The Three Laws of Booktube are ...

A review of the three laws of Booktube.
00:00 Intro
01:26 Law Number 3
02:34 Law Number 2
06:42 Law Number 1

[@GenreBooks23]

The Zeroth Law: don’t ask Steve D if he’s read a certain book.

[@GrammaticusBooks]

Steve is great. I love his channel. But Steve gets an entire set of guidelines all to himself!

[@pandittroublejr]

😅😂✌🏾✌🏾✌🏾

[@MaximusStetich]

Just delightful. You’re a sterling gentleman.

[@GrammaticusBooks]

Thanks Maximus! I appreciate the vote of confidence!

[@pandittroublejr]

Totally agree with 3rd one... 👍🏾😍💖☮️🕊️

[@GrammaticusBooks]

Thanks for checking out the video Pandittroouble!

[@kdj3000]

Your channel is always enjoyable, and one reason is because you follow these laws.

[@GrammaticusBooks]

Thanks much KDJ!

[@vintagesf]

Wise prime directive. It can de escalate what might be a combative comment and create interesting conversation. It is also very easy to mistake the tone and intent of a comment. Assume the best and comment accordingly. Even if you are wrong it can once again de escalate the antagonism. I would add one more law, admit when you’re wrong. Humbly reexamine a position or review and offer a correction. I’ve started a playlist called ‘Upon Further Review’ for the opportunity to offer reflection and correction.

[@GrammaticusBooks]

I like your rule #4 Vintage! I'm going to steal...er borrow that one!

[@Bargle5]

There was a magazine I used to read fairly regularly until I realized in the letters section they would deliberately print letters where the person writing in made some sort of error. They were doing that so other people would write in and point out the error, sometimes not nicely. I realized I didn't need that kind of manipulation and quit reading it.

[@GrammaticusBooks]

I hear you Bargle. I moved over to Booktube to leave the negativity so pervasive in KZbin.

[@JosephReadsBooks]

Those are great Laws for Booktube. I do my best never to reply to the comments that are just trying to bait me. I know all they want is someone to say something back to them and I wont give them that. I just hide their comments. Fortunately the community is generally really nice. I have really enjoyed interacting with people in the comments on my videos and other booktuber's videos. Keep up the good work!

[@GrammaticusBooks]

Thanks Joseph and back at you brother! And I hear you on the one-percenters.

[@luiznogueira1579]

A very sensible set of guidelines. You clearly abide by them, which makes your channel always a pleasure to watch, even when I don't quite agree with some of your opinions(I know I can be a pain sometimes...I'm a Virgo after all, criticising is my nature. I swear I try to keep the pedantry at bay...😂) Anyway, I think you're doing a great job. May your channel thrive and prosper!

[@GrammaticusBooks]

Thank you Luiz! I appreciate that!

[@Unpotted]

Steve sent me, so I had to subscribe, because Steve is always right. Looks like you have some interesting content. I’ll be back. 😺✌️

[@GrammaticusBooks]

Thanks Unpotted! I appreciate you checking out the channel and subscribing!

[@DDB168]

The word I know is treppenwitz (staircase wit, German). Didn't know the French used that term too. Your channel is a point of difference, no doubt about it. Most of booktube is Stephen King, Lord of the Rings, TBR's, book hauls and strangely, not many book reviews. 🤔 Coca-cola, oh the humanity 🤣

[@GrammaticusBooks]

Coke...they've got me bad!

[@buckocean7616]

I appreciate the vid and moreover you and the channel. You always seem to come from a kind and empathetic place, and I always find something to ponder, and I learn a ton from you G. Always interesting content. I hope you keep on making these vids. I'd certainly miss you if you stopped. Respect❗

[@GrammaticusBooks]

Thanks Buck, I sincerely appreciate that!

[@LiminalSpaces03]

Those are good laws! We have a tendency to break law 3 quite often, but it's hard not to go on tangents some times! Great video!

[@GrammaticusBooks]

We are all human Liminal! And I have to admit sometimes I could be more polite. But it gives me something to work towards! Thanks for checking out the video!

