This module is focused on writing technologies, the history of the book, and the future of books and narrative. You will learn about key concepts related to theories and practices of literacies, reading, and information use. You will also be able to define and critically analyze the role of books as objects of text and how the history of the book as a material object and as an agent of intellectual and social change helps us understand contemporary online and multimodal narratives.
You will read articles by Hastreiter, Delemos and Piazza that discuss the future of books and how technology is impacting them.
Activities in this module include
Watch video clip
Digital Literacy Snapshot mini assignment
eClass live Check in
Digital Literacy Snapshot
Description / Instructions:
Assess your digital literacy experiences focusing on how you engage with web communities and online platforms.
Reflect briefly on how these experiences have shaped your digital identity.
Task:
Reflective Narrative: Record a short narrative (no more than 7 minutes; 3 minutes is perfect!) about your digital literacy journey. Include key platforms (like Hotmail, E-Bay, ICQ, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Reddit, etc.) that have been part of your journey and how they've influenced you.
Multimodality: Ensure your video has some voice (you speaking), music or sound effects, images etc…that represent your digital journey.
Post Creation: Publish your video and embed it on the class blog. Title your post "Digital Literacy Snapshot" and tag it with your name. NOTE: you can use any video platform to host your video or simply upload it to the blog.
Reflection: On the blog post, include a brief reflection (1 paragraph) on creating your video of your digital literacy journey.
Assess your digital literacy experiences focusing on how you engage with web communities and online platforms.
Reflect briefly on how these experiences have shaped your digital identity.
Reflective Narrative: Record a short narrative (no more than 7 minutes; 3 minutes is perfect!) about your digital literacy journey. Include key platforms (like Hotmail, E-Bay, ICQ, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Reddit, etc.) that have been part of your journey and how they've influenced you.
Multimodality: Ensure your video has some voice (you speaking), music or sound effects, images etc…that represent your digital journey.
Post Creation: Publish your video and embed it on the class blog. Title your post "Digital Literacy Snapshot" and tag it with your name. NOTE: you can use any video platform to host your video or simply upload it to the blog.
Reflection: On the blog post, include a brief reflection (1 paragraph) on creating your video of your digital literacy journey.
- Hastreiter, N. (2017). What’s the Future of Books, The Future of Everything. Retrieved from: http://www.futureofeverything.io/2017/04/17/future-books/
- Delemos, R. S. (2021, September 13). TikTok for Viral Book Marketing: Self-published authors are increasingly flocking to the platform to market their books. Publishers Weekly, 268(37), 69.
- Gunter, D. (2023). AI, the new frontier - opportunities and challenges: Artificial intelligence is the future for all industries - especially scholarly publishing. Research Information, 4–6. https://login.ezproxy.library.ualberta.ca/login?url=https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=lls&AN=172906330&site=eds-live&scope=site
Here is a link for the 'TikTok for Viral Book Marketing' article in case anyone has issues with the eClass link. :)
ReplyDeletehttps://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/authors/pw-select/article/87337-tiktok-for-viral-book-marketing.html
The references I used are:
ReplyDelete• Balling, G., & Martens, M. (2024). BookTok helped us sell it: How TikTok disrupts publishing and fuels the #Romantasy boom. Convergence: The International Journal of Research into New Media Technologies, 0(0), 1-21. https://doi.org/10.1177/13548565241301271
• Boynton, S. (January 17, 2025). TikTok ban upheld by U.S. Supreme Court. Here’s what could happen next. Global NEWS. https://globalnews.ca/news/10962667/tiktok-ban-upheld-scotus-canada-impacts/
• Delemos, R. S. (2021, September 13). TikTok for Viral Book Marketing: Self-published authors are increasingly flocking to the platform to market their books. Publishers Weekly, 268(37), 69. https://eds-p-ebscohost-com.login.ezproxy.library.ualberta.ca/eds/detail/detail?vid=0&sid=3af75d41-e647-4025-8b20-9651d350bf89%40redis&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWRzLWxpdmUmc2NvcGU9c2l0ZQ%3d%3d#AN=172906330&db=lls
• De Melo, A. (2024). The influence of BookTok on literary criticisms and diversity. Social Media + Society, 10(4), 1-14. https://journals-sagepub-com.tilburguniversity.idm.oclc.org/doi/full/10.1177/20563051241286700
