Curtin University Security Classification: PUBLIC CRICOS Provider Code 00301J Version Date: 25/10/21 School of Humanities BookTube and the publishing industry: A study of the commercial relationship between YouTube content creators and publicists Kirsty Horton 20043865 This thesis is presented for the Degree of Master of Arts of Curtin University October 2021 Curtin University Security Classification: PUBLIC CRICOS Provider Code 00301J Version Date: 25/10/21 Table of Contents ABSTRACT ........................................................................................................................................... 1 INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................................................. 2 LITERATURE REVIEW ..................................................................................................................... 4 U NDERSTANDING THE B OOK T UBER : C ONTENT C REATED ON B OOK T UBE .......................................... 4 R ESEARCH INCIDENTALLY DEALING WITH B OOK T UBE ....................................................................... 7 F OREIGN LANGUAGE B OOK T UBE ...................................................................................................... 10 B OOK T UBE AND BOOK PUBLISHING .................................................................................................. 11 C ONCLUSION ..................................................................................................................................... 16 METHODOLOGY .............................................................................................................................. 17 I NTERVIEWS ....................................................................................................................................... 17 Interviewing BookTubers ............................................................................................................. 17 Interviewing Publicists................................................................................................................. 19 Participation and risks................................................................................................................. 20 S URVEYS ........................................................................................................................................... 21 A NALYSIS .......................................................................................................................................... 23 C ONCLUSION ..................................................................................................................................... 23 FINDINGS............................................................................................................................................ 25 S URVEY ............................................................................................................................................. 25 Sourcing books ............................................................................................................................. 25 Reading preferences..................................................................................................................... 28 BookTube content preferences ..................................................................................................... 31 BookTube-related purchasing decisions ...................................................................................... 39 BookTube engagement preferences ............................................................................................. 42 Conclusion: Survey ...................................................................................................................... 45 I NTERVIEWS ....................................................................................................................................... 47 Content creation........................................................................................................................... 48 Publisher’s expe ctations .............................................................................................................. 55 Challenges in the working relationship ....................................................................................... 65 Conclusion: Interviews ................................................................................................................ 69 CONCLUSION .................................................................................................................................... 72 REFERENCES .................................................................................................................................... 75 Curtin University Security Classification: PUBLIC CRICOS Provider Code 00301J Version Date: 25/10/21 List of Figures F IGURE 1: T HE PLACES WHERE B OOK T UBE AUDIENCE MEMBERS TYPICALLY SOURCE THEIR BOOKS .............................. 26 F IGURE 2: W HERE B OOK T UBE AUDIENCE MEMBERS SOURCE THE MAJORITY OF THEIR BOOKS .................................... 27 F IGURE 3: G ENRE PREFERENCES OF B OOK T UBE AUDIENCE MEMBERS ................................................................... 29 F IGURE 4: C ONTENT VIEWING PREFERENCES ON B OOK T UBE OF AUDIENCE MEMBERS .............................................. 31 F IGURE 5: L ENGTH OF VIDEO PREFERRED BY B OOK T UBE AUDIENCE MEMBERS . ....................................................... 33 F IGURE 6: I F BOOK COMPARISONS BY B OOK T UBERS ARE HELPFUL TO AUDIENCE MEMBERS WHEN CHOOSING TO READ A BOOK . ............................................................................................................................................. 