Thank you for the kindest comments imaginable, I've been shocked and heartened by all the kind words 🥹 I want to clarify that I'm doing fine, I promise! The new way I interact with comments has helped me feel less burdened by the worst parts of the internet. I'm grateful for you and that you watch any of my videos and make it possible for this hobby to be so fulfilling. Thank you!

@rohanmulgaokar5682

4 ай бұрын

I just want to say thank you for making such an informative videos. A lot of people want to make KZread videos and then they get burnt out and all . The perception of them like not being hardworkers or putting in the time is wrong. It's just that they're not prepared for the cesspool that is the internet and the alligator that is the algorithm. This has helped me understand why my favourite creators do what they do and also what I may want to be ready for if ( that's a biggg if now) I ever do become a content creator. If you've read till here, thank you. BTw this is the first video I've watched of your channel and I'm gonna subscribe

@alexandrebelinge8996

4 ай бұрын

it was a fun video very insightful !

@alexandrebelinge8996

4 ай бұрын

Anonymity gives people lots of liberty I think in the nasty comment way.

Thank you for the transparency video! I can't emphasize highly enough how truthful and relatable the hate comments portion is. I've wanted to make this video for a while now, but never seem to find the energy for it. But yeah, it is frankly astounding the number of hate comments we do get, most of them unseen by viewers, just for talking about books. The name-calling, the racial slurs, the accusations, the assumptions out of thin air. It truly makes me wonder why people are so hateful sometimes. And as you said, it's not even on a controversial video. Sometimes it's just a book haul or even a TBR video. Someone once told me, that after 10k subs, you will see the hate comments starting to come in. And that statement couldn't be more true. For what it's worth, I love your videos. I think they are incredible. Just like this one. :)

@gryftkin

5 ай бұрын

Hey! Who let Petrik in here? I hate that guy. :D

@Bookborn

5 ай бұрын

I'm glad we can all agree on it, but it's also depressing seeing all of the content creators being like "YEAH! People just yell at me all the time!" 🥲 And it is so confusing, you wouldn't think a TBR video would be controversial...yet someone always has something to say. I'm so grateful you are in our community Petrik!

@DanAdiletta

5 ай бұрын

Thanks you two for being so resilient. I appreciate your thoughtful content even more knowing that you have to wade through so much muck to deliver it to us.

@aussiization

5 ай бұрын

I'm sorry you guys have to deal with hateful viewers. I just wanted to say I appreciate both your channels and am thankful for you and your content. You both are positive influences on the world.

@NevsBookChannel

5 ай бұрын

This is so true. Even on a small channel like mine the comments can mess with your head when people just say ridiculous things

Bookborn! I know this is unpopular, but turn them mid-roll ads on! Your work is worth the inconvenience. You deserve to get paid! Love your content. Thanks!

@thequeen901

5 ай бұрын

Idk I tend to watch channels with incessant ads less often even if it’s quality content. The world is just too full of ads in todays day and age

@Popsicle1121

5 ай бұрын

Please run mid-rolls - you do way too much to not pay yourself. Your content has worth! I don't love ads either, but I am always happy to support the FREE content I'm consuming. Us viewers seem to forget we're getting the best curated specific-to-our-interests content here on KZread. The least we can do is spend 5-15 seconds to hit skip ad for the hours and hours you put into your channel.

@randomriftvideos

5 ай бұрын

@Popsicle1121 Yeah, that's sorta how I feel. I don't love ads, but it's free content and I want people to continue to create and get paid to do it. For me it's a fair trade. If I don't want ads I would pay for KZread premium.

@Popsicle1121

5 ай бұрын

@@randomriftvideos precisely!

@user-tv6gm2wf6z

5 ай бұрын

I agree, the same goes with sponsors. I think we all realize content creators don’t often use the products etc. and it’s not a personal endorsement. While ads and sponsors are a bit annoying the monetary benefit to the content creator makes them worthwhile, even from the perspective of a viewer.

I had NO IDEA about those hate comments! I'm so sorry you or any creator has had to deal with that bullying, especially in a way that keeps you isolated. I really appreciate your being so honest. I think you're a fantastic creator and I really enjoy your videos!

@Bookborn

5 ай бұрын

Thank you for watching ♥ Really, the good does outweigh the bad, but sometimes talking about it also helps ease it!

@bazzasstocksport9476

5 ай бұрын

I don't always watch but you are pretty good. When I do watch keep up the good work

“And then I met the internet” Really enjoyed this video. I’ve watched probably to many transparency videos but never knew y’all had a different comment section. Really explains a lot. Thanks for sharing!

