booktube - Alan Spicer - YouTube Certified Expert

Launched a YouTube Channel and it’s not going so well?

Perhaps you are not getting the clicks in the search results you think you deserve. Maybe you lay awake at night wondering how your competitors get recommended in suggested videos, and you don’t.

It just isn’t fair!

Well, it may be that they are doing things a little different to you. It often only needs a tweak here or a small improvement there to make the difference between failure and success for a video.

So if you think you have what it takes, but think you are missing a piece of the puzzle, here are four books that should have useful information to help you along. Information that turns the tide on your lacklustre performance and increases your subscribers and views.

I am much more of an audiobook “reader” as I tend to take it in easier – I even use Amazon’s FREE Audible trials to load up on 2 free books every month.

Book 1: YOUTUBE MASTERY MARKETING 2020

Author: Robert Grow

Number of pages: 114

Published: 2020

Why should you listen to him?: Robert Grow is an author who regularly writes about social media and marketing. His has written six books about optimising your online social media presence. This book is part of a series that also includes marketing guidance for Instagram and Facebook.

Book Synopsis: In this short book, Robert Grow looks at how you can optimise your YouTube channel for more views and subscribers. Grow argues that to become successful on YouTube, you need first to understand how the YouTube algorithm works, which he explains in a manner that all should comprehend.

Building on this knowledge, the book details the tools used by some of the most successful channels, and how you can use them yourself to give your channel a boost.

YouTube is a search engine, so the book covers the SEO rules you should be aware of and the tweaks you can make to optimise your content for ranking.

Unlike some of the more basic YouTube introduction books, YouTube Mastery Marketing addresses more advance YouTube concepts. Broadcasting live and promoting your own branded merchandise from your channel, both have their own dedicated chapter.

Robert Grow also provides useful information on the video quantity vs quality debate and underlines how important consistency is.

The book is divided into 18 easily digestible chapters and is available on Kindle, paperback, and Amazon Audible. The book has also been well received, rating 4.8 out of 5 on the Amazon store.

Amazon Link To Book: Buy The Book Now.

Book 2: YouTube Optimization: The Complete Guide

Author: Tom Martin

Number of pages: 116

Published: 2018

Why should you listen to him?: Tom Martin is a certified YouTube Growth specialist who previously managed the YouTube channel for BBC Worldwide for several years. He has managed YouTube channels that collectively have had billions of views.

Tom now runs a specialist consultancy firm that works with YouTubers to help improve their channels and expand their audience. You can consider Tom Martin as an expert on YouTube.

Book Synopsis: The books full title is; YouTube Optimization – The Complete Guide: Get more YouTube subscribers, views and revenue by optimizing like the pros. Which demonstrates the actionable information you can derive from this book.

Tom Martin has lengthened his book title for Amazon, containing benefits and keywords to make sure he appears in many different keyword searches. YouTube Optimization teaches you similar tactics the pros use on their videos to draw in the viewers and increase their subscribers.

Tom Martin argues that even small changes can have a significant impact on your channel. And the book sets out strategies you can learn and apply yourself.

Equipped with this knowledge, you can then make subtle changes to your content and reap greater success. Tom says that by applying his lessons, you can turn a video that gets 10 views into a video with 1000 – an exponential impact.

The book is divided into ten chapters, and each chapter deals with a YouTube attribute, like watch time or tags, and shows you how to improve on the metric or optimise the content.

From your title, tags, and thumbnail; to your intro, content, and outro; Tom shows you how to improve on your output. Don’t be put off by the age of the book either. The tactics Tom teaches are evergreen strategies. It’s an essential book for anyone looking to improve their channels standing.

The book is available in Kindle and paperback formats and is rated 4.5 out of 5 by its readers on Amazon.

Amazon Link To Book: Buy The Book Now.

Book 3: Vlog Like a Boss: How to Kill It Online with Video Blogging

Author: Amy Landino (nee Schmittauer)

Number of pages: 220

Published: 2017

Why should you listen to her?: Amy Landino is an American lifestyle entrepreneur who runs the website SavvySexySocial.com and owns the YouTube channel, Amy Landino. Amy has 388k subscribers and vlogs regularly on productivity and entrepreneurship. Her easy-going vlogging style has won her legions of fans.

Book Synopsis: When you see Gary Vaynerchuk’s name on the front cover giving a testimonial, you know Amy Landino is something special. It doesn’t end there, Tony Robbins’ social media manager also says she is ‘the most authoritative voice in the how-to vlogging space’.

