off the page: dakota bossard
cultivating authenticity in the BookTok community
We all have a friend whose taste we hold in high regard—we ask them where to eat dinner, whether or not we should buy the sweater we’ve been eyeing, and most importantly—what book we should read next.
For over 17,000 people on TikTok, that friend is Brooklyn native Dakota Bossard—reader, writer, and FOMO-inducing dinner party host. I discovered Dakota’s account at the beginning of this year and was immediately drawn to her thoughtfully curated videos and the cozy, vintage-chic ambiance of her apartment that often serves as a backdrop.
The “BookTok” hashtag on TikTok has generated billions of views globally, due to a cultural shift that started during the pandemic, when authors and their readership had the luxury of (more) time on their hands. It has since become a proper noun offscreen—in bookstore displays and elsewhere.
In a community that sometimes feels oversaturated with the same titles, genres, and tropes being promoted, carving out a niche for your own specific literary taste can pose a challenge. Dakota, however, has it down to a science.
On my most recent visit to New York, I knew that I had to fit a meeting with her into my itinerary. We did so at the Seaport location of McNally Jackson (her favorite).
As one of my favorite creators, I’m honored to have her as the first guest (!) on novel enrichment. She kindly answered some questions about content creation, reading, and writing:
What inspired you to start posting on TikTok?
DB: I had been a BookTok viewer for a while, but I kept getting tricked into reading bad books, or books that weren't a great fit for my taste, so I started posting at the beginning of last year. Then I started working on my first novel and decided to take my account seriously and cultivate a BookTok audience who would keep me motivated and inspired to write.
What genres or subgenres are you most drawn to?
DB: Literary fiction for sure, which I wasn't seeing very often on BookTok in 2021. It has definitely become my niche and it's helped me find the right corner of the internet to find like-minded readers and new books to read.
How do you decide what books to recommend (in groups or individually)?
DB: I only recommend books I enjoy! Which sounds simple but as you get sent more and more books from publishers and authors, there is an unspoken pressure to feature them. I've worked really hard to stay authentic; it's stressful to read comments about people buying books I didn't really love just because I featured them in a video.
What is the most surreal moment you’ve experienced as a content creator?
DB: Sarah Jessica Parker posted one of my Instagram posts to her story! She wasn't even tagged but it featured the first release from her imprint, SJP Lit. She was on my profile scrolling through a photo dump, and I never stop thinking about it.
Do you pay more attention to language or story?
DB: Often, my favorite reads are of the "no plot, just vibes" variety. I think well-written stories are more enjoyable and inspiring than plot-driven genre fiction, and more useful as a writer. I know I'm enjoying a book if I have a pencil in hand to underline sentences.
Writer's block cure?
DB: Taking space! Not every writer would agree, but if I don't have the words in me, it's time to close the laptop and take the pressure off. During the weeks I don't write, I make sure I'm doing lots of reading, patiently waiting for inspiration to take hold. I also find watching my favorite movies or getting out of the house gets my writer brain working.
What's in your TBR pile at the moment?
DB: I have a copy of Ali Smith's There But For The that I'm really excited to dive into this month. It will be the first of hers I've read and I have high hopes.
Who is your favorite poet?
DB: I'm not an avid poetry reader, in fact one of my friends kindly made me a list of her favorite poems to read which I'm slowly working through. My favorites on the list so far have been “Having A Coke With You” by Frank O'Hara and “When Death Comes” by Mary Oliver. And last year I read a fair bit of Kim Addonizio's poetry, which I loved.
What was the book that made you fall in love with reading (and writing)?
DB: Writers and Lovers by Lily King and the Neapolitan Quartet by Elena Ferrante have shaped me as a person, and I am always chasing the high of reading those books for the first time. They both embody the destruction of girlhood and the feminine experience in very different ways and ultimately made me feel less alone. I will probably reread those books for the rest of my life!
Favorite thing to write with?
DB: I steal every branded restaurant pen I come across, but I never use them. I write exclusively with Blackwing pencils, they are the best!
Which imprints do you pay the most attention to for new books?
DB: Oh, so many! Europa Editions, FSG, Henry Holt, Knopf, Dial Press, and honestly most Random House imprints.
What forthcoming releases are you most excited about?
DB: Worry by Alexandra Tanner is an upcoming lit fic debut (March '24) I'm very excited about and the cover is to die for. I also have a goal to read some of Ferrante's muses now that I've read all of her work. There is a new Alba de Céspedes translation called Her Side of the Story out in November. We're also getting the first English translation of one of Ferrante's biggest inspirations, Lies & Sorcery by Elsa Morante, out in October. It's 800 pages and I'm very intimidated, but I cannot wait to read it.
