Things I HATE About Booktube| Jes Reads Books 

I really enjoyed this video - you make some great points without being negative or putting anyone else on booktube down (which I have seen in the past - on other people's channels)

I can see the hard work that goes into so many Booktuber videos, whether they have 100,000 subs or 100 subs. I always try to compliment people on the cool stuff they do in their videos, because everyone should be proud of their hard work, whether they do loads of editing or just talk straight into a camera for 10 minutes. Definitely, everyone should be so proud of their work. As a viewer and not a creator, I'm still a bit too chickenshit to put my face on the interwebs, which makes everyone on Booktube rock stars to me. Regarding being afraid to recommend a book you love because you're worried others will hate it, I got one word for you: Invictus. That live chat was painful. Not because everyone didn't like it, because that was totally fine! I loved hearing everyone's thoughts, and it wasn't like it was ripped apart (::coughTheMiniaturistcoughsoawfulcough::). It was that I loved it so much and had talked about it so much, so when everyone wasn't a fan, I was thinking, "Oh, man, they are going to think I am the woooooorst at book recs and have awful taste." It's very intimidating to recommend and talk about a book you love that other people may not. Also, I think a reason I wouldn't be a good Booktuber is because I am mean about books I don't like. Not all books I don't like, but....yeah, there are quite a few incredibly capslocked reviews on my Goodreads list. True story: I watch the subscriber count on my favorite RU-vidrs. And if it's not growing fast enough, I get really irked. Like, these people are amazing, why do they not have 100,000 subscribers? Why is everyone not filling their comments with love and discussion? Is that a mean comment? Oh, I am coming for you... And if I, as a viewer, am paying attention, why WOULDN'T a Booktuber be paying attention and occasionally getting insecure about their channel not growing enough? I watch another RU-vidr with almost 2 million subscribers, and she made a video about how bad she felt that her channel had stagnated and she'd never hit 2 million. Like, if someone with that many subscribers gets insecure, why wouldn't anyone?? ::falls out of chair:: OH MY GOD I LOVE YOU SO MUCH!!! I love that my comment was already eighty five thousand words long before you even mentioned that I do that! Ha! Man, I have been having such a shitty week, and you just made it so much better. Putting yourself out into the universe to be judged on something you love, like talking about books, is so scary. And the things booktubers are judged for (I have seen some of *those* 'Things I hate about Booktube' videos...) are so ridiculous. You know what I hate about Booktube? That videos about books that aren't super hyped at the time don't do well. I feel like a lot of Booktubers won't talk about older books, or non-YA books, because they know it's not what everyone wants to see. And I find that more a problem with the viewers, come to think of it. Why aren't Booktube watchers wanting to see videos about books they've never heard of, but could probably find at a great price because they've been out for years? I mean, my god, you and G have completely wrecked my TBR with your recs of books I've never heard of. Damn you both. WHAT DO YOU MEAN, I LEAVE LONG COMMENTS?! 😂😂 ::scurries away::

YES to so much of this. I'm still a teeny tiny channel and my production equipment is literally my phone and windows movie maker, but I'm still DAMN proud every time I sit down and film something to put out into the world. More than time and effort, even, I think that takes guts to bare yourself to strangers. And anyone who judges others for wanting to get ready to film has obviously never tried to exist as a woman on the internet before. You SHOULD be proud of ~3k. That's not a small number -- each sub is an actual human person who checks in on your content!!! that's really hecking cool!!! -- and I'm so glad you talked about this because it is important. I think it ties into the first thing you said about people being overly humble about their content; most of the booktubers I know about/have seen are women, and I think there's this expectation that women downplay their achievements and not be ambitious... OR ELSE. I don't think it's arrogant at all to acknowledge and be proud of the work it takes to build a platform, and I'm glad that the overall community is getting more vocal about that! This video wasn't really negative at all! I think you brought up some really important points to think about :)

“People not finding value in you does not invalidated you” Consider that stolen! Such a true and positive statement, especially for small content creators. Thanks Jes!

Honestly, it's the only good "things I hate about booktube" video that I've ever seen. This was the most honest and constructive one of these and it wasn't made to start drama. And we really don't need that much drama on booktube! I've been silently watching your channel for while now and really do appreciate the content and the frequency with which you update. I can barely post a video a week, it's not easy at all.