• Gunter, D. (2023). AI, the new frontier - opportunities and challenges: Artificial intelligence is the future for all industries - especially scholarly publishing. Research Information, 4–6. https://login.ezproxy.library.ualberta.ca/login?url=https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=lls&AN=172906330&site=eds-live&scope=site
• Hursh, A. (April 26, 2021). The Library’s Guide to TikTok: The Pros and Cons of Joining One of the Hottest Social Media Platforms. Super Library Marketing. https://superlibrarymarketing.com/2021/04/26/librarytiktok/
• Riley, C. (March 4, 2024). Should You Advertise on BookTok? Pros and Cons. Cailin Riley Books. https://cailinrileybooks.com/2024/03/04/should-you-advertise-on-booktok-pros-and-cons/
• Zabski, H. (February 10, 2023). The Pros and Cons of “BookTok”: Is This Social Media Phenomenon Actually Beneficial? MARIST CIRCLE. https://www.maristcircle.com/opinion/2023/2/10/the-pros-and-cons-of-booktok-is-this-social-media-phenomenon-actually-beneficial
Gunter (2023) notes that scholarly publishing has seen limited development in adopting AI technologies. He emphasizes the need for publishers to embrace AI to remain relevant. One innovative strategy that aligns with staying relevant is incorporating TikTok into book marketing. Delemos (2021) portrays TikTok as a powerful platform for promoting books, emphasizing its ability to drive engagement through entertaining, community-focused content tailored to user interests (Balling & Martens, 2024; Delemos, 2021). However, for this marketing approach to succeed, publishers must avoid directly promoting their products (Balling & Martens, 2024; Delemos, 2021). Additionally, TikTok offers lesser-known authors a unique opportunity to stand out and gain substantial traction (Zabski, 2023). TikTok also provides significant potential for organic audience growth (Hursh, 2021). Barnes & Noble has even dedicated a section to books that went viral on TikTok, highlighting the platform’s powerful impact on book marketing (Zabski, 2023). This left me wondering: if book marketing through TikTok is so effective and the strategies for success are well documented, why aren’t all writers and publishers leveraging it to promote their books? This curiosity led me to explore the potential disadvantages of promoting books on TikTok.
DeleteTo succeed on TikTok a publisher or writer should avoid promoting a book directly. Instead, one must become an active participant in the BookTok community, which requires significant time and effort to create engaging content and build a loyal audience (Hursh, 2021; Riley, 2024). Additionally, TikTok's limited ability to directly link to products makes it challenging to guide users to an author’s product, complicating direct promotion efforts (Hursh, 2021; Riley, 2024). Another challenge is the highly competitive nature of TikTok, where it can be difficult for publishers and writers to differentiate themselves (Riley, 2024). Moreover, TikTok’s algorithm often shows content based on perceived user interests, which may prevent writers and publishers from reaching the intended audience (Delemos, 2021; Hursh, 2021). Lastly, the recent TikTok ban in the U.S. (Boynton, 2025) has significantly reduced the potential audience that publishers and writers can reach through the platform. Despite the disadvantages, TikTok’s unique ability to foster organic growth and connect with a broad audience might still offer enough value for writers and publishers to consider its potential.
Even though TikTok marketing has some disadvantages for authors and publishers, an even greater concern is the biases embedded in TikTok’s algorithm. Data shows that only specific genres receive promotion and growth on the platform (Saxena & Ghose, 2024). This leaves other genres and marginalized authors such as those from LGBTQ+ communities or authors of color, underrepresented (De Melo, 2024; Saxena & Ghose, 2024). This dynamic creates echo chambers that not only reinforce existing biases but may also generate new ones (Saxena & Ghose, 2024). These issues reflect Gunter’s (2023) warnings regarding AI potential to create new biases and reinforce existing ones. This highlights the need for careful evaluation of AI’s role in inclusivity and fairness, especially as the book publishing industry slowly adopts new technologies such as TikTok. An important question to consider is: how can the book publishing industry stay relevant and integrate AI in a way that avoids reinforcing or creating biases?
As we explore the evolution of writing technologies and the book as both a material and cultural object, BookTok offers a perfect lens into the future of narrative circulation and reader engagement. Raquel Shante Delemos highlights how TikTok has transformed book marketing, not just by promoting books, but by reshaping how stories are shared, discovered, and valued in online communities. This shift mirrors a broader transition from print-centric to platform-based literacies, where users co-create meaning through multimodal formats—short videos, reactions, memes, and hashtag trends.
