How Jonah Evarts built a BookTok following and a writing career

In his own words, Jonah Evarts is “just a guy who talks about books on the Internet.” But with more than 158,000 followers on TikTok, the Kansas-based creator has built a devoted following around his love of reading, particularly high fantasy. Since 2023, Evarts has turned this passion into a full-time career, landing a spot on the reality TV series. Destination and by publishing his first novel, The Reaper’s Turn.

BookCon’s return after a six-year hiatus offered a rare chance for the online BookTok community to connect in person. We caught up with Evarts at BookCon 2026 to talk about turning a hobby into a career, choosing the independent publishing route, and the future of her growing platform.

We sat down with
Credit: Ian Moore/Mashable/Adobe Stock

Mashable: When did you create your BookTok account?

Jonas Evarts: I started my BookTok account about three years ago, and I think I had been posting for a few months before I really started getting my videos to anyone, which was crazy. And now, three years later, it’s my job that’s crazy.

Are you doing it full time now?

I’ve been doing this full time for a year and a half, which feels really weird. Sometimes I wake up and I’m like, “What am I going to do for work? Oh, I’m going to read a book.”

How did it feel to turn that passion for books into a career in content?

It happened so organically for me. When I started posting, it was just for fun. None of my friends at home read, so I needed to put that energy somewhere and I started making videos. I almost immediately began building a huge community of people who were also interested in the books I was reading. It’s so strange to think that so many people like the same thing as me.

Has your relationship with reading changed since you became a creator?

A little, unfortunately. At different times over the last three years I felt like I had to read this [book]because that’s what’s going to generate views even if it’s not what I’m in the mood for. I had to face this. I don’t want to just read books because they’re going to have views. I think people can tell if I’m not super passionate or excited about a book. So I try to read in mood as much as possible. But sometimes people really want me to talk about a book, and it’s hard not to get swept up in the crowd.

You are also a writer and author. Has writing always been a part of your content, or did you introduce it later?

I hid it from everyone. None of my followers knew I was a writer until I had already finished my book. So when I posted a post saying, “I wrote this book, and it’s coming out later this year,” the general reaction was like, “Wait, what, you write books?”

It makes sense, writing is such a personal and often vulnerable thing to share.

That’s part of why I kept it hidden. It’s different to present yourself as a literary critic rather than as an artist. As an artist, you are the one being judged.

Now that you’re in both spaces as a creator and writer, what’s it been like for you?

There hasn’t been a ton of crossover yet because most of the readers are my friends. I think a lot of that is because I became independent. Most people who read my book have been following me for years. So far, I haven’t really needed to step out of my circle or my own audience. It was really cool because everyone was really supportive and affirming me as an artist.

Do you think being a designer allowed you to take the independent publishing route?

When I started writing, I was so certain that I was going to try to go the traditional route. But for me, I wanted [this project] to be something where I could just overcome my fear of being considered an artist. Going independent was a bit more like facing my fear rather than trying to assert myself because I got a book deal. And I knew I could take that risk and invest in a publisher and a book cover, hoping for a return, because I knew some people in my audience might buy it. SO [being a creator] let me take a little bigger risk than I otherwise would have.

What’s it like interacting with fans at BookCon when so much of your audience’s interaction takes place online?

It was crazy. The first time, someone stopped me and asked, “Are you Jonah?” I panicked. I feel famous right now, but I’m just a guy talking about books on the Internet. I went to Dragonsteel last year and expected to get a little more recognition there since that’s my specific niche: epic fantasy books. The coolest thing for me is seeing a bunch of other creators that I’ve known for years and crossing paths with them. Everyone is very friendly and supportive.

Plus you were on the show Destination last year. Was it a fun side quest or something you dreamed of doing?

It was just a fun side quest. I participated in the show thanks to BookTok. A casting agent found me on TikTok and asked if I would do an interview. And I said, “Sure,” and two months later I was in Belgium filming the show. It came out of nowhere, and it was crazy, but I was representing BookTok.

What’s next for you and your platform?

I’m writing another book and I’m really hoping to do a traditional deal with this one. And I hope to advance my content in the same way. Maybe I’ll start talking more about writing, because right now I’m mostly talking about other people’s books, but I love writing as much as I love reading. I would eventually like to go in that direction. I know other people in the space who have done this. I know there is a path to get there and I want to follow it.