@Bookborn

5 ай бұрын

We all have to "meet the internet" at some point 🥲

You said you are grateful for us, but many many of us are even more grateful for you and all the effort you put in to what you do. It was fascinating to hear about the monetization and sad, but not surprising, to hear about the haters. Just to let you know there are a lot more lovers out there than haters. Keep up the awesome work and thank you.

@Bookborn

5 ай бұрын

♥Thank you so much for the kind words

Your ASOIAF videos are how I stumbled upon your channel and I really love everything about your videos and your presentation, plus your personality is really awesome. I hope you grow exponentially because you really do deserve it.

@JLchevz

2 ай бұрын

Same

As a booktuber this was incredibly cathartic to hear. Thank you for your honesty. Being seen and publicly criticized has been tough, but i like to view it as a character building exercise 💪

@Bookborn

5 ай бұрын

We'll be stronger than ever soon 🤣

This is one of the most open videos I've ever seen on the business of youtube and creator experience. Until this video I also had the "well are the comments really that bad?" opinion, but didn't understand how they were displayed for creators. Thank you for sharing that.

@joshjansen86

5 ай бұрын

Right! I’ve always had the idea of what is X creator talking about, the comment section loves them, now it makes WAY more sense

@Bookborn

5 ай бұрын

Thank you for watching! And yeah, it's so interesting because before I was a creator I thought the exact same thing. Truly an experience you have to have to believe.

Wow, this was great. As fellow booktubers, it is beneficial to hear about your journey and process. Comments are an odd beast to tackle. Like you said, on one hand, you are grateful to the people interacting with your work; on the other, some comments are hard to imagine coming from a real human being. Anyway, we wanted you to know we appreciate having you on this platform!

@Bookborn

5 ай бұрын

The real question is which one of you reads comments more. My vote is on Rich lol

@caspianrobins7756

5 ай бұрын

@@Bookborn From what I've seen, it's Austin who tends to reply (at least on their own channel). Love your videos (both of you) and am very grateful to see them.

Thanks for making this! As a content creator myself, I very much relate to your sentiment of thinking you'd be okay with a few hate comments here and there, then turning out to be more sensitive to them than you thought. My channel is still small, but ever since it's started to get some modicum of attention, I've been surprised by the way my body has reacted to getting comments at times, even with all my attempts to persuade myself they don't matter. I remember the first time one of my videos skyrocketed to like 70,000 views out of nowhere - back when I still had only a couple hundred subscribers - and I would sometimes find myself shaking uncontrollably because I just kept thinking about the comments that were rolling in, nonstop, every hour of the day. My reaction took me completely by surprise, as much as the video blowing up did. I don't think there's anything I could have done to prepare myself for it. And nowadays, even though I've gotten used to the constant influx of comments, I still fixate on the negative ones over all the positives ones, and spend nights tossing and turning wondering if I've done something horrible. Obviously there are plenty of things worse, but it's such a bizarre experience and it's hard to describe to someone who hasn't experienced it themselves. Anyway, really appreciated your honesty here!

@Bookborn

5 ай бұрын

oh my gosh YES. YES YES YES! I think it's just the shock of it. When you go to your comment section, you just never know when you are going to be hit out of the blue with something. And then when you get the same sort of nasty comment over and over again in the same video...it's so exhausting. And you DO fixate! And you think "i'll explain myself BETTER next time!" and then someone comments "why do you over explain yourself so much" ☠ It's a never-ending cycle.

It's really cool to get this kind of insight into the process. As an English teacher, I get a lot of students tell me they want to be content creators (one or two of them even want to be booktubers), but they have no idea about is entailed in the process. So, it's nice to be able to give them both a resource and a great channel to check out.

@Bookborn

5 ай бұрын

I think it's so funny how times have changed, and that you have students saying they want to be content creators. I sound like an old person but it still surprises me 😂

Thanks for this. I'm just a viewer with no interest in ever being a creator. As such I've never put any brain power into how content actually gets to my screen. Even stupid stuff like how much a good camera costs, never really considered any of that, so thanks for mentioning the costs to involved. It gives me appreciation for all the content I watch and what it actually takes behind the scenes. For many years I've written as a hobby, mostly for myself and a few friend/writers. I always had it in the back of my head that someday I'd like to try to publish something and share it with the world. That urge has been completely snuffed out at this point. The ease in which people can just pour on the hate and negativity, it's just not ever going to be worth it for me. I'm glad you do this and hope you keep at it. Thank you again for your time, energy, and passion.

