Meet Lia Shields | Book Content Creator

We had the good fortune of connecting with Lia Shields and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Lia, what led you to pursuing a creative path professionally?
I create book content on TikTok. Before I started, I found that I was missing community in my day to day life. I had friends that I would talk to about my personal life, but I didn’t have anyone to talk to about books. Creating content on TikTok was always something I had thought about, but I didn’t really know what I wanted to post. I finally decided that since I had no one in person to talk to about books, I would talk to the world about books instead. I started posting consistently in January 2024 and have been able to create such a strong community of fellow book lovers. In my 9 to 5 I work in Finance, so my brain is very focused on analysis and numbers, and I had little time to think creatively, but since posting on TikTok I’ve been able to scratch that itch. I wanted to be able to share my love of books and having a presence on BookTok has really helped me connect with authors and readers, try new genres, and read books by authors I would have never heard of if it was not for social media.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
Since I mainly create short form book content on TikTok the biggest thing that sets me apart is my personality and my book recommendations. The most important thing when creating content is being true to yourself. People want to hear what you have to say, but they also want to hear about you, they want to get to know you. I have strong book opinions, and I am more than happy to share them. My most viral videos came from me talking about book couples that I thought would get divorced after the book finished. Some people agreed and some people didn’t. I also like to push the fact that reading doesn’t have to be an expensive hobby so another viral video I had was “de-influencing” people from owning unnecessary things in the book space, ie more than one Kindle, owning books they’ll never read, etc. Talking about controversial things can really help to bring up engagement. Along with that people who follow me know what types of books I like and trust my opinions to recommend books to them that I enjoy and think they will too.
It took me about 6 months to really find my voice on the platform. I had to figure out which videos worked and what didn’t. Most people think anyone posting on TikTok can be a success, and while that is true it is also a lot of work. I post 3 times a day every single day. With filming, editing, reading, and coming up with ideas it is a lot more work than people think. And I do all of it on top of working a full-time job. At the end of the day even though it is a lot of work I have so much fun creating videos and connecting with people which is why I continue to make content. Having a larger audience has been nice, but I like to think that even if I didn’t have thousands of followers I would still be posting because I enjoy doing it.
I want the world to know that I love romance books. I love turning off the serious part of my brain and diving into a book. The feeling I get when someone says they loved the book I recommended is the best feeling ever. I am so appreciative to have built a community that I love, and I really hope I can continue to create book content for years to come.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I am a home body for the most part but if I was taking a fellow reader out and about to see the city and explore, we would have to go to Thump Coffee to start. The coffee shop has just the best vibes and it’s a fun cozy spot to drink a delicious cup of coffee and read a book. From there I would take them to Spicy Librarian, it’s a new romance only bookstore that just opened in Denver and it is adorable! Definitely a great place to pick up some new books. I don’t really have a favorite food spot it would just depend on where we are going, but to end the night with a cocktail I would definitely take them to The Broken Cage, I love that they not only have delicious drinks, but the plant vibes are just top tier. My favorite place to read outside of my home are coffee shops and another one I love with coffee flights is Oo-De-Lally Coffee in Castle Rock. I also enjoy hunting for books at thrift stores and Book Niche has some good options. Basically, my ideal weekend would include books, coffee, and cocktails.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
My husband, Zack, who has watched every single one of my videos and has always supported me. And the Mind F Series by ST Abby which was the first book I read when I got back into reading.

Instagram: https://instagram.com/liareadsawholelot

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@Liareadsawholelot

Other: TikTok: tiktok.com/@liareadsawholelot