Let’s Talk Bookish is a weekly meme that was created and hosted by Rukky @ Eternity Books and then cohosted with Dani @ Literary Lion. It is currently hosted by Aria @ Book Nook Bits and Dini @ dinipandareads. This meme has a discussion format, where participants get to talk about certain topics, share opinions, and spread the blogging love by visiting other posts. You can learn more about this meme here!

Hello! so, here I am, with a new topic!

 Hi bookish friends! 👋

Welcome back to the blog, where we ask the real questions like: “Do I really need another tote bag?” and “Why are there suddenly so many morally gray men with jawlines sharp enough to cut glass on my bookshelf?”

This week’s Let’s Talk Bookish topic is a spicy one, so Grab a snack (bonus points if it’s a cozy reading snack like cookies or tea), because I have thoughts.

Are Published Books Losing Quality? The Impact of Social Media Platforms and Trope-Based Marketing

Between BookTok, Bookstagram, and the rise of “trope-only” marketing, the book world feels like it’s living in its own rom-com montage. Everywhere you look, someone is asking: are books actually getting worse, or are we just drowning in morally gray men, only-one-bed scenarios, and coffee-drinking heroines who stumble into castles?

Reading: From Nerdy Hobby to Viral Trend

Let’s be honest—social media has made reading cool. Once upon a time, pulling out a paperback at a family gathering earned side-eyes, whispers, and maybe even a lecture about “reading too much.” (Was that just me hiding in the corner?) Now? TikTok declares some random fantasy romance “the book of the year,” and suddenly bookstores can’t keep it on the shelves. People are color-coding their shelves like it’s a museum exhibit, annotating like it’s a competitive sport, and buying entire boxed sets “for the aesthetic.”

I love it. More readers = more books = more chaos. But here’s the catch: once something becomes that popular, it changes not just how books are marketed, but sometimes how fast they’re churned out.

The Era of Trope-First Marketing

Remember when book blurbs actually told you about the plot? Now, it feels like every pitch is just a smoothie of tropes. A TikTok-optimized trope smoothie. Examples include:

• “Enemies to lovers meets grumpy x sunshine meets found family, but plot twist—they’re secretly royalty in disguise!”
• “She’s an assassin, he’s a baker, and together they overthrow the empire…with sourdough.”
• “There’s only one bed. Also dragons. Honestly, that’s all you need to know.”
• “He’s a 300-year-old morally gray man who broods professionally. She drinks iced coffee at midnight and talks to squirrels. Soulmates.”

I’m not anti-trope. Tropes are cozy, fun, and predictable in the best way—they’re like ordering your favorite Starbucks drink without ever questioning the calories. But lately, some books feel like they were reverse-engineered from TikTok trends. Tropes aren’t seasoning anymore—they’re the whole casserole. And if you’ve ever eaten straight cinnamon, you know that doesn’t end well.

Has the Hype Hurt Book Quality?

Here’s where I get a little salty. I do think hype has affected quality—at least in some genres. Sometimes it feels like publishers rush books out the door while yelling: “Quick! Release it before the algorithm forgets this trope exists!”

The result? Stories that feel…half-baked:

• Romances that go from mortal enemies to “you’re my soulmate” in three conversations.
• Worldbuilding that amounts to: “There’s a castle…somewhere…and maybe a dragon??”
• Climaxes where the epic battle is wrapped up in one paragraph because deadlines are scarier than villains.

Meanwhile, readers devour these books in one sitting and run to TikTok screaming: “THIS IS THE BEST BOOK EVER. I WOULD DIE FOR THIS COUPLE.” And I’m just over here blinking at my copy like: “Uh…did we read the same thing? Because mine felt like a rough draft with vibes.”

Some of my favorite parody trope blurbs I’ve seen (or imagined) lately include:

• “She’s a barista, he’s a vampire CEO, and somehow they fall in love while saving the coffee shop from a magical apocalypse.”
• “Two witches, one cursed library, zero social skills, and a dragon with commitment issues.”
• “He’s a morally gray antihero, she’s a chaotic neutral librarian, and together they’ll solve crimes and awkward romantic tension.”

It’s fun—but also exhausting if every hyped book feels like a copy-paste of the last viral success.

The Genres Feeling It Most

The hype trend hits hardest in romance, YA, and fantasy romance—the holy trinity of BookTok bait. Literary fiction and historical fiction? Less so. (Though if I see one more “sad girl wanders New York” pitched as a trope, I might combust.) Thrillers sometimes fall into the hype trap, but they rely more on shock-factor marketing: “The twist will SHATTER your life.” Spoiler: it usually doesn’t.

Are Books Actually Getting Worse?

It’s complicated. I wouldn’t say all books are losing quality, but in hype-heavy genres, there’s definitely a rise in shallow, rushed stories. Sometimes I close a book and wonder: “Was this published because it’s good, or because it’s easy to pitch in 10 seconds?”

On the flip side, if you wander into cozy mysteries, literary fiction, or historical fiction, you’ll still find gems that feel untouched by the social media whirlwind. Sure, they have trends (another WWII novel? Groundbreaking.), but they’re usually thoughtful and layered, not just marketing fodder.

So maybe publishing overall isn’t losing quality—it’s just the areas where the BookTok spotlight burns the brightest.

Is This Just a Phase?

We’ve been here before. Remember the vampire craze? Or the YA dystopia boom where every teen was secretly the chosen one? Those waves eventually cooled down (though vampires never really die, literally).

The difference now is that TikTok and Instagram are rocket fuel. Trends don’t just start—they explode. One viral video can launch a dusty backlist book onto bestseller lists overnight. Publishers see that and go: “Okay, let’s feed the beast.”

So will “trope-only” marketing last forever? Probably not in this exact form. But social media hype shaping what gets published? Yeah, that’s here to stay. Once publishers tasted that sweet, sweet virality, they were hooked.

My Take (a.k.a. Me on a Soapbox)

Do I think book quality is doomed? Nope. But I do think it’s easier for underbaked books to hog the spotlight because they tick all the right trope boxes. And sometimes that’s okay! Sometimes you want the literary equivalent of fast food. Fries at 11 p.m.? Yes, please. But if every meal is a trope burrito, eventually you crave something more substantial.

The good news? The thoughtful, layered, “home-cooked” stories are still out there—they just might not go viral on TikTok. They’re waiting for readers who care more about characters, worldbuilding, and plot depth than virality metrics.

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At the end of the day, books aren’t inherently getting worse—it’s just that marketing has shifted to chase trends. The gems still exist; they just might not be wrapped in a shiny TikTok bow.

So are books losing quality? Not really. Are some being rushed into print because they’re “trope-friendly”? Definitely. But as long as readers continue to support creative, diverse stories—and maybe don’t let TikTok pick your entire TBR—publishing will be just fine.

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Okay, now it’s your turn—spill the tea! ☕ Have you read any hyped BookTok/Bookstagram books that felt like empty frosting? Or do you think I’m being dramatic and it’s all just harmless fun? Let’s chat in the comments, because I know you all have opinions.