Definitely a SIGNIFICANT improvement when compared to Red Rising. What is everyone's thoughts on this second book?

So, as we all know, watch time is super important if we want our videos to be favored by the YouTube algorithm and potentially reach more new viewers.

It's also one of the most common struggles I see people bring up on this subreddit. After seeing a lot of those discussions (and making plenty of mistakes on my own channel over the past 2+ years), I thought I'd share a few things I've learned and also from watching larger, successful BookTubers who consistently retain viewers.

Obviously, none of these are magic bullets, and there are always exceptions. But these are a few things that have genuinely helped me improve my own content, and hopefully at least one of them helps someone else too.

1. Audio Quality 🎤

This is probably the most important one.

I'm not trying to be harsh, but YouTube viewers are SUPER fickle. Their attention spans are basically nonexistent, and they'll click off your video for almost any reason. Bad audio is one of the quickest ways to lose a potential subscriber.

If your viewer can hear your fan more than they can hear you, if you sound distant, if your audio is crackly or if it sounds like you're recording from the middle of a hurricane, there's a good chance they're clicking off your video before they even get to hear what you have to say.

The good news is that you don't need to spend hundreds of dollars on professional audio equipment to help alleviate this. Even a $20 microphone from Amazon can help to dramatically improve your audio quality.

If you're going to invest in one thing for your channel, I'd seriously consider making it a microphone.

2. Cut Your Intro ✂️

The first 5–10 seconds of your video are the most important part of the entire thing.

People clicked on your video for a specific reason. They searched for a book review, a ranking, a discussion, or whatever your title and thumbnail promised. They want that information IMMEDIATELY!

If you spend the first minute of your video talking about where you've been, how long it's been since your last upload or telling a story that isn't related to the topic, you're going to lose your viewer.

Just jump straight to your point! Give people exactly what they clicked for as soon as you can.

Personally, I'd even avoid long animated channel intros. Unless it's only a couple seconds long, I don't think it adds much value for a first-time viewer. Those first few seconds are incredibly valuable, and it's better to use them to hook a new viewer in than show your channel's logo.

3. Edit Out Filler Words ✂️

This one might be a little controversial because I know some people prefer a more natural, unedited style, and that's totally fine. But personally, I think a little editing goes a long way.

If your video is full of "um," "uh," "like," long pauses, or moments where you're stumbling over your words while trying to make a point, it can unintentionally slow the pacing of your video.

Again, YouTube viewers have incredibly short attention spans. Every unnecessary pause or filler word is another opportunity for someone to click away.

I don't think you need to edit your videos into oblivion or remove every tiny pause, but trimming obvious filler words, repeated sentences, and long moments where you're collecting your thoughts can make your videos feel much more confident, concise and easier to listen to.

4. Lighting 💡

This one obviously only applies if you're actually showing yourself on camera.

Just like with audio, if viewers have trouble seeing what you're trying to show them, it creates unnecessary friction.

If your face is hidden in the shadows, your room is much brighter than you are or people can barely make out the book you're holding up, it takes away from what you're trying to communicate.

The nice thing about this is that the fix doesn't require expensive equipment.

If you can, record in a well-lit room, face a window with natural light, or pick up an inexpensive ring light. Even those small changes can make your videos look dramatically more professional.

Just like with audio, viewers won't necessarily notice good lighting, but they'll ABSOLUTELY notice bad lighting. The easier you make it for people to hear you and see you, the fewer reasons you're giving them to click away.

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Let me know if you guys have any other tips you'd like to share as well!

I know YouTube can be incredibly fickle and sometimes frustrating, but hopefully some of these suggestions help you retain a few more viewers and better navigate the short attention spans that are all too common on the platform these days.

Hey guys! I recently ranked all the books I’ve read through the first half of 2026 thus far. You can check that video out here if you choose to!

I’d be curious to know what YOUR top best books have been so far though! Obviously I know some of you guys will have read a lot more books than I have, so maybe your top 5 through this mid-year! 😁

Has anyone here checked out Mexico City and/or its bookshops?? Well let me tell you all about them here in this vlog!

I haven’t read Yesteryear yet, but I’ve noticed that it has generated some extremely polarizing reactions online, and I’m curious to see what readers here think.

From what I’ve gathered, some readers see Natalie (the main character) as an effective satirical critique of trad-wife culture and certain religious systems, while others view her as an overly simplistic caricature that lacks nuance.

What’s interesting is that reviews seem unusually split between people who absolutely loved the book and people who absolutely hated it.

For those of you who’ve actually read Yesteryear, where do you land? Did the satire work for you, or did it feel too heavy-handed? And do you think the discussion around the book accurately reflects what’s on the page, or has the online discourse exaggerated the controversy?

This book almost destroyed George R.R. Martin’s career! Is this book truly the notoriously awful book that everyone claims it is? Let’s check it out!

Do you see any books on here you’ve personally read or are interested in reading??

Let me know!!