In his own words, Jonah Evarts is “just someone who talks about books on the Internet.” But with more than 158,000 followers on TikTok, the Kansas-based creator has built a devoted audience for his love of reading, especially high school dreams. As of 2023, Evarts has turned that passion into a full-time career, landing a spot on the reality competition series. Location X and publishing his first novel, The Bending of the Reaper.
The return of BookCon after a six-year hiatus provided a rare opportunity 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 what’s next for his growing platform.
You wrote a book! Now make TikTok viral with it.
We sat down with
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Mashable: When did you start your BookTok account?
Jonah Evarts: I started my BookTok account about three years ago, and I think I was posting for a few months before I started getting anyone to see my videos, which was crazy. And now, three years later, my job, which is crazy.
Are you doing it full time now?
I’ve been doing it 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 about work? Oh, I’m going to read a book.”
How did it feel to turn this love of books into a content career?
It happened organically for me. When I first started posting, it was just for fun. None of my friends at home studied, so I needed to put this energy somewhere, and I started making videos. Almost immediately I began to build a large community of people who liked the books I was reading. It’s amazing to think that so many people love the same thing as me.
Has your relationship with learning changed since you became a creator?
A little, sadly. At various times over the last three years, it felt like I had to read this [book]because that’s what will get you ideas even if it’s not what I’m into. I have had to deal with that. I don’t want to read books just because they will get ideas. I think people can tell if I’m not too enthusiastic or excited about a book. So I try to read the attitude as much as possible. But sometimes people really want me to talk about a book, and it’s hard not to get carried away by the crowd.
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And he is a writer and author, too. Has writing always been part of your content, or did you bring it in later?
I hid it from everyone. None of my followers knew I was a writer until I finished my book. So when I made a post saying, “I wrote this book, and it’s coming out later this year,” the usual reaction was, “Wait, what, you write books?”
It makes sense, writing is something personal and often vulnerable to sharing.
That’s part of the reason I hid it. It’s different to introduce yourself as a book reviewer than to introduce yourself as an artist. As an artist, you are the one being judged.
Now that you’re in both spaces as a creator and writer, how do you juggle that?
There isn’t a ton of crossover yet because most of the students are my friends. I think a lot of that is because I went indie. Most of the people who read my book have been following me for years. So far, I haven’t had to leave my circle or my audience. It was great because everyone was very supportive and confirmed me as an artist.
Do you feel that being a creator allowed you to take the indie publishing route?
When I started writing, I was sure that I would try to go in a normal way. But I, I wanted [this project] to be something where I can just overcome the fear of being seen as an artist. Going indie felt more like facing my fears than wanting validation because I got a book deal. And I knew I could take that risk and invest in the editor and the book cover, expecting a return, because I knew some people in my audience might buy it. So [being a creator] let me take bigger risks than I would have otherwise.
What’s it like interacting with fans at BookCon when so much interaction with your audience happens online?
It was crazy. The first time someone stopped me and asked, “Are you Jonah?” I was shocked. I feel famous right now, but I’m just a guy talking about books on the internet. I went to Dragonsteel last year, and I expected to get more attention there because that’s my particular niche: popular fantasy books. What makes me so happy is seeing a bunch of other creators I’ve known for years and meeting them. Everyone is friendly and supportive.
Also, you were on the show Location X last year. Was that a fun side quest, or something you’ve always dreamed of doing?
It was just looking for the fun side. I got into the program because of BookTok. A casting agent found me on TikTok and asked if I could 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 get a traditional deal with this one. And I hope to develop my content in the same way. Maybe I’ll start talking more about writing, because right now, it’s just me talking about other people’s books, but I like to write as much as I like to read. I would like to go there eventually. I know other people in the space who have done that. I know there is a way for that, and I want to follow it.
