My sister is also a bookworm and of course, as the bunso, I have this tendency to follow everything she does haha. I still vividly remember how we would buy every volume of W.I.T.C.H and we would read it together.

Who are some of the authors you love and why?

Lately, Emily Henry, Ashley Poston and Ali Hazelwood have been my 'auto-buy' authors. But I also enjoy the writing of Fredrik Backman and Brandon Sanderson.

✿ MAKING A NAME ON BOOKTOK

I started watching BookTok back in 2020 when I was studying for my board exam. That was also the time when the pandemic was at its peak, hence it gave me a sort of escape. I had fun reading people's recommendations. So after my board exam, I decided to create videos, too. I like how BookTok is very candid. It made me feel like I’m just sharing a book that I like with a friend.

Julienne's Tiktok content is authentic, down-to-earth, light, and fun. You'll find book recommendations, insightful reviews, and epic collabs!

Did you ever imagine your love for books would translate to a 160k+ strong Booktok community? How did you navigate the initial growth and exposure?

As someone who has been creating bookish content since 2016, I have dreamt of having a large audience to share my love for books. But it was still so surprising to me when my first video got so many interactions. I was just expecting 10 likes yet I got 10,000. 

At first, I was scared because I thought this happy feeling was just fleeting. I thought that it was just luck. But I’m VERY VERY grateful that a lot of the viewers from my very first video still stayed until now. It felt like all the hard work from 2016 paid off. It literally felt like so many of my prayers were being answered. 

I did my best to be consistent in every video. Before uploading it, I have this test: the first person I should entertain is myself. I have to make sure that I enjoyed making and watching the video before I share it to the world.

✿ BUILDING A FILIPINA VOICE IN THE BOOK COMMUNITY

Are there any tools that you found particularly helpful on your journey as an influencer and content creator?

I think the best way to improve is to just do it! I watched my old videos (especially from 2016) and it was SO visible that I was not yet comfortable with the camera. But after many years, it really gets better. I also love watching other bookish creators and interacting with them, because they inspire me to create more content. I think that reading books on communication skills help too! I recommend 'Influence is your Superpower' by Zoe Chance.

What advice would you give to aspiring Filipina Booktokers who want to follow in your footsteps as a creative influencer and content creator who are hesitant to take the leap and pursue their creative dreams? How did you overcome fear or self-doubt?

At the end of the day, we are all just too busy to care about anything but ourselves. That is what I always keep in my mind. At first, I was afraid and I even received comments saying that I was ‘trying-hard’, ‘cringe’ and so much more. But I think, we are all just not used to seeing people ‘starting’ or ‘trying’. 

How can we be better if we don’t try? How can the opportunities find you if you don’t put yourself out there? 

It might take a long time but I believe that every hard work eventually pays off. Sometimes, not in the way that we expect it to. 

My good tip is to surround yourself with people who support you. I owe it to the people who supported my content creator dreams. My two roommates who watched me upload my first video, my family who has been watching my homemade vlogs since I was 6 years old, and my friends who always celebrate my wins and helped me in my losses. 

Of course, your biggest supporter should also be you. Ever since 2016, when I was getting 100-200 views for a video that I edited for 10 hours (!!!), I already had this feeling that eventually people who love the same things would find me. And they did! 

Julienne's first ever Tiktok video where she shares a mini book haul featuring Haikyuu manga.

What do you consider are the biggest challenges with content creating for a book community? How do you handle such challenges?

Challenge 1. Being continually creative. I always make sure that every video that I do is fun not just for the viewers, but also for me! I watch bookish content creators that inspire me. When it starts to feel more like work than fun, I tend to take breaks to prevent burnout. 

Challenge 2. Being consistent.  It's very difficult to be consistent, especially with short-form content wherein you must capture their attention within 10 seconds because it's very easy to scroll! I also feel like with TikTok, it's a challenge to always upload consistently because of its algorithm. I think I overcame this by building a community even outside TikTok. Through broadcast channels, Instagram, and a bookclub (coming soon!). I am so happy that I know and see a lot of viewers who have been watching my videos since 2021! I am grateful that there are people who still watch my videos even if I take long breaks hehe.

We collaborated with Julienne in 2020 before she even took the Booktok community by storm! We found her Youtube channel and immediately knew she deserves a larger audience! 

✿ DEALING WITH READING SLUMPS & CREATIVE ROADBLOCKS

What are your personal tips for staying inspired and keeping your content fresh, especially while managing such a demanding academic schedule as a med student?

I take long breaks and I think my community knows that because they call me their 'favorite ghoster'. 👻 But despite the breaks, I don't stop reading. It's like a vacation! Whenever I come back on TikTok, I have 'pasalubongs' aka book recos hehe. I also plan my schedule thoroughly. My friends know this because I tend to get stressed when there are sudden events! 😂 I aim to really follow what I planned (even though, of course, there are times when life is just so hard to keep up with and I end up just sleeping haha).

What are your ultimate goals and aspirations in the space of content creating?

My main goal is to create a safe space for everyone who loves books and for those who want to start loving them. I started bookstagram in 2016 and I can't explain with words the joy I got from having internet friends wherein I can share my love for reading. I want people to experience this too. I also want to be able to do this for a long long time.

Are there any upcoming projects or collaborations you'd like to share with our audience? 

For upcoming projects, I have things lined up! I'll be launching an online book club soon and I've been preparing for it. I'm also working on a secret project that I cannot disclose yet but let's just say that it involves a longer form of content.

✿ HOW TO SUPPORT

🤳 Tiktok: lovejulienne

📸 Instagram: juliennereads

Thank you for being here! We're glad to share Julienne's story as we celebrate women and their passion to create! All photos are from Julienne's public social media accounts. Leave a comment for us to read! We'd love to hear your thoughts.