36 F IGURE 7: T HE EXTENT TO WHICH MERCHANDISE RELEVANT TO A BOOK AND FEATURED IN A B OOK T UBE VIDEO INCREASES THE APPEAL OF THE BOOK TO THE AUDIENCE MEMBER . ............................................................................. 37 F IGURE 8: A WARENESS OF HOW MANY A USTRALIAN B OOK T UBERS AUDIENCE MEMBERS SUBSCRIBE TO . ..................... 38 F IGURE 9: T YPES OF CONTENT THAT HAVE INSPIRED BOOK PURCHASES BY B OOK T UBE AUDIENCE MEMBERS . ................ 40 F IGURE 10: I F THE STAR RATING A B OOK T UBER GIVES A BOOK INFLUENCES AUDIENCE MEMBERS ’ DECISION TO READ THAT BOOK . ............................................................................................................................................. 40 F IGURE 11: L IKELIHOOD OF AUDIENCE MEMBERS PURCHASING A BOOK IF A B OOK T UBER RATES IT 3 STARS OR LESS . ..... 42 F IGURE 12: H OW OFTEN AUDIENCE MEMBERS SEARCH FOR B OOK T UBERS ON OTHER PLATFORMS . ............................ 43 F IGURE 13: H OW OFTEN AUDIENCE MEMBERS USE B OOK T UBERS ’ AFFILIATE LINKS . ................................................ 45 F IGURE 14: M OST VIEWED VIDEOS ON B OOK T UBE CHANNELS . ........................................................................... 48 F IGURE 15: F ACTORS DETERMINING WHAT CONTENT IS PRODUCED EACH WEEK ...................................................... 50 F IGURE 16: A VERAGE NUMBER OF UNFINISHED READING COPIES SENT OUT BY A USTRALIAN PUBLICISTS . ..................... 53 F IGURE 17: A VERAGE NUMBER OF FINISHED READING COPIES SENT OUT BY A USTRALIAN PUBLICISTS . ......................... 54 F IGURE 18: K EY FACTORS THAT DETERMINE USEFULNESS OF REVIEWERS TO A USTRALIAN PUBLICISTS . ......................... 55 F IGURE 19: W HEN PUBLICISTS WANT TO RECEIVE THE MAJORITY OF REVIEWS . ....................................................... 58 F IGURE 20: A USTRALIAN PUBLICISTS ’ EXPECTATIONS OF CONTENT PRODUCED WHEN SENDING SOLICITED REVIEW COPIES ...................................................................................................................................................... 60 F IGURE 21: A USTRALIAN PUBLICISTS ’ EXPECTATIONS OF CONTENT PRODUCED WHEN SENDING UNSOLICITED REVIEW COPIES . ........................................................................................................................................... 61 List of Tables T ABLE 1: A WARENESS OF A USTRALIAN VERSUS INTERNATIONAL AUDIENCE MEMBERS OF THE NATIONALITY OF THE B OOK T UBERS THEY WATCH . ................................................................................................................ 38 T ABLE 2: M OST TIME - CONSUMING VERSUS LEAST TIME - CONSUMING VIDEOS FOR A USTRALIAN B OOK T UBERS TO PRODUCE ......................................................................................................................................... 50 T ABLE 3: C OMPARISON OF EXPECTATION DIFFERENCES REGARDING TIMING OF REVIEWS FOR SOLICITED VERSUS UNSOLICITED COPIES . ......................................................................................................................... 61 Curtin University Security Classification: PUBLIC CRICOS Provider Code 00301J Version Date: 25/10/21 1 Abstract This thesis explores how BookTubers collaborate with publishing houses in Australia to encourage the BookTubers ’ audiences to purchase books. The thesis discusses the background of this topic — including the rise of BookTube in the last decade — identifies a gap in research on the influence of BookTube as a publicity tool within Australian publishing and analyses the impact of current practices. The thesis describes 4 main methods for conducting this research. Firstly, by conducting a literature review and demonstrating a gap in research. Secondly, by examining audience engagement by surveying audience members of BookTube. Thirdly, by conducting interviews to investigate the nature of the working relationship between Australian BookTubers and publicists. Finally, by analysing autoethnographic research of the engagement of the researcher’s BookTube channel in publicity. The free nature of BookTube publicity makes it a powerful marketing tool in the book industry, and the Australian perspective has been underrepresented in research thus far. This thesis aims to clarify expectations between BookTubers and publicists and seeks to identify the value of using BookTube as a publicity tool. Results indicate the preferences of BookTube audience members, such as preferred video length, content type and number of books featured per video. Challenges are discussed, such as communication and discovery via YouTube that currently limit the potential of the working relationship between BookTubers and publicists. Thus, this research contributes to academic discourse on the role of BookTubers as a publicity tool within Australia, as well as providing valuable market research to publishing houses. Curtin University Security Classification: PUBLIC CRICOS Provider Code 00301J Version Date: 25/10/21 2 Introduction In the early 2010s, a niche area of YouTube became dedicated to discourse surrounding literature and was soon after referred to as ‘ BookTube ’ . There is content for any reader, across multiple languages — most notably English, French, Italian and Spanish — and content spans from book reviews to other types such as ‘ hauls ’ , ‘ read- alongs ’ , ‘ TBRs ’ and ‘ wrap-ups ’ (Perkins, 2017, p. 353). This online space soon became known to publishing houses who have striven to utilise BookTube as a form of publicity through collaboration