So why is she so good at what she does?

Some skills come to some people easily, and it appears Amy Landino is a natural when it comes to speaking in front of the camera. But, presenting a vlog is a skill you can learn. Amy sets out to show you how you can improve your presenting style, and help make your videos more pleasing to watch.

You won’t find in-depth coverage of YouTube’s algorithm or the importance of tagging here; it’s not that kind of book. Instead, in a witty and engaging manner, Amy Landino explains how you can best develop the confidence and poise to present your content and how to promote it via social media.

Amy Landino dares you to step outside of your comfort zone, launch a vlogging business, and go after your dreams.

Vlog Like A Boss is available in hardback, paperback, Kindle, and Amazon Audible – narrated by the author. It currently rates 4.6 out of 5 from hundreds of Amazon reviews and is in the top 30 books for video production.

Amazon Link To Book: Buy The Book Now.

Book 4: Read This if You Want to Be YouTube Famous

Author: Will Eagle

Number of pages: 128

Published: 2020

Why should you listen to him?: This book is part of a series about creative endeavours. The main attraction of the book is that Will Eagle (a former brand strategist at Google) has interviewed 45 of the top creators on YouTube and distilled their wisdom and tips for aspiring YouTubers into a single book. Each creator also shares their favourite video and favourite other YouTube creators.

Book Synopsis: Don’t judge a book by its cover. The plain dull cover, criticised by many reviewers, hides a good treasure trove of informative tips.

The book’s central premise is 45 of the top, and influential YouTubers share actionable tips for you to make the most of the videos that you create. Included in the book are YouTubers with vast numbers of subscribers, like The Icing Artist (4.1million) and Gizzy Gazza (2.1million).

It’s a bit of an arty coffee table book in some ways, and the design and layout are modern and cool. But it takes you along the journey of some famous creatives, from their first videos shot in a dingy bedroom to the polished productions they make now.

It also reminds the reader that you have to commit to the process (many YouTubers take years to find success). While it can be a little repetitive, because each creator is asked the same questions, it does underline that vlogging is a learned skill.

All in all, it contains some valuable insight into the minds of successful YouTubers and is a source of inspiration for those still on the path to success.

The book is only available in the coffee-table paperback format, currently priced at just £8.99.

Amazon Link To Book: Buy The Book Now.

So that concludes the list of books for YouTubers who want to grow their audience. I hope you find some of the recommendations useful.

Remember, if you sometimes struggle to find the time actually to sit down and read; there is an alternative. You can listen to a book when you are out and about—maybe travelling to work or out getting coffee.

You can download and listen to many useful books about YouTube and entrepreneurship using Amazon Audible. Every month for a small monthly subscription, you can listen to a book often narrated by the author themselves.

Educating yourself is the single best thing you can do for your career, so why not try listening to two of the books mentioned above with a 30-day trial of Amazon Audible.

“This video was taken down due to copyright infringement.” If you make book content — reviews, BookTube, readings, summaries — that’s the sentence that keeps you up at night. So, is it legal to make YouTube videos from books? The short version: talking about a book is usually fine; reproducing the book usually isn’t. This guide explains where the line sits in 2026, in plain English — copyright basics, fair use, what you can and can’t do, and how to stay safe.

⚠️ Important: I’m a YouTube expert, not a lawyer, and this article is general information, not legal advice. Copyright law varies by country and every situation is different. For anything specific — especially if you’ve been accused of infringement — speak to a qualified copyright solicitor or attorney.

The one principle to remember: copyright protects the expression — the actual words the author wrote — not the ideas, facts or your opinions about them. Share your own thoughts freely; reproduce someone else’s words carefully.

Why read this here? I’m Alan Spicer — a YouTube Certified Expert with two decades on the platform and six Silver Play Buttons. I’ve helped creators navigate copyright claims and strikes for years, so this is the practical, real-world version of how it plays out on YouTube.

Worried about a claim on your channel? Book a free discovery call.

📌 Jump to a section:

What is copyright?
Can you make videos from books?
What you can & can’t do
Fair use & fair dealing
If you’re accused
How to stay safe
FAQ

⚡ QUICK ANSWER: Is it legal to make YouTube videos from books?
It depends what you do. Reviewing, discussing or critiquing a book in your own words is generally legal — that’s your original content. Reading a copyrighted book aloud, or reproducing large passages, generally isn’t without permission. Public-domain books can be used freely. Fair use and fair dealing can permit limited quotation for criticism and review, but they’re judged case by case — not a blanket free pass. (General information, not legal advice.)

