Helpful, Not Harmful: An Exploration of the Discussion of LGBTQIA+ Young Adult Fiction on Bookstagram by Queer and Non-Queer Readers

With the online book community and society becoming increasingly aware of the importance of reading diversely, and online amateur critics playing a major role in the purchasing behaviour of their audience, Bookstagrammers have the potential to encourage their followers to read books by and about LGBTQ+ people. Especially the Own Voices label allows Bookstagrammers to easily identify authentic stories of marginalised groups. Previous research has shown that reading diversely is important for people to see themselves and others reflected, and that amateur reviewers commonly employ a personal reviewing style. However, the way that differences in personal identity, such as being queer or not, play a role in how people approach discussing books online has not been sufficiently studied. As such, this thesis examined how online amateur critics who identify as LGBTQIA+ discuss queer YA fiction on their platforms compared to how non-LGBTQIA+ amateur critics do so. This was done by in-depth interviewing 10 queer and 4 non-queer American Bookstagrammers and coding the interview transcripts using thematic analysis. Few nuances were identified in the way queer and non-queer Bookstagrammers discuss LGBTQIA+ YA fiction on their platforms, which were mostly rooted in their personal identity. It was found that both groups prioritised reading diversely as it allowed the queer participants to recognise themselves, while it helped non-queer Bookstagrammers understand others. The interviewees’ sexuality and gender identity further played a role in deciding what to read and recommend, what to mention in reviews, and what types of representation they seek in fiction. Most notably, it informed what they shared when posting and reviewing on their platform, and how open they were about their identity online. It made the queer Bookstagrammers’ discussions of queer books more authentic, whereas the non-queer creators recognised it was a privilege not to have to be open about it. In short, queer creators took into account their own identity more, whereas non-queer creators were aware of their personal privilege and aimed to uplift people with a different identity from theirs. Therefore, the present study contributed to the lack of research into the role of identity in online amateur reviewing, showing that there were potential differences depending on gender identity and sexuality. It also explored the interpersonal dynamics between Bookstagrammers, how they give and take recommendations depending on their own and others’ identity, and their feelings of responsibility and pressure to read and share diverse books. These three factors motivated them to use their influence and inform other readers of good representation. Furthermore, their passion for sharing diverse books could indicate to publishers that diverse books are profitable, thereby incentivising them to publish more. This could make queer fiction more accessible to librarians, booksellers, and educators, and by extension to queer (and non-queer) youth. As this thesis aimed to explore initial differences between the two groups, in-depth recommendations for future research are provided, as well as potential limitations.