How to Promote Your Pen Pinery ARC on BookTok (And Actually Get Readers)

BookTok is not optional anymore. Sales of BookTok author titles grew nearly 20% in 2024 compared to 2023, marking the fifth consecutive year of growth. Romance sits at the center of all of it. If your ARC is listed on Pen Pinery and you're not telling BookTok about it, you're leaving readers on the table.

Here's how to fix that.

Lead With Your Tropes, Not Your Title

Nobody scrolls TikTok looking for a specific book title they've never heard of. They scroll looking for their next obsession. BookTok hypes rely heavily on specific narrative patterns and tropes - enemies to lovers, forced proximity, spicy romance, and dark fantasy are among the most viral. Lead every video with your tropes. Your title is secondary. Your vibe is everything.

A simple video that opens with "if you like touch her and die energy, a morally grey MMC, and slow burn tension - my ARC is open on Pen Pinery" will outperform a polished book trailer every time.

Post More Than Once

One video is not a campaign. Post about your ARC at least two to three times while applications are open. Mix it up — one video showing your cover, one talking about your characters, one reading a short excerpt. BookTok is uniquely suited to the ARC process because TikTok is specifically designed to make you feel the need to constantly post, and it pushes your videos to the For You Page where readers who don't yet follow you can discover your book. The more you post, the wider your reach.

Make It Easy to Apply

Every video you post about your ARC should have your Pen Pinery link in your bio and a clear call to action in your caption. "ARC applications open — link in bio" is enough. Don't make readers hunt for it. The faster someone can go from watching your video to applying, the better your conversion rate.

Use the Right Hashtags

Hashtags still matter on BookTok for discoverability. Use a mix of broad and specific tags: #BookTok, #ARCReaders, #RomanceBookTok, and trope-specific tags like #EnemiestoLovers or #DarkRomance. The more targeted your hashtags, the more likely you are to reach readers who actually want your book.

Authenticity Wins Every Time

BookTok isn't about perfection. It's about obsession. Be real, be excited about your own book because authenticity sells. A phone video of you talking genuinely about why you love your story will always outperform something overly produced. Readers want to feel your excitement. Give it to them.

Need more ARC promotion tips? Check out this guide on using social media to get more ARC readers.