Less fear of judgement, more self-expression: The reality behind bookish content creation
Is authenticity the key to success?
In 2026, everyone with a phone has the power to create content about their interests. But what does it really take to be a unique content creator? How do you stand out of the crowd in an oversaturated market?
BookTok and Bookstagram took the world by storm at the start of the pandemic, and their influence still shows today. According to Forbes, BookTok content has gained 370 billion views, and 52 million creators have posted bookish content leading up to 2025. Whether it be backlisted books selling out, ‘BookTok recommended’ tables appearing in Waterstones, or the development of the TikTok Book Awards, the next generation of readers have become the driving force behind book sales.
When it comes to creating bookish content that stands out, the emphasis is on unique concepts, and finding one’s niche. Videos such as reviews, recommendations, or daily vlogs might get the most engagement, but after a while it can all become repetitive, which is why at the end of the day it all boils down to storytelling. How do you post about your favourite books in a way that isn’t only engaging but is also creative and rare to find?
I had a conversation with Katie Nicoll, who is a content creator enthralled by the world of books, with a presence on Bookstagram and BookTok. She uniquely combines her interests such as Pokémon cards and video games with the joy of reading, which I was really excited to talk to her about.
When I look at the intricacy and the detailedness of bookish posts, I always wonder how much preparation goes into them. I asked Katie what her approach is to the process of posting, and she shared that she doesn’t plan her content in advance, instead she creates concepts as they come, through getting inspired by everyday things.
‘If I’m walking around or going into certain shops and I see blind boxes, I then think that’d be a good idea for a post, or if I see Pokémon cards where they’re all reading, I just think that’s really cute, and I can share those. But the ideas can also come when I’m listening to certain music or watching YouTube videos’, she said.
Unfortunately, chasing viral moments has become the number one thing on the to-do list of content creators. Whether that be just a sound, a trend, or a concept, as soon as an idea takes off, everyone urges to recreate it with their own twist.
I asked Katie if she follows what’s trending, and if that is something that influences the content she then creates. In her opinion, ‘the best posts are the ones that are very unique to you, you’ve made your own post and your own idea. I think the ones that stand out the most are the ones you haven’t seen before’. She also added how it’s more important to find your niche and then lean into it, as that will get you further than any viral moment.
At the end of the day, our interests are what make us stand out, as if you love something, then one extra ingredient will be added to your content: passion. Katie combines her love for Pokémon cards and video games with her book content, which she admitted, was terrified of doing at first.
As she has been posting for 10 years, she has seen social media platforms evolve, such as Instagram, which used to be way different in 2016 then it is now in 2026. ‘At that point it was very much like you have your own style, if you decided you’ll post about fantasy books for example, then that’s your theme. You just have to stay in your lane basically’, she said. However, after she decided to just let go of that fear and follow her instincts, she ended up gaining followers who were truly interested in the same niche things that she was. ‘You end up building a curated audience of people who genuinely follow you for your content’, Katie added.
Even though the core of content creation is to share one’s interests, the market has become very oversaturated, which is why audiences are searching for authenticity and connection. Katie mentioned how it is good to have a personal touch to things, and to let your individuality shine through in your content.
‘I realised how people do just want to have somebody that they can relate to even on the simplest level of what are you doing today. Influencers are people too, and I think it just makes them seem way more authentic.’
Katie shares her life online, while still trying to keep it private, as she posts content about her travels, her dog, and her interests outside of books like K-pop. I was wondering if she believes getting personal is what makes creators stand out, and she said that she believes everyone has their own limits of what they want to share, but in her experience, the content that does the best on her page offers a peak into her life. Whether this be making coffee or matcha “together” before sitting down to read, Katie’s audience values the mundane parts of her life, which they can just virtually tag along to.
The pressure to be present on multiple platforms is also constantly growing for content creators, as nowadays there is this expectation that if you want to be successful, then you need to be multifaceted. Katie highlighted how it is only worth having multiple accounts if you post different things on them, and if it makes sense for the type of content you post.
‘There is no point having a new account where you just post the same thing you do on every single other account. Because social media is changing, you really need to curate your content for each platform’. Circling back to enjoying what you do and the need to be passionate about it, Katie added that she understands the pressure that is on creators, however you should only be present on platforms you enjoy posting on.
She also has a Twitch account, where she goes live while playing video games, which is why I was curious to know whether it is exhausting keeping up with multiple accounts. ‘Because I do quite different things on each one it doesn’t feel too difficult. Streaming is completely different in my brain, I sort of press stream and then just talk for a few hours and take the content from it and put it on TikTok.’ As a result, Katie successfully manages to categorise what she wants to post on each platform. ‘For me, I have my brain in different sections for each account’, she added.
With the growing number of content creators it can be challenging to create original content nowadays, which is why at the end of our interview, Katie and I also talked about the topic of copying, and how to differentiate whether someone was just taking inspiration from you or has completely taken your content and posted it as their own.
She shared that unfortunately her content has been copied before, without due credit being given, and that in these situations, there isn’t really a right answer. “It’s a fine line between them being inspired and you wanting to feel happy they liked your content but then also being quite sad that they didn’t credit you, which is just such a basic thing”.
To end on a positive note, you can watch a snippet of my interview with Katie, which includes her words of wisdom on content creation.
What is your opinion on this topic? Leave your thoughts in the comments below…