with content creators. However, the nature of BookTube is ever-changing, and so it is difficult to pin down stable understandings of how to harness it as a tool. Yet, publicists are aware that networks such as these can significantly impact book sales, but a lack of available research results in guesswork to determine best practices between BookTubers and publicists. A 2005 study explored the collective knowledge on the correlation between exogenous ‘ shocks ’ and book sales, exploring foundational ideas that the formation of a network between people is an integral element in propagating opinions that influence book sales (Deschatres & Sornette, p. 1). One year later, Chevalier and Mayzlin addressed a gap in research on the topic of books sales and online user reviews, noting that there was no literature drawing a connection between them, despite suspicions that there was important interplay here (2006, p. 354). However, over 10 years later, a 2017 study echoed similar conclusions, stating that there was ‘ considerable scope ’ for further research on new platforms, such as BookTube, about book culture (Throsby et al., 2017, p. 32). By 2019, Spanish academic José M. Tomasena conducted some of the most thorough research yet on this topic, focussing 3 on Spanish-speaking BookTube, but confirmed that the alleged gap in research still existed by stating ‘ that research about BookTubers is relatively scarce ’ (Tomasena, 2019, p. 5). It is evident that in over a decade since the initial development of BookTube, research is lagging behind in determining its commercial role within publicity for the book industry. The importance of knowing the intricacies of how this relationship works is paramount to the financial elements of running a publishing house. Aside from maximising sales profits, publicity does come with some costs, such as ‘ the cost of providing books or other materials for bloggers ’ (Nelson, 2006, p. 10). For an industry with tight budgets, knowing the most effective use of these materials could reduce wasted time, effort and money. Additionally, Cisco predicts that video will make up 79% of all mobile traffic by 2022, which highlights the importance of harnessing YouTube in publicity (Parker, 2021). The ever-changing nature of influential forces for book-purchasing necessitates continual research to address new elements that play a significant role within this system. BookTube is one of these influential forces dictating the purchasing habits of consumers as it is an integral intermediary between publishers and consumers. The granularity of this topic has allegedly been neglected in research thus far, consisting primarily of research on what defines the concept of BookTube, and only some examples of specific research, such as that conducted on Spanish-speaking BookTube. This project will analyse the Australian perspective, it will also consider how BookTube can be better used to inspire sales, boost audience engagement and provide clarity on the BookTuber-publicist dynamic. 4 Literature Review There is a gap in research on how the relationship between BookTuber and publisher functions within the book industry. This review is divided into 4 thematic categories that demonstrate this relationship within the literature reviewed. These themes are: understanding the BookTuber, foreign language, incidental research with a broader focus and specific research about BookTube and publishing. While much of this literature does not solely focus on the commercial relationship between BookTube and the publishing industry, this review will consider the relevant parts of the literature in great detail. Additionally, this will demonstrate the gap in research that this thesis aims to fill. Understanding the BookTuber: Content Created on BookTube This section will look at research that aims to define ‘ BookTube ’ , the nature of its participatory culture and who the content creators are. The research varies in length, from short documents to a PhD, but the commonality between this research is that the primary focus is never on the commercial role of BookTube. However, it is useful for this thesis as it helps to define the broader context of BookTube. In particular, it helps to capture the limited and often education-specific lens through which contemporary research is conducted, and once again shows the need for more in-depth studies to be conducted from a commercial perspective. Many studies conducted thus far on BookTube aim to serve as an introduction for those unfamiliar with the community, some only a handful of pages long. Common features in these types of research are break-downs of common vocabulary (such as ‘ readathon ’ or ‘ ARC ’ ) as well as the types of videos that one would typically see on BookTube (Anderson, 2020; Ehret et al., 2018). Many of these are of an investigative 5 nature to understand viewers ’ responses to the videos being made. Notably, a study conducted by Ehret et al. (2018) focussed on analysing the researchers ’ own responses to the videos they studied. Perkins (2017) offers a 5-page concise overview of the structure of BookTube through brief lists of the types of content, a small section listing notable BookTubers from the United States of America (USA) and a short look at communities dedicated to books on other social media platforms. The article does little more than discuss the popular American niche of BookTube, but it helps to construct an idea of people ’ s understanding of what BookTube was in 2017. Meanwhile, a PhD study completed in 2020 explores in more depth the concept of what BookTube is through ethnographic research as well as focus group interviews with 3 BookTubers (Anderson, 2020). This study is considerably longer than all other research in this section, however it is dedicated to understanding the concept of BookTube, and the machinations of how and why content is created, rarely aligning with the commercial focus of this thesis. Hence, it is grouped with other research that also defines BookTube but does not provide deep analysis on its role in book publicity. Both Perkins (2017) and Anderson (2020) describe BookTubers as a type of microcelebrity, and that those enjoying the attention of publishers have the privilege of free products and brand-building opportunities. Both Anderson (2020) and Ehret et al. (2018) spend significant portions of their research (though their research greatly varies in length) discussing the educational value of BookTube, rather than its commercial value. However, the research also raises awareness that it is not always enjoyable being a ‘ prosumer ’ due to problems arising from this microcelebrity status (Anderson, 2020, p. 2). Some questions are raised over the feasibility of the participatory culture of BookTube, in terms of what privileged microcelebrity-status 6 BookTubers are afforded that their audiences are not (Perkins, 2017). Additionally, pressures that BookTubers face in lieu of their microcelebrity status could diminish the original enjoyment of participating in this community (Anderson, 2020, p. 141). One key issue raised in Perkins ’ s (2017) article is the over-representation of socially and ethnically privileged BookTubers as the ones most likely to work with publishers in the promotion of books. This ties into other problems raised, such BookTubers who can invest in a time-consuming hobby that usually produces no financial gains. Anderson ’ s more in-depth research elaborates on this topic, asserting that socially and ethnically privileged individuals will therefore be more able to participate in this community as prosumers. This is due to the fact that even though they are not earning money, they have the resources available to build their brand, which ‘ allows a BookTuber to successfully monetize his or her channel in the future ’ (Anderson, 2020, p. 144). Furthermore, there is also geographic privilege to be considered. This is seen largely within the USA and the United Kingdom (UK), whose populations dominate the online space of these creators, often causing Australian creators, for example, to be difficult to find in their minority. The book industry is a global market, but publishers are likely to seek out local BookTubers who align with their product to gain the benefit of ‘ free or low-cost publicity through word-of-mouth advertising directly between users interested in their products ’ (Anderson, 2020, p. 140). But publishers and audience members are unable to filter their YouTube searches to show Australian-only creators which hinders Australian BookTubers’ ability to grow. 7 The research discussed in this thematic category defines aspects of BookTube, such as what is needed to become a BookTuber (the setting, video openings, vocabulary needed, etc.), but this research does not consider the commercial relationship between BookTube and the publishing industry. From this research, an increased awareness of how the community functions in relation to reading practices is gained. Research incidentally dealing with BookTube To understand the relationship between BookTube and the publishing industry, this thesis provides an overview and analysis of brief references made to this topic. This is due to the gap in research on this topic resulting in a limited number of topic- specific research articles. The following discussion therefore focuses on research that incidentally deals with BookTube. Firstly, Nelson (2006) addresses an important aspect of publicity, which is understanding the ‘ buzz ’ that word-of-mouth creates through social media platforms. The focus of this research is on the increasing importance of blog reviews during the rising popularity of the ‘ blogosphere ’ . However, the discourse relating to the power of online reviews can be applied to the study of any social media platform, such as YouTube. Nelson outlines 2 key areas of online communication of which publishers should be cautious: that creating ‘ buzz ’ is to engage with a conversation out of the control of the publishers, and that with ever-decreasing attention spans, it ’ s important to engage with influencers who genuinely want to interact with their books (Nelson, 2006, p. 11). The importance of the latter has only increased as time has passed, and there is an increasing challenge to capture influencers ’ attention so they contribute meaningful content and create ‘ buzz ’ 8 Secondly, a 2010 study established that the literary consumer ’ s sense of value in the opinions of official reviewing mediums, such as journalism, was declining in favour of that of online content creators (Tian & Martin, p. 158). This research focusses on the risks and impacts of the Australian book industry ’s transition into the digital sphere, considering both digital reading formats and online sales. Tian and Martin ’ s research opens up the conversation of the burgeoning prospects of a truly participatory culture online, which saw BookTube take power from publishers and place it into the hands of users and their own networks (Tian & Martin, 2010, p. 155). The ideas that Tian and Martin discuss complement those of Nelson, in that there is a strong suggestion that publishers need to start ‘ listening ’ to influencers on social media to spot trends — which is different to pre-social media eras where trend- spotting was more complex and less accessible in its nature (Nelson, 2006, p. 9). Furthermore, by 2015 a Publisher ’ s Weekly article discussed publishers ’ shift in focus from publicity in the form of the online written word, such as blogs, to newer forms of expression on platforms such as YouTube. Five years after the initial genesis of BookTube, creators were transitioning in the eye of the publisher, as Tian and Martin earlier predicted, as a legitimate source of publicity behind which people could rally in their support of authors and their works. Particularly within the Young Adult (YA) age bracket (14+), BookTube was attracting the same audience that publishers were seeking, as it was determined that ‘ that ’ s where the kids are ’ (Burling, 2015, p. 1). While this article has a BookTube-specific focus, it has been included in this section due to its brevity — it is a work of journalism rather than research. It should also be noted that this article represents a limited understanding of BookTube, as it portrays this community as new even though by 2015 BookTube 9 was well established. Moreover, despite being a work of journalism it is treated akin to academic work by being published in a leading industry publication. Furthermore, a 2017 study of Australian readers confirmed this transition of power from traditional media to online networks, stating that one-fifth of readers found official reviews or literary awards to be important, but that ‘ almost twice as many indicate these factors as being unimportant ’ (Throsby et al., p. 18). This study also found that 31% of people engage with books via social media, and that specifically 8.5% of people are accessing BookTube (Throsby et al., 2017, p. 22). This locates BookTube in a place of significance online in terms of the role it plays in distributing opinions and recommendations about books within the Australian online community. It is worth noting that the largest age bracket of readers engaging with BookTube are those under twenty (19%) (Throsby et al., 2017, p. 24). This research highlights the need to understand the reading preferences of those watching BookTube considering the statistics suggest there is a significant captivated audience to be accessed through this platform. This information could provide key information that would guide the content created by BookTubers, and the ways in which Australian publicists engage with BookTubers to promote their products. To summarise, the articles that incidentally deal with BookTube indicate certain trends within reading communities. Firstly, an understanding that BookTubers, rather than publishers, can determine what books are publicised and therefore which ones are read. Secondly, research establishes that it is necessary for publishers to harness the use of social media to get their books out to this online community of passionate readers. The literature reviewed in this section indicates a lack of comprehension as to the full extent of BookTube ’ s power to be used as a tool by publishers to better promote their products and engage with readers. The incidental nature of the 10 mentions indicates a gap in research on this topic and a need to explore the full potential of BookTube as a publicity tool. Foreign language BookTube Having established the limited amount of research specifically dealing with BookTube and the publishing industry, this thesis will next consider foreign language research, particularly Spanish- and German-speaking nations, that deals more specifically with the nature of BookTube. However, it must be noted that even then research still draws conclusions about BookTube ’ s role within the education scene as opposed to the commercial scene. While this is the most current research, it contributes little to the English-speaking world ’ s understanding of the relationship between publisher and BookTuber. This section will highlight the need for similar, and more in-depth, research to be conducted in English. Four recent studies between 2019 and 2020 were published in Spanish and German discussing significant ways that BookTube impacts and alters people ’ s reading habits (Brendel-Perpina & Barbara, 2019; Contreras Pulido et al., 2019; de la Torre- Espinosa, 2020; Prado Alves Silva, 2020). This research is more readily available in these languages than in the English language, but it focusses on understanding consumer preferences and not how to deliver books to the right consumers using BookTubers as intermediaries. Four key themes can be identified from these texts: developing skills beyond school, identifying reading practices, identifying reading preferences and the participatory nature of BookTube. Firstly, there is BookTube ’ s role as a place to develop literary analysis skills beyond school (Contreras Pulido et al., 2019). This research indicates that people are left to develop their own literary skills after school and that 11 BookTube can act as a guide to aid people, portraying the commercial value of BookTube. Secondly, German research analyses BookTube ’ s worth as an interest- based community that promotes conversation mostly among young adults and teens, before ultimately focussing on its use to understand German learning practices (Brendel-Perpina & Barbara, 2019). Once again, this research follows suit in its preference to examine BookTube ’ s value from an educational perspective. Thirdly, Spanish research conducted in 2020 questions BookTube ’ s use for understanding the reading preferences of those studying at university (de la Torre- Espinosa, 2020). This study highlights how BookTube promotes a participatory culture among readers, but contrarily notes the amateur nature of BookTube to be one of its drawbacks. In this