The ability of YouTube personalities to capture readers is writ large if you look at this week’s bestseller list. Three books by YouTube dynamos landed in the top 20 on Publishers Weekly's overall bestseller list, powered by Nielsen BookScan, for the week ending October 25. The showing will not be surprising for the handful of publishers that have been steadily acquiring books by stars on the video-driven website.
Tyler Oakely, who has more than 21 million social media followers and has been called the most prominent LGBTQ+ voice on YouTube, has the seventh bestselling book this week. Binge sold over 34,000 copies in its first week on sale at outlets that report to Nielsen BookScan.
Also new to the list is This Book Loves You by PewDiePie, who has one of the most popular YouTube channels. His new book sold over 13,000 copies in its debut week, putting it in 20th place on the overall bestseller list.
This Amazing Book Is Not on Fire by London-based YouTube celebrities Dan Howell and Phil Lester sold about 20,000 copies in its second week of sale, putting it in 13th place on the overall list. In its first two week of publication, the book has sold over 57,000 copies.
The three new books join other YouTube-inspired books that have hit the bestsellers list so far in 2015. Among them are three from Keywords Press: Connor Franta’s memoir A Work in Progress which has sold almost 168,000 copies since its April release; Zoe Sugg’s Girl Online has sold over 104,000 copies in a little less than one year; and Shane Dawson’s I Hate Myselfie sold 85,000 copies since its March publication.
