O BookTok e a disputa por poderes no campo editorial

Abstract

The practices related to reading have undergone several transformations throughout history. Both in terms of the production, commercialization, and consumption of books, as well as in the way the appropriation of texts has been altered by the influence of digital culture development, what is perceived are changes that often subvert the logic of domination and open up space for new agents to consolidate their positions and objectives. In recent years, the establishment of a new literary community based on digital platforms has caused a great stir. BookTok has updated the possibilities related to literary reading, dissemination and criticism processes, with such force that it has made book sales skyrocket among the younger audience. In this paper, based on the theoretical-methodological assumption of Pierre Bourdieu's Theory of Social Fields, arguments will be presented that lead us to see the digital influencers of BookTok as agents of transformation in what is proposed as the editorial field. By possessing specific capitals, this group of individuals has bargained with the groups holding the largest share of power in this field and achieved benefits that were not available to them before. In this process, the encouragement of reading, as well as the definition of popular agendas, genres, and titles have been directly influenced by the BookTokers phenomenon.