Girl this video is on point!!! I was hand clapping and head nodding yes the whole time. I am so one of those people who wear makeup for my videos and just recently started buying cute shirts to wear because I wanted to look super nice on camera and I am also one of those people who filmed three or four videos in one day to fit my schedule so why can't I look nice even if you can obviously tell it's still just makes me feel good about my videos. I love what you said about everybody either having to like the same book or hate the same book it's the same thing with the "disclaimers" in the beginning of the video what we should value most in this community is that we all have different opinions just because you didn't like the book doesn't make it an awful book it just wasn't your cup of tea. I was also one of those people who was frustrated that my channel wasn't growing I was on here for 2 years and couldn't get a hundred subscribers to save my life but once I started reaching out to other smaller RU-vidrs and stating that hey I have a channel that discuss what you're talking about go check it out without being pushy about it next thing I know I was getting shot out the recommendations also and my channel started growing which made me feel so great because you're right we do put a lot of time effort in our videos and we don't want to feel like we're speaking to no one. Great video new subscriber here!

You covered a lot of points that I hadn't thought about until watching this video. I was looking up things people disliked about BookTube and yours popped up. Most people talk about the same things over and over, but this was the first video that brought up something new and interesting and something that made me sit and actually think back on all the videos I've watched recently from BookTube. Great video!

I found this video really interesting. I've been making videos for almost three years now and have seen a lot of back and forth on some of these topics. What I liked most about this is that you're steadfast in where you stand but not obtrussive to possible counter statements. I agree with a lot of this, particularly in seeing channel growth and stagnation. Seeing numbers go up and down can really effect someone's mindset even when they're in the community just for the sake of talking about our favorite books! Really well put together and I can't wait to see some of your other content! :)

What a great video and I definitely agree with you on putting people don't for wearing the same makeup but changing clothes. I swear people don't come to BookTube for fashion advice or makeup inspiration. I recently got a comment saying that I should change up my hairstyles because for like 6 videos straight I wore a low bun as my hair was bugging me for a couple weeks and that's literally all they said, even though I was talking about books. I just don't understand it and also if people like getting dressed up for videos let them, it's literally them in a snapshot, forever on the internet so of course they want to look their best. People should celebrate their milestones, I love it when people get excited about their growth, it makes me so happy

i agree with a lot of the things you said -- I'm super new to booktube, just started, and even thought my channel is TINY right now, I'm SUUUUPER excited to watch it grow or whenever I gain a new subscriber! (I just subscribed to you, btw. Nice to meet you!)

Channel growth is something that I am really struggling with lately. I've been on Booktube for 4 years, and for literally the last year and a half my subscriber count has plateaued. I love the people that watch my videos and engage with me, and I've made awesome friends, but you're right, there is something just so upsetting to see that I just can't get past the same number I've been seeing for months and months. Like, what is it that I'm doing wrong? How come people don't like my videos? I don't feel invalidated as a person, but as a content creator I do sometimes question what I'm doing here. So thank you for talking about that!

I absolutely love this video! You hit home for me so much and while you were tackling not so great things about booktube I think you did it so professionally and positively.

This is such a great video! I couldn’t agree more about people not needing to feel guilty about being excited for channel growth. I had no idea that was even a thing (I just don’t care to get involved in any twitter drama about something hats supposed to be a fun creative outlet)! And I also think people should be less defensive about having differing opinions on books. We’re all different people with different experiences and that’s what makes the world an interesting place 😸

This is such a great honest discussion Jes! I find the longer I'm in the blogosphere/booktubing that the more things frustrate me as well. I find like we're always criticised for everything we want to do, whether we are excited about our subs, or get ready for our channels (not everyone has the luxury to look amazing or presentable without this) or our thoughts on books. I definitely think we are doing a service but sometimes the bad outweighs the good which is frustrating.

Aaaaaand this is why you and your channel remain one of THE most relatable people on this platform!! ❤️❤️

This was such a great video. Thanks for bringing up the topics. I agree so much that it's absolutely okay to be proud of your hard work. So many hours goes into planning, filming. editing etc, so if we can't be proud every time we hit a small milestone there's something completely off in this world. I still have a pretty small channel, and have been growing slowly, but steadily since I started. I've also seen people starting later than me and breeze past me in subscribers count, and I'll be lying if I haven't had an ounce of jealousy when seeing that while still being incredibly happy for them having such great success with their channels.

