Booktubing Isn't For Me, But Could that Be My Downfall?

Over the six years that I've been blogging, I've seen things evolve. New bloggers, new features, new ways of blogging.

As vlogging in general has become more popular, the way readers communicate our reviews to potential readers has moved forward into booktubing. As booktubing has progressed, it's been wonderful to see this new way of getting our thoughts about books across to people, and reaching a wider audience.

There are so many bloggers I know who have started to incorporate videos into their blogs, or have created group booktube channels, like Bookish Brits, and it's got me thinking about where things will lead. At the moment, booktubers and book bloggers exist in harmony. Booktubers have become so popular that publishers' publicity campaigns also include ways of getting booktubers involved as well as bloggers, which is fantastic - we share the same passion, and we should share in the wonderful perks that publicists give us.

But at the same time, it has me worrying about my place in this community. I have experimented with creating videos before, but I discovered it's just not for me. I am a much better writer than I am a speaker, there's something about writing that has me expressing myself much more coherently and eloquently than I do verbally. On top of that, I'm just not interested in the process of creating a video; the preparation before hand, the filming of the video, and the editing afterwards. I have no idea where to start, and I'm not particularly interested in finding out.

At the same time, I'm not a big fan of booktubing. I have a lot of admiration and respect for booktubers and their creativity and skills in making their videos, but I'm generally not that interested in watching said videos. There are a few that may catch my eye due to subject matter, but otherwise... I find reading similar content much more to my liking than watching it. I can read a post in a couple of minutes, I'd rather not watch a 10 minute video. And really, they just don't appeal to me on the whole. This is just me, though, and I know I'm in the minority when it comes to not liking vlogs, which is obvious from their popularity.

But will booktubing over take book blogging? Will booktubing become so popular that book blogging will begin to fade into the background, with fewer and fewer bloggers. Despite knowing that booktubing isn't for me, I do have this fear that if I don't transition over or at least incorporate videos into my blog, I'll get left behind. I have an uneasy feeling that book blogging might become "so last year", and there will no longer really be a place for me. Don't get me wrong, I'll keep doing what I'm doing, and won't give in to the pressure I'm putting on myself to be a part of this big, shiny new thing when it's not my bag, but I'm worried about becoming an unheard voice, or a voice that no longer matters - not because what I say will no longer have any relevance, but because I didn't "move with the times", that Once Upon a Bookcase becomes "outdated".

It's time for you to have your say. What do you think of booktubing in general? Have you ever considered booktubing? Are you a blogger turned booktuber, or do you incorporate videos into your blog, and which do you prefer? Are you a booktuber who has never been a blogger, and if so, what turned you on to booktubing over blogging? Do you think book bloggers and tubers will continue to exist happily alongside each other? Or do you also worry that booktubing might eventually push blogging into the background? Do you ever worry that you will eventually become an unheard voice for other reasons? Let me know in the comments!