[@PhilKelley]

Thanks for taking the time to explain why you started your channel and the inner rules that direct your content, the BookTube community, and how those apply to us. You started out saying the "prime directive" (great choice of words) was "be nice". Then, you expounded what you meant by that, which was very good. Except, be nice did not quite summarize what you said, and doesn't really qualify as a prime directive, which needs to be more precise and yet more encompassing. May I suggest the "Silver Rule" as a better law: "Don't do to others what you wouldn't want them to do to you." If that is too complex a statement for today, you might boil it down to "Be helpful". Being helpful can sometimes be, as you said, saying something critical - negative, but providing guidance in the right direction. And, you may have to choose to be helpful to your audience, but not to the commenter or content provider (e.g., by steering them away from "crap"). For those of us who comment, we need to ask if our comment will help the channel. Replying with an insult or negative comment to a video or another viewer does not help the channel or anyone else. So, Grammaticus, I vow to keep your three laws in my comments. Best regards.

[@GrammaticusBooks]

I like that Silver law Phil! And you're correct. Sometimes it's a balancing act between giving and honest review while still being respectful to the author!

[@jonathanburrell5436]

Thank you. You have shown so much respect for your audience. I hope it continues to grow and us/they are as respectful as yourself.

[@GrammaticusBooks]

Thanks Jonathan!

[@StevenEverett7]

Excellent video Grammaticus! You have come up with some interesting and practical thoughts. Although I've probably made some negative comments on various channels I do try to be polite. I find smiley faces work wonders. 😉

[@GrammaticusBooks]

I love smiley faces Steven!

[@craigrussell7542]

Enjoying your channel. Interesting to hear about your aims.

[@GrammaticusBooks]

Thank you for checking out the video Craig!

[@mtngrl5859]

Came to your channel through Steve Donoghue-- just subscribed! I watched Steve's reaction video-- of course, he made a much longer video, Didn't quite get his comment about "your slurping", its always good to hydrate.

[@GrammaticusBooks]

I think I took a hit of water mid video during my Pierre Boulle video and Steve lambasted me! All in good fun of course!

[@mtngrl5859]

@@GrammaticusBooks It's a good habit--important to stay hydrated!

[@PeculiarNotions]

These are all reasonable guidelines. Thank you for sharing.

[@GrammaticusBooks]

Thanks for watching PN!

[@SciFiScavenger]

Wait, there are rules!? All sounds perfectly sensible to me. I'd add a zeroth law, "remember, it's meant to be fun!". 👍🚀👽🤖📚🎬

[@GrammaticusBooks]

Absolutely SFS!

[@MegaWhoppingCosmicBookwyrm]

Great laws. I think all of KZbin could benefit from Law 1, being polite. It always seems like anonymity brings out the absolute worst in people. I haven’t received any harsh comments yet on my wee baby channel, but I do worry. 😅

[@GrammaticusBooks]

Thanks Bookwyrm! It took me awhile to realize I should just delete comments that didn't appear to have any real merit.

[@bookssongsandothermagic]

Love the third law. It’s always the bottom line. One of mine would be to be genuine and truthful.

[@GrammaticusBooks]

I like that one Songs! Well said sir!

[@BookChatWithPat8668]

Hi Grammaticus. You absolutely do follow these rules. I read very different books from those that you read, but your videos are always so interesting that I watch just about everything that you post. I have tried new authors, thanks to you. And I also believe in and follow your third law. Kindness is everything, and you certainly show kindness to everyone all the time. I try to do that too. Love your channel, Grammaticus. Thanks for what you do.

[@GrammaticusBooks]

Thanks Pat and if I could create a video on Law-1 I would just link it to your channel! You are a super kind person!

[@BookChatWithPat8668]

@@GrammaticusBooks well, thank you for saying that. You just made my day! 😊

[@theprincipalofficer4273]

First law of booktube don’t talk about the law. 😂

[@GrammaticusBooks]

First rule of booktube, don't talk about Booktube. Second rule of Booktube, don't talk about....Lol!

[@saintdonoghue]

I could leave a comment here, or I could make a 15-hour response video ... hmmmm....

[@GrammaticusBooks]

I always enjoy your response videos Steve! (I actually enjoy all your videos!)

[@miguelthedrawtist]

You left one out: "Every book analysis/critique ought to be done through an intersectional feminist lens, using a bunch of buzz words like 'toxic masculinity', 'male gaze', and 'the patriarchy'. Moreover, it's imperative that you point out how 'misogynistic' or 'problematic' an author is, unless the person is a female, gay, non-white, anti-conservative, anti-Christian, and/or transgender (in which case, the critique should remain purely formalistic, non-political, and focused solely on the text, and you should only ever say good things about the author and their identity, on the off-chance that you mention them)."