sense, this article analyses the community value of BookTube without evaluating the value of amateur reviews in a commercial sense. Finally, a second Spanish study conducted in 2020 focusses on what BookTube can reveal about the multifarious reading practices of consumers (Prado Alves Silva, 2020). This study analysed comments made on BookTube videos to better understand the Spanish-speaking community ’ s reading preferences. Once again, this follows the theme of understanding the consumer, but does not consider the commercial relationship between the BookTuber and publisher in any real sense. Therefore, it can be concluded that there is greater coverage of research about BookTube in foreign languages, but that this research does not address BookTube’s commercial role. BookTube and book publishing This final section will now look at the few instances where in-depth research has been conducted with a specific purpose of analysing BookTube ’ s commercial role in 12 the relationship between publishers and consumers. The extremely limited pool of research — most notably that done in English by a foreign language academic — highlights the need for more research to be conducted in order to better understand this phenomenon. Research in this section looks at how publishing is an ever- changing industry, particularly as it is involved with the online world which often inspires quick change and the need to adapt industry methods on a frequent basis. This section supports the need of this thesis to increase the knowledge on this topic and highlight the need for more to be done. Negotiating collaborations by José M. Tomasena José Tomasena conducted research on the BookTube phenomenon within Spanish- speaking BookTube in 2019. He explored autoethnographic and reflective methods by creating a BookTube channel himself and networked with other BookTubers to understand their experience. Through interviews, Tomasena engaged in discourse that provided clarity and revealed trends in the ways that BookTubers negotiate collaborations with publishing houses and other interested parties. Tomasena ’ s research labels BookTubers as ‘ key players ’ in the publishing industry and analyses how they negotiate collaborations with publishers that attract readers through digital platforms (Tomasena, 2019, p. 1). The research also explores the transference of capital that BookTubers gain through these practices into other cultural industries. A central theme to the research is that ‘ the battle for attention is not a secondary issue for publishers; it is one of its core problems ’ , which acts as a key motivator to Tomasena ’ s research (2019, p. 3). The study is most closely related to the purpose of this thesis: to understand how this online community works within a commercial setting. 13 According to this study, in 2019 the average print run (number of books printed for a single title) was 2,749 copies, which has decreased from pre-internet eras (Tomasena, 2019, p. 3). It discusses the underpinning motivation for publicists to find reviewers as coming from an acute need to increase a book ’ s exposure through the world wide web, with the need ‘ to create “ buzz ” [which is] key for promotion, especially if the publisher paid a high advance for a book ’ (Tomasena, 2019, p. 7). This research is highly relevant and useful as it explores the navigational methods of Spanish-speaking BookTubers in determining which books and promotional material to accept for review from publishers. This links into the purpose of this project in defining the relationship between BookTubers and publicists in Australia, and determining their potential worth. Furthermore, the research considers the sense of community within BookTube, stating that there is ‘ a strong sense of community, both in the sense of their followers and other BookTubers ’ , emphasising this element as being integral to the creation of BookTube ’ s success in promoting products (Tomasena, 2019, p. 1). This confirms the need for this thesis to also explore the Australian perspective through surveying audience members to ascertain the degree to which BookTubers engage with the literary community. Tomasena ’ s research also offers insight into the criticisms faced by the Spanish- speaking BookTube community. He extrapolates from interviews conducted that there is an underlying pressure to review all books sent to them that BookTubers suffer from. This is as well as exploring other pressures, such as the concept of ‘ habitus ’ where BookTubers feel compelled to understand ‘ what is the game about ... and what they have to do ’ (Tomasena, 2019, p. 6). This habitus is seen throughout YouTube as a whole, but Tomasena points out the irony of its place within BookTube, stating that it ‘ is not a great business in economic terms ’ , questioning the 14 need of a content creator to worry about this habitus in the first place (Tomasena, 2019, p. 6). Furthermore, the research also addresses the negative attitudes expressed by traditional reviewers borne from a prejudice against the lack of ‘ intellectual credentials ’ held by BookTubers (Tomasena, 2019, p. 6). To summarise, this study captures the essence of BookTuber s’ worth in concluding that their worth lies within their ‘ social and symbolic capital ’ (Tomasena, 2019, p. 7). Much of Tomasena ’ s study can be used to support trends identified within the Australian BookTube community in this thesis as his research lays down foundational ideas by establishing the need for publishers to engage with social media influencers. The idea of the BookTuber torn between passion and capital value is something this thesis will explore within the Australian