Hi dear friends!
Today’s topic chosen by Shanah @bionicbookworm being “Top 5 booktube Channels” and me not following a single one on a regular basis, I had to tweak the theme!
I thought long and hard about all the booktubers and I admire them truly.
But I could NEVER do it and here are my top reasons:
1) I hate selfies and I hate even more seeing my face on a camera!
That’s a big problem because I would either have to see my face every time either wear a veil to hide my face. Mind you maybe I’d launch a trend or have a special brigade knocking or rather punching my door mistaking me for a gangster or a any anonymous avenger!
2) I am old(er) and I don’t think anyone would like to see my face!
I think youngsters fare better in front of a camera. You know all the pressure in the movie and TV world to stay young right? Well I don’t want to have some botox injected in my face making me look like an animated doll and unable to smile sincerely because my eyes wouldn’t crinkle (nor wrinkle) any longer!
I know I know you’d tell me that Dr Ruth was successful well past her prime but that’s because she talked about SEX! And my purpose would be BOOKS! See the difference?????
3) I have an accent.
I have an accent. European bordering on French for some, Dutch or German for others. That’s because I am Belgian with French as mother language but speaking Dutch as well! For decades I am trying to lose that bugger but to no avail! Never will I sound posh like a Brit or get a Brooklyn accent either.
Some mistake me for being American when they read my posts but the illusion would wear out pretty quick if they heard me!
4) I don’t have the room to film
Most booktube channels show the person not interrupted in their lair (or it’s what I imagine as I don’t really follow many). But I don’t have a room that I can claim as “mine” at home. I share the bedroom with my husband and the kitchen/living room/bathroom/garage with the whole family! My husband has his office. My kids have their room that they don’t share.
If I tried filming in the kitchen for example I’d be constantly interrupted by “Mooooom! Moooom! Have you seen my blue socks/sneakers/book/….” or “Honey! I don’t find my glasses anymore! Can you help me look for them?” or even “Wuf! Wuf! Wuuuuf!” (translate in Mom I need to pee/go for a walk/eat a treat can you move please!).
The only place I would be safe would be ….the restroom! Not very glamour and …TMI!
5) I don’t have the time to promote yet another social media.
Between WordPress, facebook, Goodreads, Twitter and Instagram I don’t think I’d have the time to film, edit and promote on yet another platform! It’s already difficult with my current media so I don’t want to add one more.
Now, there is one person who makes me want to go to her booktube: Olivia Catastrophe.
Because her warm and sincere personality won me over a long time ago! So I will leave her link here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCCO-uDTGqZ1MqE0KfCG2Hbg
Now you tell me: what are your top 5 booktube channels? Would you want to have your own?
Thanks for reading!
Sophie
I was nodding my head along for every single one! Personally I don’t watch book YouTube videos, it’s so much easier for me to read blog posts and comment on them when my husband is reading next to me or my kiddos are working on their homework. So no noise please lol. But I love accents!! Don’t let that ever be a deterrent, one of my best friends is from Romania and I love listening to her talk.
I have seen your face, and it should be the last thing stopping you from putting yourself out there, and I personally love listening to people with accents, though I am oddly not a fan of NY/NJ accents (which are actually my people). I agree with the time commitment. A good vlog is a lot of work, but I am just not into seeing or hearing myself in general. I am much better at writing stuff, than talking about it.
Same here Sam! I tried to talk about books I planned to read and I had to do it four times and was still not satisfied!!! Hesitating etc.
I can totally with you on number one and five! I also don’t like seeing myself seeing on Camera!
Well we have the ones who love selfies (I wish I had their confidence) and the others Raven 😉
I love the direction you took with this prompt 😀
Thank you!!!!!
I’ve never thought about being a book vlogger. Due to my social anxiety, I’d never be able to record myself – to tell the truth, my social anxiety already makes me feel unsure about being a book blogger.
Tânia @MyLovelySecret
Well Tânia so far you do a great job so keep it up!!!
I follow several BookTubers and have for years. But would I ever launch my own channel? That is a resounding Nope! For all the reasons you mention and more. Like you, I am “of a certain age” and doubt anyone wants to watch a decidedly middle aged woman talk about romance books. LOL Plus I have no time (or interest). Plus I wouldn’t know the first thing about filming and editing.
