For Tina Byer, the past few years have been fantastical. The IT consultant has become a major name on BookTok, the TikTok community dedicated to reading. On her TikTok account, which currently has 34,600 followers, and her Instagram, which has 12,400, Byer posts about her passion for romance and fantasy novels—often in a princessy ball gown.
Outside of her presence on BookTok, Byer is a mother of two who grew up in Germany but moved to the Northern Virginia area when she was in middle school. She lives in Woodbridge with her sons Everett (9) and Harrison (7).
Responses have been edited for length and clarity.
Did you always love reading?
Absolutely. Growing up in Germany really fostered that, too. I loved “Grimm’s Fairy Tales” and fantasy stories as a kid. When I moved as a teenager, the dystopia craze was in full swing, so I was really wrapped up in “The Hunger Games” and “Twilight” and their fandoms.
How did you first get involved in the BookTok community, and what made your account take off?
In 2021, I was reading a lot of women’s fiction, but nothing was really hitting for me. I was sourcing recommendations from my friends, and one of them suggested “A Court of Thorns and Roses,” which is a very popular fantasy romance book. I got completely sucked in and started posting about it on Instagram. I hadn’t really used Instagram that much before then; I mostly posted pictures of my kids or my house.
Suddenly, I had a stranger comment on my posts for the first time ever, and I thought that was so fun. From there, I kept posting and making new friends, realizing there were events to go to, and then BookTok came along. I didn’t think I would go anywhere on TikTok, because I thought I was too old, but I started cross-posting things there.
How do you balance your career and social media with raising your kids?
It’s definitely a challenge for any mom to have a hobby on top of working and parenting. I am very lucky that I do not commute. I’m fully remote, so the time that I save not having to commute is the time that I usually put into my book socials. Either first thing in the morning or after my kids are home from school, that’s usually when I make some content and get caught up on reading.
I love audiobooks. Being able to consume books and not just make content about it is important to me. What’s funny about having book socials is that the more time you commit to the social side, the less time you have to actually read. I listen to audiobooks while I’m doing dishes, while I’m doing laundry, and I’m able to still keep up with my reading hobby.
How do you encourage your kids to read?
They’re still quite little, and they don’t love to read independently yet. But they like when I read to them, so I lean into that. When I say, “Hey, do you want to read a book?” and they say, “Can you read it to me?” I still think of that as a win. They still want to hear the story, and I think that’s really great.
For my older son, I got this idea from one of his teachers where she would read [her students] a chapter book and then show them its movie adaptation. I’ve been continuing that at home, and it helps motivate him. He prefers movies and TV. So, it’s about finding different ways to get them excited without forcing it, because I definitely don’t want them to turn away from reading or see it as a chore.
What do your kids think of your job?
Gen Alpha is so tuned into social media, so they definitely have some interesting questions about it. My kids have never seen my TikToks because they’re not allowed to go on that app yet, but they have favorite YouTubers they watch who have millions of followers. And they’ll be like, “Mommy, why don’t you have as many followers as Mr. Beast?” and I’ll be like, “I think Mommy’s doing alright for herself.” They tease me a little, even if they don’t understand the full breadth of what I do yet.
A lot of mothers are on BookTok. How does your content speak to them?
I make videos to remind my followers, “If you only read one book this year, that’s OK, and that’s a win, because one is better than none.” I definitely try to keep my spaces very positive. I do post my reading goals and my reading tracking, but I never want [reading] to feel like a competition for anyone. I want people to feel motivated and excited no matter what their goals are.
I try to remind moms, especially, that it’s OK if you had a goal and you didn’t reach it, and it’s OK if you tried to read this week and you just didn’t have time. All of our lives are so uniquely different, and we all have our own challenges.
Family Favorites
Food: Tacos.
Local Spot: The neighborhood pool. My kids could go there every day.
Vacation Spot: Disney World
Family Activity: Board games or biking outside
Book: It’s not my favorite, but it’s a Minecraft book. (Laughs) It’s another way I keep them engaged with reading.