BookTube community to understand if it translates across regions and languages, and to understand how these pressures impact BookTube ’ s role within the publishing industry. BookTube and the formation of the young adult canon by Melina Hughes In 2017, a study on American BookTube was conducted which partly explored the influential role of BookTubers within the literary community. This study involved interviewing 8 BookTubers to develop a sense of understanding about how BookTube might consider its place in online literary communities, as well as considering the actual impact creators collectively have on reading habits. Hughes (2017) found similar conclusions to Tomasena ’ s research, stating that ‘ there is still social and symbolic capital being generated through these reviews ’ when reflecting on BookTube ’ s ability to dictate bestsellers among the total population of readers (Hughes, 2017, p. 13). 15 Hughes establishes that many BookTubers, big and small, frequently work with publishers to some degree. She finds that ‘ larger BookTube channels with [sic] have paid promotions or collaborations with publishers, while even smaller BookTubers ... often receive from them ARCs and review copies ’ (2017, p. 8), indicating that reviewing books is the main role that BookTubers play when engaging with publishers. Hughes discusses the importance to remain true the BookTube ethos, which she defines as having ‘ real discussions about books with fellow book-lovers ’ (Hughes, 2017, p. 8). This involves producing honest reviews that establish and maintain trust between BookTubers and their audience members. The ethos of remaining truthful can cause issues within their working relationship with publishers who are fearful of the negative impact of bad reviews, and as Tomasena (2019) suggested, may lead to publishers requesting bad reviews be taken down (p. 7). The research helps to further understand the identity of a BookTuber and how they view their importance as a commercial entity. Drawing from multiple interviews, Hughes establishes that there is a significant degree of self-importance found within individual BookTubers who believe ‘ they had an influence on what books become popular ’ , suggesting that BookTubers are aware that they have commercial influence (Hughes, 2017, p. 13). This study provides useful information in the context of this thesis as it establishes the role of BookTubers from an American perspective and their perceived influence. This is an identity that, due to its dominating presence within even the Australian BookTube audience, is likely to be reflected in the mentality of Australian BookTubers. A large portion of this study, however, focusses on the interrogation of the existence of the ‘ YA canon ’ , which is irrelevant to answering the question posed by this thesis. As such, this research is partially useful in revealing some aspects of 16 the American perspective of BookTubers ’ self-conceived role within the publishing industry, but still leaves much to be addressed in terms of the finer details of this commercial relationship and how this translates to an Australian sample. Conclusion In conclusion, it is clear from the literature reviewed that there is a significant gap in research on the topic of BookTube ’ s commercial role within the Australian publishing industry. It has been established that research exists to understand the nature of BookTube and create discourse on its attributes as an online community of passionate readers. Evidence has also shown that foreign research exists, notably within German- and Spanish-speaking nations, that considers BookTube ’ s role within the educational realm to understand the reading and learning practices of those nations. This review has also focussed on key research incidentally dealing with BookTube ’ s role within the literary scene, both in terms of forming online literary communities to promote reading practices but also creating awareness around the commercial role of the community. Finally, this thesis has established there is limited research that specifically analyses the nature of BookTube ’ s influence within the commercial sphere of the publishing industry. This research considers how this YouTube can be used as a form of amateur reviewing and discourse-generation to promote books at a low-cost level for publishers in order to reach passionate reading communities. The scarcity of this research indicates an acute need for more research on this topic, particularly as it highlights the lack of research conducted on an Australian population. 17 Methodology In order to collect the relevant data, 2 primary methodologies were used. The first method was conducting interviews and the second method was conducting surveys. Analysis of this data was then carried out to determine findings. Interviews There were 2 groups interviewed for this research: BookTubers and publicists. Interviewing is an important methodology for publishing studies research due to the unique form of interaction it invites within the academic realm. As Per Henningsgaard states, Interviews with publishing professionals have the potential to generate ‘authentic’ research questions (in other words, research questions that publishing professionals themselves would like answers to) (Henningsgaard, 2019, p. 671) This indicates that there is much to be gained through conversations conducted through interviews, particularly in relation to this research. It invites discourse from publishing houses about the questions being investigated in this thesis, which has the potential to create opportunities to discuss questions they may have that I had not considered, and that which may