs on the content that you do want to produce. The positives: 1. I think that your point about having to read more actively is a positive, since by exploring your thoughts on the subject more deeply and sharing them with your community enriches your experience of the material. While it negates the pleasure of simply enjoying something for its own sake, it does focus your mind and allows you to explore your passion in interesting ways. This, I suppose, is the positive side of the turning your passion into a chore, whatever the passion may be. 2. Over time, it gives you an interesting perspective on yourself that you would not get if you didn’t commit your thoughts to a medium. In other words, it acts as a diary, of sorts, that you can look at moving forward and allows you to adjust your content based not only on the feedback you receive to each video, but on your own viewership of your channel. Sure, some older videos might make you cringe as you hone your presentation skills, but it allows you to examine what makes you cringe and improve yourself. 3. The bright side of the monetizing negative is that, if you do attract enough of a following, it may give you the opportunity to interact with people and organizations in your field that you would never be able to without it. As social media has democratized where people get their content, traditional outlets may want to interact with you in a ‘win-win’ celebration of the subject. 4. If you create content that people find interesting, you can stimulate interest in your passion amongst a new set of viewers and interact with others that also share your passion, even if you can’t find these people in your own community. Thanks for making me think more clearly about this!

[@SpinstersLibrary]

All very good points, in particular the way the platform favours single issue channels.

[@thadremaw]

As someone who’s new to Booktube that was a useful thing to watch! The new skills aspect was something I hadn’t considered before making my own videos but you’re completely right. I haven’t had any creepy comments yet but it’s early days...

[@SpinstersLibrary]

Don't worry, the trolls and creeps will show up eventually :p

[@williamstewart3058]

Since watching Booktube I've thought how having a channel might impact on my reading . Would I read more books in a month so I can talk about them etc? This was a great video and the first dealing with this subject that I've seen

[@SpinstersLibrary]

Thank you!

[@charcharchar2806]

Good to know about the scammy emails. Thanks for making this :)

[@SpinstersLibrary]

Happy to help!

[@UnveiledMoonlight]

Awesome video! Thanks for the tips 👍

[@SeanPM]

4 years later still a good video!!

[@kritimishra5523]

You are a brave heart confident girl! Keep rocking 👍🏻❤️

[@SpinstersLibrary]

Thank you! You too!

[@bookcaseofdoom]

I'm sorry, but that comment is hilarious 😂 you're absolutely right, what kind of person would have a thought like that AND then decide to comment it? The FOMO thing is so weird, I just made a short recently asking if it's just me who doesn't much like the term "backlist" 😅

[@ellalou5465]

My channel is still small so I don't get most of these negatives but this video was really interesting. Thanks for the insight of what it is like to be a bigger channel :)

[@SpinstersLibrary]

Thank you, glad this was useful!

[@oliviapye8828]

the description of booktube to people who don't watch booktube really made me laugh

[@AStarlessReader]

Omg I totally thought this was only gonna be negative. I just started my channel and am preparing to post my first video, but I definitelly got discouraged at the beginning of your video haha. Im glad its worth it, tho. Thank you for the insightful advice and what to expect! ^^

[@SpinstersLibrary]

Glad it was useful :) Good luck with your channel!

[@matthewpena3932]

Thanks for sharing and very enjoyable.

[@Tinyterrorgrr]

I’m so glad i found this channel

[@patothereaderdiana5501]

I started my booktube channel recently and one of the negative things I have found is that I seem to be always checking the number of views on my videos. I hope it goes away with time and it does not become an obsession. I am enjoying it but I also find it more stressful than I thought.

[@SpinstersLibrary]

Yeah, I sometimes fall into that as well, especially just after a new video is out. I hope you don't get too stressed about numbers though and enjoy the booktube experience!

[@patothereaderdiana5501]

Spinster's Library yes, I remind myself that I started my channel to make connections with people. Which has proven to be also very difficult :P. Still is fun and I will do it until I stop enjoying it!