@Bookborn

5 ай бұрын

Oh no! I don't want to convince you not to do it! If it's something you really love and believe in, I think the good will outweigh the bad. I know the online author community is a super friendly and awesome place. Although, yes, I think getting commentary on something you pour your heart into that takes so long, especially if it's not constructive, can hurt so bad.

@CharlesBHamlyn

4 ай бұрын

@@Bookborn I was just sharing my admiration for what you do. I came to the decision to not be public with my stuff a while ago and was just sharing my thoughts on the state of the Internet and culture. I'm just doing what's right for me, but I am forever thankful for people like you that do what you do. Thank you agian!

the single most honest, transparent and clear behind the scenes from a Creator I've ever experienced. Thank you - but after watching so many of your videos, this is expected of you - conducive of your character and personality - thank you for that. You're a true gem of a person. Oh and your book reviews and discussions are pretty damn good too!! ;)

@Bookborn

5 ай бұрын

This is the kindest message, thank you. These things mean a lot to me, truly!

I'm not interested in the content creation part of KZread, but you are so well articulate and honest about everything you cover here in this channel that I had to watch it. Great video and I hope KZread stop sending notifications of mean comments before filtering it, it's a bad design, they should change it. The hate comments won't stop, because, Internet, but the algorithm should start to help instead of deteriorating the mental health of creators

@Bookborn

5 ай бұрын

I don't necessarily know if that's even KZreads fault, tbh - their algorithms/AI that helps moderate that stuff takes time at such a large scale. At some point, KZread can't control that people behave so badly in the anonymity of the internet. I had control of turning off notifications, though, and that did help!

Wow what a great insight into being a KZreadr! I don’t normally comment on videos but I feel like I had to give a little positivity to you. I also did not realize the difference of what the viewer sees and what the creator sees with comments. I always had the same view as you had that they were sensitive but now it makes more sense lol.

@Bookborn

5 ай бұрын

Yeah, I mean obviously I had the same view too until I did it myself! Which is just why I wanted to get it out there, because I feel like content creators do come off like...overly sensitive or blowing it out of proportion and I just feel I have to defend it a little bit 🤣

I didn't realize your channel is so new! I thought you'd been doing this forever with how great your videos are and I was late to the party. Like others have said already, this was so interesting and loved the transparency. Excited for the eventual patreon!

@Bookborn

5 ай бұрын

That's so kind, thank you 🥹

Wow I feel all of this in a BIG way! *Especially* as a new/small Booktube channel it's SO cool to see the reality of what a KZread journey looks like!! Thanks so much for taking the time to share! Also on the comments side... it's crazy how many people take the time out of their day to say rude/mean things on random content, but I guess that's just the way the internet is sometimes :P We've already started to see that.

@Bookborn

5 ай бұрын

Do you ever want to just be like...bro who hurt you, why are you this angry about a fantasy book channel 🥲

Very insightful! I had no idea about how bad the hate could be. Glad you can keep adding great content despite the hate.

💓You're awesome Bookborn!!!

@Bookborn

5 ай бұрын

♥♥♥

I’m always excited when I see one of your videos drop! Thanks for your insights/experience in this one.

Echo some the comments saying to turn on midroll ads. I get KZread is a labour of love but it's still a labour. Appreciate you sharing your whole approach to KZread and the finances behind it so openly. Thank you for all your efforts!

I always find these kinds of videos fascinating. Thanks for sharing!

Great video, it is nice to get some insight into your process. I really do enjoy your wheel of time videos, so I appreciate all the work you put into those

Your A song of Ice and Fire videos are what got me here. Love the channel!

Love the channel!! Thanks for all your hard work. As soon as the patreon/discord goes up, I’m freakin in!

Great video! Thanks for sharing all of the nitty gritty details. It’s really opens my eyes as I’m trying to grow my own channel. So thanks for giving me things to look forward to and to watch out for

Thanks for sharing your experience and work put into what you do on YT. I appreciate your insights and content! I'm glad you feel that the benefits outweigh the negatives

This was extremely helpful. I appreciate the detail and openness to share. Thank you!

This was so informative! I really appreciate your transparency on all aspects of being a booktuber.

Thank you so much for sharing! You are by far my favorite on here. You bring wonderful topics to the fore and insightful and thought provoking ones! Sadly, the internet is a wonderful place and an absolutely vile one at the same time. I don't understand those who interact in such negative ways. I have seen it in so many places and I am sorry you have to deal with all of that! This should be a discussion... but sadly too many view it as a way to rage and hide behind an anonymous screen. Also found the transparency report fascinating. Thank you for sharing!!