ReplyDeleteThe viral resurgence of titles like We Were Liars (Delemos, 2021) speaks to how TikTok isn’t just promoting books—it’s rewriting the life cycle of a book, echoing the same kind of cultural influence once held by libraries, book clubs, or reviews in print media. Just as the printing press democratized access to ideas centuries ago, BookTok is democratizing who gets to shape literary taste today.
A poignant example of this shift is the recent viral success of author Jonathan Stanley. In early 2024, Stanley was filmed sitting alone at a book signing for his self-published title Purposeful Performance. A TikTok user posted the clip with a supportive caption encouraging others to buy his book. The video quickly went viral, racking up over 75 million views. Within days, Stanley’s book became a bestseller on Amazon and sold out entirely (Rosenbloom, 2024). This story illustrates how contemporary digital platforms, particularly TikTok, now play a direct role in shaping not only the visibility of books but also the social narratives surrounding authorship and readership. It’s a reminder that the future of books lies not just in their content but in their ability to circulate, resonate, and build community online.
References
Delemos, R. S. (2021). TikTok for viral book marketing.
Rosenbloom, A. (2024, March 19). Woman's video of author sitting alone at book signing goes viral — now the book is sold out. People. https://people.com/womans-video-of-author-sitting-alone-at-book-signing-goes-viral-now-the-book-is-sold-out-exclusive-11704537
While Delemos focuses TikTok as a marketing and storytelling platform, Hastreiter advocates for a future where books are increasingly interactive. The hashtag - #BookTok - shows how readers have almost created an immersive book club through TikTok. Hastreiter also envisions a future for books where they can be interactive and customised for readers through AI. It's exciting to see how storytelling is reflecting the notions of readership and literacy. The use of TikTok shows how consumers are no longer passive but participating in the storytelling process. TikTok now acts as a platform for authors to connect directly with readers which can have its pros and cons, owing to the ease of sharing opinions on the app. While the book is the focal point, its function is what is now causing us to move beyond our definitions of storytelling in a digitally hyper world.
ReplyDeleteI found module 2 thoughtfully bridges the historical evolution of books with the future of reading and writing in a digital age. I was particularly intrigued by how the module frames books not only as carriers of content but as social agents physical, cultural, and ideological artifacts that shape literacy and knowledge production. This resonates with Robert Darnton’s “communications circuit” theory, which argues that the lifecycle of a book from author to printer to reader must be understood as a social system shaped by its material conditions (Darnton, 1982).
ReplyDeleteHastreiter’s article pushes this further by imagining how books might evolve in an increasingly digital world. She suggests a hybrid future where physical books maintain cultural value, while digital formats expand accessibility and interactivity (Hastreiter, 2017). This hybridity is echoed in Delemos’ (2021) exploration of TikTok’s role in book marketing. Platforms like BookTok not only shape reader communities but also drive real-world publishing trends, revealing how the “materiality” of books now includes algorithmic visibility and virality.
What I found most compelling, however, is Gunter’s (2023) discussion on AI’s role in scholarly publishing. While AI offers efficiency and personalization, it also raises concerns around intellectual ownership and the erosion of traditional editorial gatekeeping. As we engage with multimodal and AI-generated texts, it’s worth asking: who becomes the “author” when machine intelligence curates or even co-writes our narratives?
This module made me reflect deeply on how my own digital literacy shaped by platforms like Tumblr, Goodreads, and now Substack has altered how I write, share, and value texts. In this sense, the “book” has never just been a container for words, but a living interface between technology, community, and culture.
The historical evolution of the book as both a material and cultural object continues to deeply influence how we conceptualize literacy and narrative in the digital age. Understanding the book’s transformation from handwritten manuscripts to print, and now to digital and multimodal forms reveals how changes in technology reshape not only what we read but how we read and engage with information.
DeleteHistorically, books functioned as repositories of knowledge, tied to fixed authorship and linear reading practices. As Robert Darnton (1982) explains in his model of the “communications circuit,” the book’s materiality, circulation, and reception were central to its cultural power. This model remains relevant as we consider how digital platforms like Wattpad or BookTok not only distribute stories but create feedback loops between readers, writers, and algorithms reshaping the reading experience as interactive and participatory.