Yeah this hits home. Especially about channel growth. When you’ve done something for five years and see how you’ve done you do wonder. And I have thought about quitting. But it’s also how it feels to network and meet other creators and finding that balance of wanting to talk to people you like vs using them for numbers. I’ve been doing new things and my last video I talk about my own frustrations and the love my small community have made me happy. I just need to find ways to not let myself down while becoming a better me.

Omg I swear you took the words right out of my mouth (only better said probably!!). I agree with every single thing you said 😬 especially the last point about exposure - I totally agree. I think two things that really help are perseverance and actively networking and looking for that exposure by interacting with the community. Great video!!

I am not a booktuber, but I definitely know what it feels like to be discouraged from putting out videos. My videos barely ever get any attention when others upload similar videos after me, and get way more attention. I admire booktubers with smaller followings who keep putting in the effort to make their channel grow, in fact I just followed a bunch of smaller booktube channels to show my support.

I'm new to booktube as well, but after a little I saw some things... I loved this! Also I love your bookshelf 🙌🏾📚✨💖😍

I really enjoy your discussions and you always make such great points and present them in a really effective way. I got really excited when I hit 100 but I kind of had to ask for it haha and that felt really uncomfortable for me. But I have been really proud of myself for just pushing past my fear to do this. I feel like booktube is one of the most tight knit and supportive communities on RU-vid but for me that can also make it really intimidating. You always see people having their group chats and their friend groups and you kind of wonder if you came into the game too late. I don’t know if that makes sense hahaha but I really like this discussion, and any discussion from you, really 💕

You sounded so eloquent and I completely agreed with every point you made. Just subscribed to your channel- kind of impossible not to after seeing this!

Yes! Particularly about the points surrounding telling others your favourite and least liked books online. I started a bookstagram at the start of this year hoping to talk to other bookish people but I’ve found I’m hesitant to have a strong opinion on books. It is this sense that others will distrust your opinion. 🤨 On the flip side it has given me a chance to finally talk with others about books and for that I wouldn’t give it up 😋 Truly loved this video Jes!

I totally agree with this! I always feel so happy for the booktubers I watch expressing their pride in their content. Unfortunately it doesn’t happen often enough. This was a great video, I am so ready to binge watch some more on your channel 😊

Great video, Jess! Wow, 3000 subscribers? Congrats! 🙂🎉 I haven't been watching Booktube much lately because I haven't been reading, but it was really nice to watch one of your videos again :)

I work part time but when I’m not working I’m chasing my 3 kids around or doing chores around the house so when I film I usually do at least 2-3 videos. Sometimes I’ll change my shirt for each and sometimes I won’t. I also very rarely wear makeup outside of filming so doing those things really helps me get excited about filming. Another point you brought up resonates with me as well (actually all of them but this one in particular) is loving/hating a popular book/s. I never really thought about it. I either loved it, was neutral or hated it and I’m just going to keep it that way. My favorite series of all time is The Others by Anne Bishop, I’ve read some painful and awful reviews but at the end of the day not everyone will love it as much as I do and I’m ok with that. I feel that as a community we’re supposed to be ok with differences in opinions but some people are so quick to say mean/hurtful things. Anyway, sorry this is so long, I appreciate you doing this video :)

I agree with so many of these points! 1. I get sooo nervous recommending a good book around because if they don’t like it, it kinda hurts my feelings, though I know it shouldn’t. 2. Personal recommendations can really make a channel take off! That’s how I found you 😉 3. I hate the negative videos, so discouraging! It takes no thought to be negative, try being objective 😊 4. We should be proud of our content. It takes work and knowing how to accept a compliment is a life skill everyone needs. As always, thanks for the wonderful video!

This is a great video. I agree with your points. Especially with the "pride" aspect of one's hard work in your channel, but also to have pride in your opinion (even if it is unpopular). I have been a lurker on BookTube for nearly 6 years now and I have learned that I did get hurt when someone reviewed a book that I loved and they didn't mesh well with it. Instead of leaving a nasty comment, I looked up other book reviews and watched some positive reviews. Like you said, BookTube is a vast community and it is up to the viewer to find channels that enjoy the same genres.

