YouTube has given a platform to almost anyone that wishes to share their interests through video. Since all you need is a video camera and an internet connection, it’s not surprising that so many of us are having a go. From cat videos to language lessons, funny pranks to niche hobbies, there’s something for everyone on YouTube. Two of the more popular forms of uploads are video commentary and vlogging (video blogging). These videos usually have a comical or satirical theme. They have also taught us that people are not afraid to share!
In recent years we’ve seen the rise of celebrities in both the UK and US. Video game commentators the Sidemen, vlogger Zoe Suggs and US sensation Taylor Oakley are a few of the most successful. With subscribers to the most popular channels in their millions and views of their video content reaching close to a billion, these young celebrities are finding their way into to the hearts and homes of teenagers around the world.
With this level of success, it was only a matter of time before the commercial deals followed, and cash in on their fame they did! TV shows, films, music, merchandising and of course the book deal. Barely a week goes by without an appearance from a YouTube star in the bestsellers list.
According to the daily bot a book deal is “sign of success for established YouTube personalities”, and with the number of sales you’d have to agree. However, with this amount of success not everyone is happy. There are those that believe that ruining the publishing industry.
Are these stars really overshadowing actual writing talent? The Guardian explore this problem in their article Video Killed the Book Star
Why have they become so popular? One element that a lot of these Youtubers have in common is that they share the most intimate details about themselves and their lives. Topics that in the past were perhaps taboo are now discussed openly and candidly including depression, eating disorders and sexuality. This generation doesn’t want to suffer in silence so they’re finding their own way to deal with their problems. With a YouTube channel a community is created in which you can join, participate in and share your own experiences. It’s widely accepted that through sharing it allows us to realize that we’re not alone and reinforces our sense of belonging.
Today, young people are telling us that it’s to talk about “it”, and that’s exactly what they themselves are doing. Many of the popular YouTube personalities publish their memoirs, highlighting the struggles and dilemmas they’ve faced to get to where they are. However, it’s not all doom and gloom. The majority of these topics are usually treated with a good dose of humor! And what better medicine is there than laughter?
Whatever your view point on these YouTube personalities, it doesn’t look like they’ll be disappearing off the bestsellers list anytime soon. So here’s our pick of the top YouTube stars turned authors and their bestselling books.
The Sidemen are a group of Youtubers who rose to fame through their video game commentaries. With more than 33 million subscribers between them, Ethan, Harry, JJ, Josh , Simon, Tobi and Vik reveal all the scandal on each other in their popular 2016 book, which became an instant bestseller.
With 16 million subscribers this YouTube star has become popular in the both the UK and US. As the title suggests, this book is definitely aimed at a particular audience. It also gives you an idea of what you can expect to read. Note that the title is different in the US as the word ‘bellend’ is not widely used there. Noted.
This vlogger started in 2008. 12 million subscribers later and various film and music projects, his fans must have been delighted with the release of his memoirs in 2015. With his dark humour, the 2015 book ‘I Hate Myselfie’ has already been enjoyed by millions of teens around the world.
The most prominent LGBT voice on Youtube from the US started his career in 2007 with his first video upload. Since then he’s received numerous nominations and awards for his work. With his 2015 release ‘Binge’, he shares hysterical moments from his life and talks about eating disorders and coming out. Taylor shares the lot!
British YouTube vlogger Phil Lester along with his collaborator Dan Howell co-wrote this 2015 book, which was a bestseller on both sides of the Atlantic. It even resulted in a UK and US tour the following year. They also wrote a follow up book in 2016 entitled ‘Dan and Phil go outside’ in which they share the adventures they had during the year. These guys are definitely on fire!
In 2007 a 16 year old high school student started uploading videos to YouTube with a classmate. Fast forward 10 years and this star vlogs daily to his 8 million subscribers. And not content with just one channel, he also has a gaming channel with over 2 million subscribers. In his 2015 memoirs he looks back on his journey. He also released a fiction novel entitled Children of Eden in 2016, which was critically acclaimed!
Zoe Suggs rose to fame as a UK fashion and beauty vlogger. The first of her ‘Girl Online’ books was released in 2014, which broke records and appeared at the top of the bestsellers list. With around 12 million subscribers her popularity is evident. Two more books followed. ‘Girl Online: On Tour’ in 2015 and our pick, ‘Girl Online: Going Solo’.
This award winner YouTube personality came to our attention in 2010 and since then has released 2 books. His first was his memoirs in 2015, ‘A Work in Progress’, which he spent more than a year writing. The follow-up, ‘Note To Self’, sees Connor explore issues such as depression and anxiety which gives the reader a real insight into his life.
This star is widely known for appearing in the YouTube series ‘My Drunken Kitchen’, in which she cooks something while drunk. After its popularity a book deal was inevitable and in 2014 we saw the release of ‘My Drunk Kitchen: A Guide to Eating, Drinking, and Going with Your Gut’. As has been commented before, this book is probably not going to improve on your culinary skills but for sure it will make you laugh! Her 2016 book ‘Buffering: Unshared Tales of a Life Fully Loaded’, is a memoir in which she explores the many issues throughout her life.
This British Youtuber started his career in 2011 and today has more than 8 million subscribers. In 2015 he became an author with the release of the graphic novel ‘Username: Evie’. This number one bestseller deals with the issue of bullying and the loss of a loved one. In 2016 we saw the release of the second book in the series titled ‘Username: Regenerated’.
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