Thank you for this video and perfect timing! As I just made the requirements for monetization. As of now, I did not add mid-roll ads (and not sure if I ever will), as I'm just too new. (Personally, I think you earned to run them, especially after watching this, but that is of course up to you). I've been pretty lucky with hateful comments so far...a couple of criticisms pop in here and there, nothing compared to what you showed us. I do have a couple of people trolling my channel just to click the thumbs down on every one of my videos though. Haha. -Cheers and keep up the amazing content!

@Bookborn

5 ай бұрын

You know you’ve made it when you have the people who downvote every single video 🥲🥲

That was really insightful, thank you for talking about all of that stuff! I’m not big enough to be faced with a lot of that yet, just a couple here and there. It makes me think hard about how much “success” I want to strive for.

Your channel is real quality - you are doing amazing and your time will come. Thanks for keeping this up!

This kind of content is very interesting, and thank you for sharing it. I’m not a subscriber but I’ve viewed all your ASOIAF videos and now this one. Keep up the good work!

What a great video, thanks for all the incites. I feel so much of what you said and I've got a fraction of the subs. Especially the part about the hate comments, people are so mean on the internet and it's hard that they take up more brain space than all the great people who love what you do when it should e the reverse.

Really great video! Never watched you before but I found it very insightful and eye opening. Keep up the great work!

Thank you, Bookborn, for this and every one of your videos! My 2024 TBR is looking epic because of your thoughtful commentary.

This is why I LOL when someone asks if I'd ever quit my job and do BookTube full time. The same people make snarky comments about ads and having a Patreon.

@Bookborn

4 ай бұрын

Just saw this right now and YES lol! Anytime someone asks if I want it to be a primary source of income I laugh. Can you imagine dealing with this every day and having your livelihood depend on it? NEVER

Love this video and its honesty! Love your channel! ❤

Love your content. Your channel helped get me back into reading and more than that I think much more critically about my reads now. Also just finished thread light and pass some love along to your husband. Great trilogy. Keep doing what you’re doing, the overwhelming majority here love what you create!

Love your honesty/transparency/general-no-BS as always Bookborn 😄 I avoided mid-roll ads in my videos for the same reasons (I write Ambient music for studying and sleeping so not ideal to wake people up in the middle 😂) I ended up ticking that box and realised I could manually place just one mid-roll ad at the verrrrry end of the video (right before the post-vid ad would show up) I figured most people would click away by that point, but for the audience binge-listening to my vids on a playlist, it would help me get a few extra bucks! I’m not sure if that’s something you’d want on your channel but could be worth trying it to see if your RPM goes up at all 🧐 Keep up the great work as always!!

@Bookborn

5 ай бұрын

lol not the add in the middle of ambient music 🤣 I put a sleep podcast on for my daughter once and it had the LOUDEST upbeat ad right in the middle of the calmest story and I was like...REALLY! But...gonna be honest, good idea about the midroll add right at the end...

Great video! Keep climbing!

Hey I discovered your channel a year ago and loved the analytical/research approach you take to most of the videos. Keep it up

You are amazing and one of my favorite creators. I love watching your videos and appreciate the way you talk about topics that need attention.

Fascinating video. As someone in the finance field I love videos like these. Its crazy to me that you barely made a profit in 2021 and 2022. I am glad 2023 you saw a good increase in profits. Lets hope 2024 the trend continues. Though It is always surprised me you have never had a Patreon (or even a discord), but I respect you desire for growth and just doing this for fun. Even if I think your Pateron would be popular because your video's are so unique and analytical compared to most Booktubers (I know I’d sign up for it). Happy to see your growth. Even if you have to deal with nasty comments.

@Bookborn

5 ай бұрын

That's really kind! I was never interested in Patreon tbh, but now I'm thinking I might do it, if not just as a way to interact with people in a way that feels less intimidating (hopefully people won't join my patreon to hate on me 😅). Once my daughter goes to school next year and I feel like I have the proper time to actually commit to it, I think I might pull the trigger.

@titans1fan93

5 ай бұрын

@@Bookborn I am sure it will be only people who enjoy your videos. It saddens me you get trolls and angry comments enough on KZread, but i feel like Pateron is a safe enough sapce. Hope you have time one day!

I love hearing your opinion even if I don’t always agree. You’re one of my favorite booktubers for that reason. I hate that you’re experiencing hate comments. I’m also glad you’re speaking out about it.

Thank you for this breakdown and transparency!

Thanks for another great video Bookborn! It's great to get an inside peak into how book tube works. Sorry you have to deal with hate comments. You're probably my favorite booktuber and i always appreciate your takes even on things we disagree about.

