Blog From BookTok To Bookshops - My Journey To Publication
By Busayo Matuluko | Guest Blog
Going from BookTokker to debut author was a journey I never imagined when I was younger. I always knew I wanted to do something creative or be in a creative field, but I never felt like I could execute it, or well enough to be in the position I am.
My friend Kemi and I started BookTok in the middle of the pandemic after we both fell in love with reading again, after a very long hiatus from it. We read 'One of Us Is Lying' by Karen McManus and needed that euphoric feeling we got whilst reading, again and again. We had only known each other for a short while but we became fast friends due to our similar interests. BookTok took off in the pandemic, and I felt at home amongst those who had found a new or rekindled love for reading.
We started our BookTok because we wanted to spread the joy our current reads made us feel, and we also wanted to get involved in what felt like a huge online book club as well as highlight the authors we knew and loved. At the time the whole BookTok community were collectively reading books like âThey Both Die At The Endâ and âThe Invisible Life of Addie LaRueâ and sharing their most controversial opinions; it felt like a massive book club and Iâd watched endless videos agreeing and disagreeing with everyoneâs takes. I loved the community that BookTok brought about.
Whilst 'One of Us Is Lying' is the reason I started reading again, Kemi is ultimately the reason I started writing. One night in my university flat, we were talking about Wattpad, and I mentioned the fact that I used to write on the app. I soft-pitched a romance to Kemi and she told me, "Write it, I would read it." I didnât listen to her, not until I was kicked off my nursing course because the pandemic meant that I couldnât go out on placement, so I had nothing to do but write. I am so thankful for all those tears shed over not being able to go out on placement, if only past me knew that this is what came out of it.
When I finished the book, whilst I initially thought it would go nowhere, BookTok made me eager for it to reach people. I would post videos about the romance and during the boom that it had on BookTok and I had so many people asking, "Where can I buy it?" The support was amazing, people knew only a premise but were eager to support it. Posting about the book and the snippets made me want to keep going, want to keep finding an agent and beyond.
Actually, posting one video did help me find my agent. A huge author, one I thought would never notice me (but did thankfully due to me posting about my love for their books) commented and asked if I was querying and if they could read it. I have never answered a DM faster. They read my pages and loved them enough to introduce them to my now agent, which was ridiculously lucky (canât stress this enough).
From my time on BookTok, Kemi and I have met the loveliest people, publishers and the most amazing authors. Weâve bonded over books and shared experiences so when I announced that I got my agent, everyone was beyond thrilled which was truly so sweet and again fuelled the drive within me to want to publish, to want to be able to one day tell people in response to, "Where can I get a copy?": "Heere!"
BookTok has really helped bridge the gap between author and publisher, and going from BookTokker to author has given me an amazing advantage to be able to promote my book and share behind-the-scenes insights into my writing process, as well as connect with future readers. Itâs also helped me meet the people who inspired me whilst writing. Iâve met mystery literary legends such as Karen McManus herself, who I was able to tell everything above! Iâm extremely grateful for the little community we have on BookTok and canât wait to see where it all goes.
If youâre thinking about starting a BookTok page, start it. If youâre thinking about writing a novel, start it. Youâll never know where it could take you. I hope that I can be the Kemi in your story!
'Til Death by Busayo Matuluko will be available to buy from all good bookshops from 30th January and you can read more about it from Busayo here.