I was afraid this was going to be one of those negative rants, but all of this was so true and so refreshing. Thank you!

I do agree that having to say a disclaimer at the beginning of a video is stupid to do because we all have different of opinions

The only thing i haven't liked about booktube, ironically, is an editing trend in which clips are needlessly cut between every sentence. Silence is so important, and this discards one of the most unfeigned tools we have to convey emotion through language.

Gret video Jess!!! I think that everyone gets excited about getting more subscribers and their is nothing wrong with that. being proud of your work is normal and nothing to be ashamed about!!!!!

I think my main point that is good and bad about booktube at the same time for me: a lot of times booktube and bookstagram push you to reading books that are just so hyped and especially being a booktuber you feel obliged to read that book, because not knowing anything about makes you a bad booktuber (I hope this makes sense 😅). It is good at the same time, as it opens new genres, new books and new authors and a lot of times these books are worth the hype. I just don’t like feeling pressured 🙈 However, I am just starting, so I’m not sure how my opinion would change on this over time.

I completely agree with your last point about exposure.. I discovered your channel from Sam’s (thoughts on tomes) video and to be honest I likely never would have had it not been for her video. I wish more people would be more proud of the product they put out there.. as a viewer you only see the 6-10 minute video. The end product. So much time and effort went into that and it’s something to be proud of.

I have to agree with you that with so many creators- a lot of videos get lost in cyber space. But, one thing that everyone says is consistency is key.

Just discovered your channel because of this video and what an introduction it was. Love all of your points, thanks for making this.

First of all, I like the new quotes at the beginning of your videos. I can totally tell you put in a lot of work to your channel and not just because you talk about it in vlogs. I don’t like when people apologize for their appearance. If you want to be glamorous in one video and roll right out of bed in another that’s cool with me lol. We should all just do whatever we want and anyone who doesn’t like it doesn’t have to watch. 😊

Completely agree with all of these lovely, especially about being excited at growth. I would also add being judged for promoting your channels. I hate that people look down on other content creators for putting ‘’subscribe to my channel’ in a tweet. It’s insane to me, self promote however you want to! Wonderful discussion x

This is a great video and yes I agree with loving and hating the same book, I usually fall under the unpopular opinion of loved books and I'm hear like not everyone loves the same book! There are books for all of us and everyone likes things differently! 😊

Ive only been doing one video a week and just that one video takes so much time, and is so hard to set apart time for when you have work and life to balance that every single content creator on youtube that puts out consistent content should be so freaking proud of themselves just for putting out that effort.

I don’t understand why people would be upset by your happiness. These people are basically trolls and I find them extremely annoying.

Thanks for this video. I'm a baby Booktuber and I'm so grateful for the handful of people that have subscribed. But it is easy to get discouraged when that seems to plateau. I know a lot of it is about networking and that's not my strength but I'm trying to be better at it. I really enjoy making the videos so hopefully that shows :-)

Thanks for making this video so positive and focusing on give back some love : ) Specially I totally get the part of wearing the same make up but changing clothes. I have a full time job and a very busy week so prefilming it is what works best for me so I try to prefilm several videos in one day if I can. Life is hard XDD

your my favourite booktuber atm !! really love your style & vibe ! 💛

YAAS BUNNY LOVE

People defo should have more pride in their work defo agree. And yes defo the getting ready makes you feel nice and confident and it isn’t up to anyone to judge like why are they concerned about other people’s business. You’re beautiful. I feel like people need to just accept another opinions, positive or negative, as their truth. Being yourself is what makes you unique. Shaming people for growth is just ridiculous.

One thing that really bothers me about Booktube is that I've been on her for 3 years putting effort into it but have under 50 subs... I even made higher quality videos recently and get less views than my more shittier videos when I first started. Thank you for making this point and making feel less discouraged.

wow i know i am late but this mean so much to me. I have a youtube chanell and videos are not very good and i actually wanted to start a book chanell but i dont have many book to do that or havent read a lot of them. But this encourage me to keep going even tough i havent been noticed yet. This video was very motivational for me. Thank you, you just gained a new subscriber.