Thank you for your hard work!Wouldn’t mind mid roll ads personally. Found your channel through the game of thrones reviews

@TwiisTed19

5 ай бұрын

I’d like to add that videos like yours helped me find my love for reading again, so please don’t get discouraged by the hate.

So much of what I love about your videos is how you look at things from an analytical perspective. I find it fascinating, even if I can’t figure out how to do that myself. Plus, anytime creators go through their analytics I find it fascinating. So keep it up. 👍🏼 -T

This is a really great behind-the-scenes look at actually running a KZread channel. Very informative, and eye-opening. We used Streamyard a lot at work when you couldn't have humans together in the same room and it's great, but yeah if you aren't streaming pretty regularly it is totally not a worthwhile expense. Thanks for putting this out there. I think it's really beneficial for all of us in the audience to get this peek behind the curtain. And, just thanks. I don't watch every single video because I haven't read every book you're talking about, etc., but I am very appreciative of what you're doing. I hope you continue to enjoy doing this.

@Bookborn

5 ай бұрын

Yeah tbh I actually think Streamyard gives you a ton of value for what they offer...as long as you're using it haha. Even just the ability to download/save videos and have your own screen is really beneficial. Thank you for the kind words!

Thank you for making this video! I'm not surprised with the monetary side, but it was certainly eye opening about the hate comments - l knew this was a problem but was not aware of the extent of it. It helps me better understand what people mean when they talk about KZread affecting their mental health! Also thanks for the explanation of the algorithm. People say that word a lot, but your explanation is the clearest I've seen so far, in unpacking what that means.

As someone who just started their own BookTube channel, I cannot overstate how valuable I find this kind of content. Thank you for always putting viewers first, you are an inspiration!

You are such a gem. Your authenticity and openness are so refreshing. Thank you for making great content. Just speaking for myself here. I would love to see you make more money from this as the enjoyment i get out of watching your content is incredible, but honestly, you do you. Thanks again

Appreciate you for sharing all of this information! It’s too bad to hear about all of the hate that you and other KZreadrs receive. I think your content is fantastic and I am thankful that you continue creating said content. I just picked up the first book in the Dandelion Dynasty because of your recommendation and cannot wait to start it!

Thank you for this video. Super insightful and interesting!

Great video. Thank you for the behind the curtain insights. This answered lots of questions that I’ve had about KZread and how it works for a KZreadr.

As a creator myself I love seeing the process other creators have and I appreciate how open and honest you are in this video. I also agree the internet is brutal and mean/rude comments can slowly bring a person down. Great video!!

I found you from your review of The Book That Wouldn’t Burn, and I love how detailed your videos are. The immense amount of effort you put in comes across and I’ve gotten so many great recs from you, so thanks for taking the time to share all of your bookish thoughts! ❤

Thank you for sharing the details. I've been thinking about starting my own booktube channel and this gave me a lot of greate information!

I would wait through a midroll ad. And thank you for explaining the hate comments from the creator side. I wondered.

Really appreciated the transparency in this video! Genuinely changed my perspective on YT creators. Had no clue the dynamics of the payouts and the impact sponsors have.

I really appreciate your perspective. I have so much more respect for all the You Tube creators now, including yourself. Especially those who suffer from mental health issues in their "real" lives. Thank you so much for this all of your other thought provoking videos.

I BELIEVE YOU! :) about the trauma of a comments section... and it sounds even more brutal than I've imagined. Nice to hear you say that the positive outweighs the negative.

Thanks so much for this deep dive. And so sorry you have to deal with negative comments. I got 2 negative comments my first week of my channel and it was such a downer, so I can't imagine what you have to deal with on a regular basis. Glad you have found a good method of avoiding them!

This is a really interesting video. Appreciate the transparency about the finances, because that's certainly a topic that people often seem to shy away from. The mid-roll ad thing isn't something I've ever thought about, but it makes sense that it would be such a jump. As for the hate comment thing, it's sadly unsurprising, but as you noted, it's definitely not just being "thin skinned" or "too sensitive". Pretty much every creator who I've ever heard talk about has said that no matter how thick your shell is 99% of the time, eventually there's going to be that 1% of the time where you see a negative comment that just pierces right through. Maybe it's a comment that unknowingly strikes right on something you're already upset about, maybe it's so vile even above-and-beyond, or maybe it just happens on an already crappy day where you're already a bit down.

@Bookborn

5 ай бұрын

You really nailed it, lol. Like sometimes someone writes something that just strikes right through to an insecurity or you're just having a day where it is just the straw that broke the camels back.

