People who have recently started using social media, especially “BookTok”, which recommends books, may know the face of William Dozier. Dozier, a Charlottesville resident and Class of 2018 graduate, has amassed a large following on his TikTok subcommunity, BookTok, dedicated to talking about books, authors, and literature. In addition to his 115,000+ tick tock Dozier boasts over 164,000 followers. Instagram 17,000+ subscribers YouTube.
On his social media accounts, Dozier recommends books he’s read and loved, including works by Cormac McCarthy and Toni Morrison. Dozier said he feels he has successfully filled the void left by TikTok with his own platform. According to Dozier, many “BookTokers” focus on recommending old classics. Dozier said his own platform takes a different approach, recommending classic works as well as more modern works of literature, such as Richard Powers’ The Overstory and Eleanor Catton’s Birnam Wood. He said it is a space where people can do things.
“I was recommending a lot of books that were fun to read and had literary value and were more contemporary in some ways,” Dozier said. “There are a lot of people looking for books like that.”
On YouTube, Dozier posts long videos for his viewers, including tours of his personal bookshelf and thorough reviews of famous novels such as Albert Camus’ The Stranger and Donna Tartt’s The Goldfinch. I am. An avid reader, he said he feels it is important and meaningful to share his book recommendations.
“There’s so much content on the internet, and it feels good to post about something that you feel has some merit to it,” Dozier said. “At the end of the day, I’m teaching people something.”
When asked what advice he would give to someone who is trying to find and love more books, Dozier said that if you find the story unsatisfying, don’t be afraid to put it down or change course. He said we shouldn’t be afraid to do something. He also emphasized the importance of stepping outside your comfort zone when choosing a book.
“Don’t be afraid to try things that you think might be silly, because sometimes you might actually end up liking a book that you thought might be silly,” Dozier said.
In addition to reviewing and recommending books, Dozier has also recently: published his own novella. Entirely self-published, the story is titled “FUMES” and tells the thrilling and violent story of a man seeking revenge in a small North Carolina town. Dodger’s keen attention to detail, layered characters, and sensitive storytelling allow the short but action-packed stories to intrigue and ask puzzling questions.
Dozier said he started the social media accounts with the goal of gaining followers to promote his writing.
“I started posting because I knew I wanted to self-publish the story at some point in the not-too-distant future,” Dozier said. “I knew I was trying to get that story out there, and I wanted a platform to do that.”
Dozier said the journey to publish his work has been exhilarating for him, with people from all stages of life reaching out to congratulate him. In addition to his full-time job, he posts on social media and writes novels, but the publication of his first novella was the start of his lifelong dream of becoming a published author. It was a step.
“For example, [publishing ‘FUMES’] To rappers who put out mixtapes,” Dozier said. “‘FUMES’ was a project that I worked on mostly by myself.”
Dozier’s next goal is to publish a full-length novel, which would fulfill another of his dreams: to make a living from his writing.
Dozier plans to continue reading, writing, and publishing content, and says he rarely takes more than a day or two to write. For Dozier, reading and writing go hand in hand, and he loves talking to people, so he sees reading and writing as a series of conversations.
“When I read a book, I feel like I’m just listening intently to something,” Dozier says. “As a result of that, I’m a talkative person, so I end up having to say something back after a while.”
