Module 2



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:

  1. 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.

  2. Multimodality: Ensure your video has some voice (you speaking), music or sound effects, images etc…that represent your digital journey.

  3. 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.

  4. Reflection: On the blog post, include a brief reflection (1 paragraph) on creating your video of your digital literacy journey.


The purpose of these activities is to give you an opportunity to apply the concepts you have learned to real-world scenarios and to engage in discussions with your peers. 

This module is designed to give you a better understanding of how technology is affecting the way we read and write and the way books are being produced and consumed today. I am looking forward to your thoughts!
  • 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   

I encourage you to analyze how these historical insights inform contemporary digital and multimodal narratives, reflecting on how the "book" continues to shape our understanding of literacy and information use in the digital age.

Comments

  1. JonGel12 January 2025 at 18:57

    Here is a link for the 'TikTok for Viral Book Marketing' article in case anyone has issues with the eClass link. :)
    https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/authors/pw-select/article/87337-tiktok-for-viral-book-marketing.html

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  2. Sterre12 February 2025 at 10:33

    The references I used are:
    • 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

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    Replies
    1. Sterre23 February 2025 at 13:26

      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.

      To 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?

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