Wow I really enjoyed the look behind the scenes. I really appreciate your channel, thanks to you and a few other booktubers that you led me to my passion for reading has been renewed the last couple years. The quality of books I've been reading has also really increased, I feel like I'm enjoying almost everything I read these days because I've been getting such good recommendations from your channel!

You are doing a great job! It’s a pleasure watching your book reviews and thoughts. Please keep going and ignore the negativity. Best wishes! 😇🤓

Thanks so much for making this, I started my channel in August 2023 and have been shocked at how quickly mine has grown so it's really cool to see where this might go. I was really interested to see the things you chose to buy in particular.

I'm not a youtuber but I found this very informative and interesting. I also think this will be a good resource for anyone who is looking to start a book tube or KZread channel (especially if they are hoping to make a living off of it). I'm really sorry you have to deal with such vitriol on a regular basis, no one deserves that. Thank you for your channel, I've really enjoyed your videos & hope that the negatives don't ever deter you from continuing to make such great content.

I loved the transparency. I'm relatively new to the channel, found you through the Sanderson review. I'm sorry you and all creators have to deal with the hate comments. Thank you for sharing. I just learned your husband is an author from the TBR CON, I recognized your background in a panel he's on. I'll have to find reviews of his books now.

@Bookborn

5 ай бұрын

heheh yes! A lot of people end up connecting us because of the background 🤣

I used to constantly have anxiety about the "top 10" video rating on studio. It was terrible for mental health. Keep it up you are doing amazing :)

@Bookborn

2 ай бұрын

Glad to know I"m not the only one 😅

I loved everything about this!!! Thank you so much for putting yourself out there, we are all so enriched by your beautiful heart and beautiful brain 💗 I honestly didn't know the extent to which creators are subjected to negativity. Your solution to interact like a viewer is so smart!

Love your content and I’m blown away you get any hate comments because you always seem so sincere and respectful. I guess some people just like to try breaking and tearing things down. I hope you can tune out that awful noise and enjoy what you do and share your gift with your audience 🎉

What you said about hate comments calling you an idiot made my heart so sad! I love your commentary and perspectives so much because it is obvious that you think deeply about things before saying them and then you speak very articulately! I don't agree with every idea you put forward but I love being pushed to see things differently or even changing my viewpoint because of your good arguments. Sorry the internet is the worst--you're too pure for this platform haha

I’m very appreciative of all the time and passion that you put into your videos. I’m one of the people who found your channel from your Wheel of Time episode review videos and stuck around for all the great analysis/video essays and book reviews. You, Daniel Green and Elliot Brooks basically got me back into reading again after over a decade of inconsistent reading. Last year I read 25 books (including some manga), I have formed a book club with some friends (where we’re reading 2 books a month) and I have read 3 books and 9 manga so far this month! I finally got a new library card (mine expire after not using for so many years) and have been checking out books and audiobooks again! I’ve also challenged myself to FINALLY continue my Wheel of Time journey. I’ve had all the book for so long, but has only read the first two. Last year I did a reread of of book 1 and 2 and I’m halfway through The Dragon Reborn as we speak. So thank you for everything you put into this channel, and know that you have had an impact (on me at least)! My TBR list has so many books in it now from authors that you introduced me too! 🎉📚

Great video! Keep creating content from your heart. I recently subscribed to you after listening to Yumi and Painter video. You are really genuine and friendly. Keep being you and continue your process to filter out negative comments

Bookborn, thank you for a very informative video. I find you intelligent and entertaining and I love your content, in fact, your reviews and discussions encouraged me to get back to reading good science and fantasy fiction again after years of immersion in Game of Thrones fan fiction. I think I first started watching your reviews of the "Wheel of Time" TV show directed towards non-book viewers and was impresssed enough to follow ALL your content. I am mainly writing to encourage you to set up a Patreon site, as I would support it in a heartbeat and believe you deserve the money. Keep up the good work!

I find your channel easily my favorite. Every time I finish one of your videos, I find myself thinking about whatever subject you talked about. I liked your Game of Thrones videos so much I started rereading the series, something I swore I would never to until the next book came out. I am sorry about the hate comments but I thank you sincerely for your time.

This was sooo interesting, thanks for sharing!

Hello Bookborn. Thank you for doing this video. I (along with many others) appreciate your transparency and honesty about being a Booktuber. I have watched some of your videos over the past year and have enjoyed your topical ones the most. Especially your prior video about subtlety in fiction. Anyway, I have thought about becoming a Booktuber since I’ve been book review blogger from the past 13 years. This video has given me a lot to think about in my decision. My apologies for the hateful comments that you have received and are continuing to get. Art (in all forms) should be a place for robust discussion and a lot of times fandom or people being hateful gets in the way of it. I hope you have a great support system and keep doing for as long as you want too.