I don't comment often, but I want you to know I do see and appreciate all the preparation and hard work you put into your videos. When I come to a booktube channel I'm looking for an honest review of the book you read and recommendations for new book to read. It's not important to me how you dress or if you wear makeup, (of course everyone wants to look their best and you always do) I want to be able understand the dialogue and I can with your channel. Please keep up the good work, I look forward to your videos.

Okay, I realize I'm totally late to this party :) and I haven't started a channel yet (but I hope to soon!), but I just wanted to affirm what you mentioned about exposure as it relates to subscribers. I've just discovered a few BTers this week who have apparently been making videos consistently for 5+ years and yet I have *never* seen a video of theirs before. Granted, I don't have the best searching skills, but I also think RU-vid makes it difficult to find channels.

It really bothers me that Booktubers don't appear to use libraries. Yes, I like buying books but I also love going to the library because of its shelves upon shelves of free books.

Hi :) So, I'm new to this whole booktube/bookstagram thing. And I'm actually suprised that one would not criticize books when one really dislikes them. If I were an author, I'd want to know what can be criticized in my book so that I could improve my writing. I honestly don't see why an honest & constructive review done in a way that still respects the work and the author, should be a problem. After all, if everyone starts toning their bright and colorful opinions down to dull beige tones, what's the point of reviewing anymore? And I would love to know, which books you & other booktubers love madeningly, and which one's you criticize and for what. It happens often, that everyone seems to love a book, so I go ahead and read it and them I'm like ?? :D Unsurprisingly, I love the Unpopular Opinions Tag Videos! But I get the excitement & anxiety surrounding recommending your friends a book you love; after al,l on some level it' a pretty personal thing to do. Just one more thing & then I'll stop talking; I understand why people feel the need to, at the beginning of videos in which they criticize something, explain in lengthy sentences that what follows is their opinion. However, I think this is what alienates me most about online communities. I mean, it's booktube. This platform is literally opinions. That's what we're all here for. It's kinda sad, that nevertheless booktubers have to put these little disclaimers at the beginning of their videos because some people just don't get it. :/ Anyway, it's amazing how much work you're putting into your channel! *insert clapping emoji here* That's definetely something to be proud of! =D

I agree with your overall statement about people finding value and worth in themselves and others. It is so hard in a place where there are hundreds if not thousands of people in one community INSIDE a greater community that is RU-vid. I think all niche communities fall prey to this. I almost wish you could have hashtags or some sort of way to find smaller people easier. Because all opinions are valuable, and the fact that so many people's are hidden doesn't mean they aren't worth it. I also find people judging others for their appearance SO annoying. I am a person who wears next to no makeup. Ever. But that doesen't mean I can't admire the people who find makeup a creative outlet and put on a full face every day. I think people should stop judging other people from their own values and start expanding their world views.

Hi I know I’m kind of late to the party, but I’ve been thinking a lot of about channel growth and exposure lately.. I felt guilty for being bummed about my channel not growing quickly or about not feeling seen or heard. I felt like if I focused on how many views I had or subscribers I was getting then I would seem insincere about my place here on booktube or as if I was just doing it FOR views or something. And that’s stupid and isn’t the case and I’m glad that there are other people in the community who put it out there that it’s okay to care about those things 💛

I really appreciate the content of this video. You've given me a lot of insight into how you do your channel. I think its really interesting that you wear makeup only when you film. I don't wear makeup normally either and I've been considering whether I should when I film. I thought maybe I shouldn't because am I being fake? But then all of the successful youtubers look perfect (I think) in most of their videos. I really liked hearing that it's something that people do, and that it's ok. If you know what I mean.

Spot on with people having to defend their viewpoints on whether they liked or disliked a book. Ali from HardbackHoarder made a comment that she didn't enjoy a Rainbow Rowell book and she got crucified for it. It's ridiculous. It's like, if someone has a differing opinion, it's a cardinal sin. We're all readers here and we should feel free to express our opinions. I think it really only matters that we're reading books in the first place. When we read, we're discovering new worlds, characters, and ideas. Just picking up a book and reading is an amazing feat in itself; we should be free to share our thoughts and opinions regarding what we read. We all need to love and support one another through each literary journey.

I agree with pretty much all of your points. Especially with the whole modesty thing. I feel like especially with women, we are kind of socialised not to be too proud about the things we do, so we don't come across as vain, so there's a pressure to kind of tone it down even if you are feeling super proud of a thing. I feel like we should encourage each other to take the credit where credit is due. If you come up with an awesome video idea, shout it out from the roof tops. If you nailed that editing, it's perfectly okay to say so. And so forth.