P.S. And naturally your comments have me curious to hear your accent. 🙂
Tanya as many of you are curious about my accent I thought posting a vocal recording on the blog this Sunday but this is a huge file!!! So as long as I don’t have a place to store it outside of the blog and link to it you’ll have to wonder or …facetime with me 😉
OMG Sophie, I FEEL this post in my bones!
I recently decided to test the waters of booktube and quickly realised everything on this post.
I don’t have the space, lighting is pretty shit in my house, I don’t have a good camera/mic, and I have an accent. xD
I’ll probably try again if I ever moved houses and invested in a good camera, but until then blogging will have to suffice.
Well I didn’t try it but I realized pretty early that it would be difficult because I tried to record a vocal message for one author and it was already awful!!!! LOL
Haha, yeah, I made a sample booktube video and my voice was too chipper in it, almost forced.
But I made another one (https://youtu.be/uLtbhAkyOnE) yesterday and decided to post it because you ARE going to hate your first few videos anyway. I can only get better if I keep at it. I don’t know if I’ll continue doing it but it was certainly fun filming this. xD
Hahahaahh I’m sure your followers would love to hear you talk about those books, Sophie! I’d be curious to see what it would be like at least once, even if it’s in French too. 😛 I know I wouldn’t vlog either though. I don’t have time for it and think it’s too much time needed to have the perfect setup and even to edit them all out to our satisfaction!
You know what? As so many of you want to hear my accent i’ll see if I can record it and play it on this Sunday Post (no idea how I’ll do it but …)
I love your post! Such a great twist on the topic. I had to sit this week out as I don’t follow a single booktuber and wasn’t creative enough to come up with something else.
Thank you!!!!
OMG Sophie!! I can relate so much to all the reasons you mentioned! I’d love to do Youtube for fun, but all these reasons are holding me back
Well just one reason you don’t have Sophie: age LOL
Well, I’m not getting any younger though lol!
This made me laugh so much!!!! I am not one to start up a YouTube channel either. I relate to so many of your points. However, I think that your French accent is probably amazing. 🙂
oh you are too kind really ;-)))
Well – these are all the same reasons why I don’t have a channel! I recorded a video once but seeing my face on the screen made me CRINGE! LOL!
Cringe is the right word Shanah! And let’s not forget that if I could not find my words it would be torture!
I hate being in pictures and videos, too. I admire the people that have the courage to try booktube because I don’t think I ever could. I also couldn’t take the mean comments. I have comments turned off on my youtube and I only have vacation and concert videos on it.
Well it seems not liking to see our faces on camera is indeed really a deal breaker! But hey others do like their faces so we’ll just bring the popcorn and enjoy the show LOL
Very true!
I don’t watch any book vloggers either haha I am usually reading blog posts in semi public areas or while watching tv and neither of those lend well to watching videos!!
But you could totally create a book vlog in you living room and make it about being a full time mom and a reader and all the interruptions would just be part of it it would be hilarious and a lot of fun! Also I love accents!! And age doesn’t matter, especially if you were to play the busy hectic mom angle 😉 Hahah but I won’t try and convince you because I would never do it either
Well you build a stronge case Brittany! But time is the key element and I don’t have it 😉
Now, I really want to hear what you sound like. LOL.
I’m with you – I enjoy booktubers but it’s not something I want to try.
Well Amy we can skype or facetime one of these days if you insist LOL
Perfect!
Yes! I pretty much have the same reasons why I wouldn’t vlog. Though it would definitely be a different kind of book review with three kids running around, lol.
Oh yes! We’d need to shout or rewind or …LOL
Haha, I loved this post! (I would argue that some are not so valid though… I think an “older” perspective and an accent would help you stand out :)) but it’s also totally valid to not have any interest!! I’ve always toyed with the idea of joining Booktube but my concerns are more around having to learn brand new skills (filming and editing) and the consistency I’d need to have to be successful on another channel. Until I get over those, I’ll just stay an avid Booktube watcher instead!!
Well Jrodyn yes you have some valid points! I could stand out but as you said later I’d have to learn brand new skills (yet that’s what bothering me the least) 🙂