Hey! Viewer who started watching during the first WoT season here. I usually don’t comment on anything, but felt like I really needed to on this. I really appreciated this deep dive and seeing the hard work and thought you’ve put into the channel for our benefit. I’m only a very casual fantasy consumer, but your perspectives are so well-thought out and helpful, and your presentation so clear and accessible, that I find all your content so compelling. Thank you for everything, and I hope this channel grows into whatever you want it to be.

I rarely post comments. But thank you for making this video and also making effort to read and reply to "non-hate" comments. I just have to say I subbed to this channel all because of your videos on Cosmere, and WoT. You are my first booktuber!! I view almost every video (except GoT material, I have not boarded that train), and discovered lots of good books to start on. I found your taste in books matches mine quite nicely. Keep up the good work!

Thanks for this very insightful video! I don’t normally comment but I want to let you know I really appreciate your content! I just don’t understand all the haters on KZread. You do an amazing job with your book reviews and with exploring fascinating topics for all of us who love reading!

Thank you so much for your transparency! I definitely believe that you deal with some terribly hateful comments - I used to be part of a number of Wheel of Time groups, and once the show came out they almost all turned into cesspools. I went from having light hearted chats with fellow book fans to getting absolutely ripped apart for any perspective I offered - with pretty much any criticism of the show resulting in calling me out for being a cis straight white male who was clearly homophonic, racist, a bigot, etc. It was even group leaders saying these things a fair portion of the time. And even the slightest praise resulted in being told I wasn't a fan of the books, I was a snowflake pushing a woke agenda. These conversations were with people I had once considered friends too - so I can only imagine how much worse it is for the general anonymity of KZread accounts. And, just because I feel the need to justify myself -I started reading the books when I was a teen in the very early 2000s. I chose to get into the film industry over a decade ago in hopes of being part of the team that brought the books to the small screen (something I saw as an inevitability). I'm now a 10+ year veteran in the film industry - primarily as a vfx artist and supervisor, but also having written scripts, done camera work, helped as an AD, scriptie, gaffer, grip, worked as a professional photographer for a while, and a copy and content editor (for novels and scripts). I've worked on indie projects, major blockbusters, installation projects, virtual reality, corporate videos, and everything in between. I've done deep breakdowns of every book, how to adapt it in either 8 or 10 episode seasons (it would require 9-10 seasons depending on the length of the season), and those are all with typical production limitations taken into account, working through how to combine or cut characters, scenes, locations, etc. I've done vfx tests for different things from the books. But despite those years of investment, I was shunned by group leaders and new fans alike without any consideration to my criticism or praise - just because I presented an idea they didn't already agree with. Getting back to the point - I love that you have an honest look at the financial and time investment (and reward) of getting into KZread! I've been considering starting up a podcast, and doing some videos that would simplify and make more easily accessible my 240 page deep dive into season 1 - and this gives me a great starting point to work from. I'm glad you are filtering those horrible comments, and taking care of your mental health - and not letting it dissuade you from continuing on your video content creation journey! I love watching your videos, so keep em coming. 😊

@Bookborn

5 ай бұрын

Asking for a friend, where would I find this 240 page deep dive 👀 I would LOVE to read something like this with your extensive background in the actual industry! But yeah, the WoT fandom kind of imploded with the show, it sucked. I keep trying to tell people, this isn't the WoT fandom I used to know - the one that could take almost any criticism agains the books and be like "oh yeah we get it!" and just...roll with it, have fun, discuss it. I'm hoping it'll die down eventually and go back to what it was...

@jeremyvanneman8112

5 ай бұрын

@@Bookborn I had everything broken down by episode, then an "interesting data" one too. I eventually had another KZreadr request a chance to read through it, but she had only read through the first two books - so I refined it down into a single document that cut any of my commentary that included spoilers beyond book 2. It's open for anyone to comment, so I'd love to hear your thoughts. I will say, I didn't critique the VFX, the editing, the camera work, or the quality of the first season as an adaptation. I only critiqued the consistency of the story itself as a standalone work. I only brought up the books when I thought it bizarre that they changed things from the books for no apparent reason (again, from a filmmaker's perspective). docs.google.com/document/d/1mHB01EwiGQ28o-Mh3xbBM1vjVHqsopeYbkHiKry_WQU/edit?usp=sharing

@jeremyvanneman8112

5 ай бұрын

@@Bookborn Also, I couldn't agree more! I really hope we can get back to those fun discussions, and go back to the super supportive, friendly attitude Wheel of Timers had until the show was released.