So the crazy thing about this is that I'm scared to read books that other people love and hate them? Like I feel like a terrible reader if I don't love something you/other reviewers I trust loved.

I'm loving this video so much, especially the judging & sub #s... I don't understand why some people would judge others for something that has absolutely no relation to them...they do it because they love it; they don't hurt anyone by doing it, but still they get judged heatedly for it...as for the sub #s, I used to fret over them but I haven't been consistent in my uploading (have been a booktuber almost a year now) because of mental issues that made me undesiring of filming, but I'm currently doing better and will try to be more regular in my updating; so, I don't really think I have the right to be upset that I don't have that many subs because I haven't been uploading in months...also, now I'm very happy with the # I have...to me it's filming and uploading videos about things I love (books), and as much as I'm doing it for others, I'm doing it for me...so, once a person gets over the insecurity it gets better...

I wrote a long comment but my computer froze and deleted it so I'm just gonna say I agree with pretty much everything you said. You're the best.

I just came across your channel and, after watching this video (which I loved), I subscribed! Totally agree with your point of view. Have a great day :)

I had to approach Booktube and starting my channel in a personal way. I wanted a creative outlet to allow me a chance to connect with others. I try to see it as something I do for myself and that as long as I’m happy with the content I create then to keep going. So far this has worked for me and I actually really enjoy sending my husband the link and us chatting about it. I have approached it this way as due to my ill health etc I know that things can really have a strong impact on me and stress is something that can set off my anxiety. I think I just made my channel so that I could try to challenge myself to do something bold and to remind myself that I am more than just my illness.

YES JES!! Loved this video and all of your opinions! Totally agree with what you had to say

I 100 % agree!!! You are such a precious cinnamon role!!! Everyone should feel worth doing what makes them happy!!!😘

As an author, can I say that when you encounter my book I want to know what you liked, but I also want to know what you didn't like. How else am I going to get better if everything around me is praise? I'm sorry for all the book reviewers who have been attacked by offended authors. We need thicker skins. 👏🏿👏🏿👏🏿 People are allowed to be upset that their channels are not growing 👏🏿👏🏿👏🏿Thank you for saying that. It's okay for people to wonder so they can either change what they're doing to improve their content. 3 videos a week?! I aspire!

I agree with everything you said in this video and I am so glad you made this video. I feel like everything you said needs to be said! :)

I think this is why I get mad at subscribers who are rude and mean, just because the Booktuber views a book differently. I get super offended when I see mean/rude comments on Booktubers who I follow. I feel everyone should support each other and chill if they don't feel they same way over a book. After all, NO ONE reads the same book, because everyone reads differently and views it differently as well.

That was a solid quote the beginning of your video :)

I agree with you on all of these. I've been considering starting a channel as part of a way to try & grow my author platform, but my fears & insecurity are holding me back. "Who wants to watch an average looking 40yr old when there are all of these fresh, beautiful young faces already here?" I think whoever was bitching about peeps getting ready before filming & being upset when you're proud of your accomplishments sounds pretty damn salty to me & need to check their jealousy at the door.

yep there are a lot of booktube channels, I'm subscribed to so many people and I wanna watch all of their videos but sometimes I just don't have enough time!

I thought this was actually really thoughtful! Great video! ❤️

There's one booktuber I used to like, but she became so negative about absolutely everything that I'm glad she doesn't upload often anymore. She would do unhaul videos and toss the books on the floor and complain about publishers sending her books that she isn't interesting in. I thought it was so rude she would damage them when someone else would love to have them.

IS THAT AN EDITION OF SPACE BOY IN THE BACKGROUND?! IS IT SIGNED?! 😱😱😱😱😱😱😱😱 OMG HELLO NEW FRIEND!!!

If I see a book on Book tube that I have read but not keen on I will just say that it wasn't for me.

Yes!!!!

Whoa. A booktuber I actually click with.

I love your channel and this is the first time i have seen a vid from you but i just waned to let you know that you are not nothing and you are going to pop up in a lot of peoples suggestion box one day and you are now to

damn. i agree with everything

This video makes me subscribe to you.