Have you ever come across a book accidentally on social media and found it worth reading? Yes, it might have happened to you. However, the chances of such a case must be scant. On the other hand, you must have come across many books on social media, especially Instagram reels, posts and slideshows, that are worthless, hyped beyond their potential. The worth of these books is based on gimmicks and marketing.
So, it is time we consider how the publishing industry, social media and digital algorithms are quietly changing the way we choose what to read.
“I bought this novel because everyone was talking about it.”
It is a sentence most readers have uttered at some point, perhaps without even realising what it reveals.
We rarely stop to ask who everyone is.
Is it a circle of trusted friends whose literary tastes have matured over years of reading? Is it a respected critic whose judgement has consistently proved reliable? Is it a librarian who has spent decades matching readers with books they genuinely enjoy?
Or is “everyone” simply an algorithm, carefully amplifying the loudest voices until they begin to sound like a universal consensus?
There was a time when discovering a remarkable book resembled a pleasant accident. A forgotten novel waiting quietly on a library shelf, an enthusiastic recommendation from a professor after class, an elderly bookseller insisting that you ignore the latest bestseller and read a neglected masterpiece instead. Those discoveries carried a certain intimacy. They felt personal because they were.
Today, the journey towards a book often begins elsewhere.
A thirty-second Instagram reel.
A viral TikTok video.
An Amazon page displaying thousands of glowing ratings.
A Goodreads score that appears almost impossibly high.
A celebrity endorsement.
A “must-read” list compiled by an influencer who has never met you, does not know what you enjoy reading, and perhaps received a complimentary copy or commercial partnership in exchange for promoting it.
None of these developments is inherently harmful. Publishing has always relied on publicity. Charles Dickens toured extensively to promote his works. Victorian publishers advertised aggressively in newspapers. Modern publishing houses invest in publicity because books, unlike ideas alone, must also survive as commercial products. Writers deserve readers, and readers deserve to know that books exist.
Marketing is not the villain.
The real concern begins when marketing starts masquerading as literary consensus.
Increasingly, readers are no longer distinguishing between books that have genuinely impressed thousands of people and books that have simply been placed before thousands of people with extraordinary efficiency.
The difference may appear subtle. In reality, it could determine the future of reading itself.
There are platforms and critics, undoubtedly, serving the cause of readers ethically. Platforms such as Asian Book Critics, Indian Book Critics, Thoughtful Critics, ReadByCritics, The Indian Authors, Ashvamegh Magazine and others have been serving the literary cause for long, a few for over a decade now.
The Business Behind the Books
Publishing has always balanced two identities.
It is a cultural enterprise that preserves stories, ideas and intellectual traditions.
It is also a business.
The global publishing industry generates well over 100 billion US dollars annually, making it one of the world’s largest creative industries. Thousands of new titles appear every single day across different languages and markets. Even within English-language publishing, the volume of annual releases is staggering. Every publisher competes not merely with other publishers but with films, streaming platforms, podcasts, video games, social media and countless other forms of entertainment vying for the same limited attention.
Attention has become the most valuable currency. Books are no longer competing only against books. They are competing against an endless scroll. The cover that could grab the attention of readers or audience for 4-5 seconds may win some sales… and that’s it! What had to be stories, plot, and narrative have morphed into a battle for visual attention!
This transformation has profoundly altered how publishers think about visibility. A brilliant novel that remains unnoticed is, commercially speaking, a failed investment. Consequently, marketing budgets have grown steadily larger. Public relations firms, social media managers, influencer outreach, virtual book tours, sponsored podcasts, advance review campaigns and targeted digital advertising have become routine components of modern publishing.
None of this guarantees that a mediocre book will succeed. Nor does it imply that bestselling books lack merit. Many enormously successful books fully deserve their popularity. The problem lies elsewhere.
Marketing increasingly determines which books readers notice in the first place. Readers can only choose among books they know exist. And today, visibility is often purchased long before literary judgement enters the conversation.
From Word-of-Mouth to Algorithm-of-Mouth
For centuries, books travelled because conversations travelled. Readers trusted teachers. Families passed favourite novels across generations. Independent booksellers became local authorities. Libraries functioned as democratic spaces where every book, regardless of advertising budget, possessed at least the possibility of discovery.
Digital technology has dramatically expanded access to books, which is unquestionably a remarkable achievement. Readers living thousands of kilometres away from major literary centres can now discover authors they might never have encountered otherwise. Yet technology has quietly changed something else. It has altered who introduces us to books. Instead of people whose tastes we know personally, recommendations increasingly emerge from algorithms designed to maximise engagement rather than literary quality.
Algorithms do not admire elegant prose. They do not appreciate subtle symbolism. They cannot distinguish between profound emotional insight and sensational storytelling. They reward attention.