Bookborn I'm shoked that someone would hate on you for any of your oppinions. I've joined your channel last year and I've loved always how you present your points in a way which makes them clear but also leaves a door opened for debate. For your deep dives I use to watch them and then replay it to my partner. Thank you for your content and for thia nice space in youtube!

I've heard other KZreadrs talk about negative comments before, and one thing that was said that I think is SO accurate: People making mean/negative comments are telling you more about themselves than they are about you or your content. Some people just need a place to rant about something, and content creators are an easy target. You make great content. Please do not let the negative people get you down. Please do not stop.

@Bookborn

5 ай бұрын

Oh they TOTALLY are. Honestly, the ones that are out of left field are pretty funny (like the ones I posted, honestly, didn't affect my day other than being surprised by sort of...how violent they were? Like hateful, I guess?) I think overall I just get shocked at seeing the fruits of how anonymity really does make people feel that they can ignore regular conversational rules lol

Interesting and very honest video, which I think is great. You have insightful and analytical videos covering unique topics and takes on books. Keep up the good work and ignore the haters!

I really liked this "transperency report" as you called it. I can't tell you how much everything you said resonated with me. I have a silly dream to someday be able to do KZread as a full time job, but I'm not holding by breath. My mental health has to come first and I've learned that YT is just simply NOT easy. But that dopamine rush of getting a video out and getting positive comments (as well as the gamification of the analytics as you called it) totally does push me to keep going. Whether it becomes full time or not, at the end of the day I have to remind myself why I started in the first place. Because I love making videos and I love nerding out about my favorite fantasy stories with other people. Your video has not only helped to motivate me to keep going, but it has also helped me to remember why I do it in the first place. Thank you!

The part about hate comments was so eye-opening (and a bit depressing). I knew a bit of it from seeing my own channel backend but not how bad it gets when your channel hits a larger sub count. I'm glad you're able to create boundaries to help protect your mental health at least somewhat. 💛

Thank you so much for your channel and being open and honest. I am so sorry you have to deal with those comments. I immensely enjoy this channel, and your videos are truly amazing!! Your WOT videos were 🔥 And as some others have mentioned - run those midrolls! You deserve to be paid more for what you do! Ads are just a part of the YT experience - we get used to them😄

Really like this video! Even as a small Booktuber I get mean comments and it suck. The money side of stuff was fascinating as well. I appreciate your approach of not doing mid-rolls. If/when I get monetized I plan on doing the same thing. Cheers!

It's always interesting to get a peek behind the curtain. It was great to see the breakdown of the numbers in terms of views/subs and earnings vs. expenses. It was also really enlightening to understand how big of a difference mid roll adds and sponsorships can make. I definitely knew that KZread had a process to scrub particularly awful comments, but had no idea what the creator actually sees. As someone who consumes gaming content too, the comments sections for those types of videos are quite disheartening in most cases.

Thank you so much for an inside look into the business side of KZread . I have always enjoyed and appreciated your openness and honesty. Since you do this part-time I am curious about what you do for work? The way you approach, research and analyze your content is very much like a college professor. If you are your students are very lucky. Keep up the good work! Many of us do appreciate you. 😊

This is such a great video! I feel like I'm sitting with my friend and chatting. You are so personable and easy to watch, I really wish you the best! Internet is gonna internet, no matter what we do or what we say. There's always someone unhappy who wants to make others unhappy too. That's why I make it my mission to remind my favourite creators how much I appreciate them and how well they are doing. We live in a stressful time, why add to it when we can be the one who lifts people up? If I don't enjoy a piece of content, I just don't engage with it. It's as simple as that.

Just here to say that you are awesome and I feel so sorry for the hate comments you get… as you know I was one of your new audience when WoT S1 came out, and I’ve always admired your commitment to thoughtful reflections and balance where possible - while still having an opinion and being willing to back it up with evidence. Keep on being you ❤

@Bookborn

5 ай бұрын

Gavin you’re constantly the person I remind myself about when I start to hate WoT fans lmaooo I’m like ok they aren’t all mean ☠️☠️

Thank you for the breakdown of a launch; I'm working on copy for a subject matter and art tips blog and had already realized that it would be far more occasional than most KZread channels or Facebook studio pages.

I'm so sorry about the hate comments. I had no idea it was that bad. Your content is very thoughtful, constructive, and uplifting and so it makes me sad to hear that this happens to you so much. It also makes me realize that I need to be more careful in regards to KZread Comments and communication on the internet in general...social interaction is hard.

What an incredibly sincere and insightful video, others should learn a piece of it!!