[@GrammaticusBooks]

Oh boy....

[@LiterateTexan]

Great video. I wonder what MY three rules should be.

[@GrammaticusBooks]

I would love to hear them Randy!

[@M-J]

Waaaaait. I’m interested in diet and exercise. 😳😂 AND you are taking about food in this video, soooooo 🤷🏻‍♀️😂 Also, you channel isn’t tiny or insignificant. An audience of one matters just as much as an audience of 30,000. Bottom line is make the videos you want to watch and enjoy and have FUN! Great topic! I may have to join in the conversation. 😊

[@GrammaticusBooks]

Thanks for checking it out MJ! And I did bend some of the rules er..."guidelines" in the making of this video! I would love to hear your comments on the topic on your channel too!

[@michaelk.vaughan8617]

Wise words from the BookTube Lawgiver! Also…that must have been a particularly terrible food court!

[@GrammaticusBooks]

It was! But my Wasabi Peas were excellent!

[@jonathanburrell5436]

Dudebro video idea.mainly for Stece D ... top 10 food court chain restaurants based on a novel. 😋

[@pandittroublejr]

👍🏾🙏🏾🙏🏾

[@GrammaticusBooks]

Thanks Pandit!

[@BookBlather]

Great laws. Best way to overcome incivility is by spreading kindness. I have had people delete their own comments because of a kind response, instead of what they were expecting. Often, what someone really needs is just to know that they were heard, which can assuage the hostile disposition they have at that moment, and thereby allow productive discourse to occur. Great video.

[@GrammaticusBooks]

You are correct BB! 100%. Just letting someone know you're paying attention to what they're saying can reap dividends. Good comments!

[@BookBlather]

@@GrammaticusBooks And listen, no one wants to hear about your pop tart (JK 😉)

[@andrewfleming8103]

You've looked at Robert Heinlein and Fred Saberhagen, How about a review of Cyril M. Kornbluth and H. Beam Piper? Two writers who died too soon with many stories unwritten.

[@GrammaticusBooks]

I have read quite a bit of Piper over the years. But not much Kornbluth. I'll put both of them on my radar Andrew.

[@joebrooks4448]

Sure, agreed. Polite and courteous analysis is critical to maintain. A lot of SF authors do concern their work with actual history, current at the time events, philosophy, economics, on and on. I think that opens the discussion to those topics, and that is probably why they chose to write that story. So many SF stories (and all other types of literature) set off intentional firestorms of debate. Tom Godwin's "The Cold Equations" fan debate was still going on 20 years after he wrote it. The SF magazines had fan letter pages to respond, booktubers are now that venue. That is an important role. I realize the considerations that must be "accounted" for!

[@GrammaticusBooks]

I would put Robert A. Heinlein as one of those authors Joe who ties there books in with philosophy and history. Thereby inviting those types of debates. Good points!

[@NeoComicus]

So now I'm curious. What *did* you have for breakfast that morning? (Hey - you brought it up...)

[@GrammaticusBooks]

I don't remember!

[@secretfirebooks7894]

Absolute professional over here. 👏

[@GrammaticusBooks]

That is the goal Secret Fire! I fall short sometimes. But I'm always trying to get there. And thank you for checking out the video!

[@General_reader]

Just don’t sell out and be authentic and I’ll stick around

[@GrammaticusBooks]

I will try my best GR! ... Besides, who would even try and buy me out on my tiny, insignificant little channel? : )

[@General_reader]

@@GrammaticusBooks every channel starts small. But keep pumping them out and I see big things in your future.

[@marjoriedonnett5467]

I don't like Booktubers who bring up their political beliefs. I don't care what books one likes, but they must leave politics at the door.

[@GrammaticusBooks]

Absolutely. Politics ruins everything Marjorie.

[@parazatico9030]

Totally agree.

[@theprincipalofficer4273]

Is there three laws? Are you the book lawyer? Like TRPG has games lawyers. 😂

[@GrammaticusBooks]

Yes, I am the Book lawyer. I charge $250 an hour for legal consults!

[@theprincipalofficer4273]

Isn’t it normal on KZbin always say controversial things in hobbies to stir the pop for the lols.

[@GrammaticusBooks]

It can be. I try not to do that as best I can though. It's one of the reasons I gravitated to Booktube in the first place, to avoid negativity and hype.