If a particular novel generates discussion, outrage, admiration, controversy or curiosity, the algorithm amplifies it. Greater visibility produces more sales. More sales generate additional discussions. Additional discussions create further visibility. Popularity begins feeding itself. A book that receives substantial early attention often acquires even greater attention simply because it already appears popular. This phenomenon has become especially visible through communities such as BookTok and Bookstagram.
Publishers openly acknowledge the extraordinary commercial influence these platforms now possess. Numerous novels, including books published years earlier, have experienced spectacular commercial revivals after going viral on social media. In many respects, this represents a triumph for readers who passionately recommend books they genuinely love.
But there is another side.
When algorithms reward engagement above all else, emotionally intense, visually attractive or highly controversial books naturally receive disproportionate attention. Quiet literary fiction, experimental writing, regional literature, translated works and intellectually demanding books often struggle to compete in environments where success depends upon immediate emotional reactions and rapid digital sharing. The result is not censorship. It is invisibility.
The Five-Star Economy
Consider how most readers purchase books online. Very few begin by reading several detailed reviews. Instead, they notice a number. Four-point-eight stars. Five thousand ratings. Twenty-three thousand reviews. The numerical score frequently determines whether readers proceed any further. This behaviour is understandable.
Every day we confront overwhelming choices. Ratings simplify decisions. They function as mental shortcuts.
Psychologists describe this phenomenon as social proof. When uncertainty exists, human beings naturally look towards the behaviour of others for guidance. If thousands of people appear enthusiastic about something, our brains assume they possess information we lack.
It is an extraordinarily efficient cognitive mechanism.
It is also remarkably easy to manipulate.
Research conducted across digital marketplaces has repeatedly demonstrated that online ratings significantly influence purchasing behaviour. Consumers consistently trust products with many positive reviews more than those with fewer, even when objective differences remain unclear.
Books are no exception. A debut novelist with thirty thoughtful reviews may struggle to attract attention beside another title displaying thirty thousand enthusiastic ratings. The numbers themselves become persuasive. Whether those numbers emerged organically is a question relatively few readers ask.
When Reviews Become Marketing
Book reviews once occupied a curious place within literary culture. Professional critics evaluated books. Ordinary readers shared opinions after finishing them. The distinction remained reasonably clear. Digital platforms have transformed this landscape beyond recognition.
Today, virtually anyone can become a reviewer, which is undeniably democratic and enriching. Diverse perspectives have expanded literary conversations far beyond newspapers and academic journals. Yet this democratisation has also produced new vulnerabilities. Publishers routinely distribute Advance Reader Copies, commonly called ARCs, months before publication. These copies enable reviewers to discuss forthcoming books and generate anticipation before official release.
In principle, the system benefits everyone. Reviewers receive early access. Publishers build awareness. Readers gain informed opinions before purchasing. The difficulty arises when enthusiasm becomes expectation.
Many reviewers understandably worry that excessively critical assessments may reduce future opportunities to receive advance copies. Most publishers never explicitly demand positive reviews, yet subtle pressures often emerge within tightly connected online communities. Influencers depend upon maintaining relationships with publishers. Publishers naturally favour creators whose content generates excitement rather than discourages sales.
No conspiracy is required.
Human psychology accomplishes the rest.
The distinction between recommendation and promotion gradually becomes blurred.
Readers scrolling through beautifully produced videos may not immediately recognise whether they are watching independent literary criticism or sophisticated advertising presented in a more conversational form.
In many jurisdictions, sponsored content is legally required to be disclosed. Yet disclosure practices remain inconsistent across social media, particularly when books are exchanged not for direct payment but for gifts, exclusive access, invitations or continuing professional relationships.
Consequently, readers increasingly encounter praise without fully understanding the circumstances surrounding that praise.
The Problem Nobody Wants to Discuss
The publishing industry is hardly alone in facing this challenge. Across the broader digital economy, fake reviews have become such a significant concern that governments have begun intervening.
In 2024, the United States Federal Trade Commission introduced a landmark rule specifically targeting fake consumer reviews, deceptive testimonials and undisclosed endorsements. The regulation acknowledged something many consumers had long suspected: manipulated online recommendations had become a widespread commercial practice capable of distorting purchasing decisions.
Books exist within this same digital ecosystem. Most publishers behave ethically. Most reviewers remain sincere. Most readers write honest opinions. Yet even a relatively small amount of manipulation can produce disproportionate consequences because trust itself is remarkably fragile.
Once readers begin wondering whether glowing reviews reflect genuine admiration or carefully managed publicity, suspicion spreads beyond individual books. Every recommendation becomes slightly less convincing. Every enthusiastic review invites a second question.
“Did this reader truly love the book?”
Or…
“Was there another reason?”
That quiet uncertainty may prove far more damaging to literary culture than any single fake review ever could.
Jitesh for Indian Book Lovers
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