#52 - BookTuber Hailey Hughes

Summary In this conversation, Adam and Ste chat with Haley Hughes, a YouTuber with over 26,000 subscribers, about her experience with book influencing and creating content. They discuss how Haley discovered Hardcover, her background in mental health, her love for character-focused books, and the challenges of setting boundaries with her community. Haley shares advice for aspiring content creators and emphasizes the importance of staying true to your passions. Hailey discusses her negative experience with Goodreads and the lack of support she received after being attacked by an author and his followers. She highlights the importance of platform values and the need for platforms to take a stand against harassment and abuse. Hailey also shares her ideas for features she would like to see on book platforms, such as a blend of profiles to compare reading tastes and a tool to find book availability and prices. She mentions her upcoming read-a-thon and invites viewers to join her book club on Patreon. Takeaways Stay true to your passions and don't let trends dictate your content Setting boundaries with your community is important for maintaining a healthy online presence Consistency is key in content creation, but allow yourself flexibility to create in the moment Building a genuine connection with your audience is more valuable than commercializing your content Platforms should take a stand against harassment and abuse and prioritize the safety and well-being of their users. The values of a platform and the team behind it can greatly impact the user experience. Features like comparing reading tastes and finding book availability and prices would enhance the user experience on book platforms. Hailey's upcoming read-a-thon and book club on Patreon offer opportunities for engagement and community building. Chapters 00:00 Introduction and Discovering Hardcover 03:13 Balancing Mental Health Work and Love for Thriller and Horror Books 16:14 Navigating Parasocial Relationships and Setting Boundaries 23:58 Advice for Aspiring Content Creators: Stay True to Your Passions 29:46 Negative Experience with Goodreads 40:26 The Importance of Platform Values 45:16 Enhancing the User Experience on Book Platforms 49:49 Booktube and Content Creation 55:10 Hailey's Book Recommendations 57:30 Upcoming Read-a-thon and Book Club