Digital narratives now often emphasize multimodality, combining text, image, video, and sound, reflecting a departure from the linearity of print. Yet, the "book" still serves as a conceptual anchor. For instance, eBooks preserve traditional formats even while enabling hyperlinking, interactivity, and AI narration. As Gunter (2023) argues, AI-driven publishing presents both opportunities and challenges, especially around authorship, ethics, and credibility, suggesting that digital literacy must now include the ability to critically evaluate nonhuman contributors to narrative production.
Moreover, the popularity of platforms like TikTok in promoting books (Delemos, 2021) underscores how the identity of the book is increasingly shaped by digital social ecosystems. These environments introduce new gatekeeping mechanisms through algorithms and trends while expanding the reach and diversity of what counts as “literature.”
In sum, historical insights into the book's evolution offer vital context for understanding contemporary digital literacies. Far from being obsolete, the book remains a powerful framework through which we interpret information, even as its form and function continue to evolve in an increasingly multimodal and participatory media landscape.
Reference
DeleteDarnton, R. (1982). What is the history of books? Daedalus, 111(3), 65–83.
Delemos, R. S. (2021, September 13). TikTok for viral book marketing: Self-published authors are increasingly flocking to the platform to market their books. Publishers Weekly, 268(37), 69.
Gunter, D. (2023). AI, the new frontier – opportunities and challenges: Artificial intelligence is the future for all industries – especially scholarly publishing. Research Information, 4–6.
Hastreiter, N. (2017, April 17). What’s the future of books? The Future of Everything. Retrieved from http://www.futureofeverything.io/2017/04/17/future-books/
This module has provided valuable insights into the evolution of books, from their material history to their role in shaping modern literacy and online narratives. The history of the book as an object of text highlights its pivotal influence on intellectual and social change, which is crucial for understanding how books continue to evolve in the digital age. With the rise of technology, books are no longer confined to print but are increasingly becoming multimodal, influencing how we engage with stories and information today.
ReplyDeleteThe readings by Hastreiter, Delemos, and Piazza emphasize the intersection of technology and books, exploring how the digital landscape is transforming the way books are produced, consumed, and marketed. Hastreiter’s article (2017) delves into the future of books, pointing out that advancements in digital technologies are changing the very nature of reading and writing. Delemos (2021) discusses the role of platforms like TikTok in promoting books, particularly for self-published authors, showing how social media is revolutionizing book marketing. Gunter’s (2023) exploration of AI in scholarly publishing highlights how artificial intelligence is shaping the future of publishing, offering both opportunities and challenges.
One key takeaway is the impact of digital platforms and technologies on the traditional book industry, including how they redefine the concept of literacy in an online world. As digital literacy becomes more integrated into our daily lives, platforms and tools that foster interaction and engagement, such as social media and AI-driven publishing, are significantly shaping the future of narratives. This shift is not only about how we access books but also about how we create and share knowledge, ultimately influencing how we engage with stories and information.
The Digital Literacy Snapshot activity in this module was a useful exercise in reflecting on how my own digital experiences have shaped my online identity. By assessing my digital engagement with web communities and online platforms, I was able to recognize how my digital literacy journey influences the way I approach information and narratives online. Creating a video for this activity helped solidify these insights, allowing me to understand the broader implications of digital literacy in our interconnected world.
As these technological advancements continue to shape the landscape of reading and writing, it’s important to consider how they will impact future generations. The increasing integration of digital tools into literacy practices means that future readers and writers may be more accustomed to navigating a blend of formats, from traditional text to interactive and multimodal experiences. This shift could change how future generations engage with stories and knowledge, emphasizing the importance of adaptability and critical thinking in a highly digitalized world.
In conclusion, this module has reinforced the importance of understanding the historical role of the book in shaping our modern engagement with text, while also encouraging reflection on how contemporary digital and multimodal narratives continue to evolve and challenge traditional concepts of literacy and information use.
References:
Hastreiter, N. (2017). What’s the Future of Books, The Future of Everything. Retrieved from: Future of Everything
Delemos, R. S. (2021, September 13). TikTok for Viral Book Marketing: Self-published authors are increasingly flocking to the platform to market their books. Publishers Weekly, 268(37), 69.
Gunter, D. (2023). AI, the new frontier - opportunities and challenges: Artificial intelligence is the future for all industries - especially scholarly publishing. Research Information, 4–6. https://login.ezproxy.library.ualberta.ca/login?url=https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=lls&AN=172906330&site=eds-live&scope=site