What Is Copyright?

Copyright is the automatic legal protection given to original creative works the moment they’re created — including books. It gives the author (or whoever holds the rights) exclusive control over how their work is copied, distributed, performed and adapted. You don’t have to register it; it exists as soon as the work is written.

Two things are worth understanding. First, copyright protects the author’s expression — the specific words and creative choices — not the underlying ideas, facts or themes. You can discuss the ideas in a book all day; you just can’t reproduce its text. Second, protection lasts a long time — commonly the author’s lifetime plus 70 years in the UK, US and much of the world — after which the work enters the public domain and can be used freely. YouTube’s own copyright resources and the UK government’s copyright guidance are good primers.

So, Can You Make YouTube Videos From Books?

Yes — a great deal of book content is completely legitimate. The whole world of BookTube (channels reviewing, discussing and recommending books) thrives precisely because talking about books is different from reproducing them. When you share your opinion of a novel, break down its themes, recommend your favourites or discuss an author’s career, you’re creating your own original commentary. The book is the subject; the video is yours.

Where it gets risky is when your video reproduces the work itself — reading a copyrighted book aloud, showing pages of text on screen, or copying long passages. That reproduces the author’s expression, which is exactly what copyright protects. The safest book content adds something of your own: analysis, criticism, opinion, humour, education — a transformation, not a copy.

What You Can and Can’t Do (General Guide)

A rough map of common book-content activities. This is general guidance, not a ruling on any specific case — always check your own situation.

Activity	Generally…	Why
Reviewing or critiquing a book	✅ Usually fine	Your own opinion & analysis
Discussing themes, ideas, plot in your words	✅ Usually fine	Ideas aren’t copyrighted
Quoting a short line for review	⚠️ Often OK, keep it minimal	May be fair use / fair dealing
Reading a copyrighted book aloud	❌ Usually not	Reproduces the work
Copying large passages on screen	❌ Usually not	Reproduces the expression
Using a public-domain book	✅ Free to use fully	Copyright has expired

Fair Use and Fair Dealing (In Plain English)

You’ll hear “fair use” thrown around as if it makes anything legal. It doesn’t. Fair use (in the US) and fair dealing (in the UK and many Commonwealth countries) are legal doctrines that can permit limited use of copyrighted material for certain purposes — criticism, review, commentary, news, research and education among them.

In the US, courts weigh four factors: the purpose and character of the use (is it transformative? commercial or educational?), the nature of the original work, how much you used, and the effect on the market for the original. UK fair dealing is narrower — it applies to specific permitted purposes (like criticism and review), and generally requires that the use is really fair and that you acknowledge the source.

The crucial point: fair use and fair dealing are defences, decided case by case — not a checkbox that guarantees you’re safe. Leaning on them means being really transformative, using no more than you need, and crediting the work. When real money or a real dispute is involved, that’s a lawyer’s call, not a rule of thumb.

What Happens If You’re Accused of Infringement?

On YouTube, this usually shows up in one of two ways. A Content ID claim is automated — the system spots matching material and the rights-holder can block, track or monetise your video. It isn’t a penalty on your channel, but it can demonetise or restrict the video. A copyright strike is more serious: a formal legal removal request from a rights-holder. Accumulate three strikes and your channel can be terminated.

If it happens, don’t panic — but don’t ignore it either. Read exactly what’s being claimed. If you really believe your use is permitted (say, a clear review with minimal quotation), YouTube provides dispute and counter-notification processes — but a counter-notification is a legal step with real consequences if you’re wrong, so get advice before firing one off. This is one of those moments where “general information” stops being enough and a copyright solicitor earns their fee.

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How to Make Book Videos Safely

The practical playbook for staying on the right side of the line:

✅ Be transformative. Add your own analysis, criticism, opinion or education — make the video about the book, not a copy of it.

✅ Keep quotation minimal. A short line to illustrate a point is very different from reproducing pages. Less is safer, and always attribute.

✅ Use public-domain works. Classic literature whose copyright has expired is free to read, adapt and build on — see using public-domain content on YouTube.

✅ Get permission or a licence when you want to use more than review allows — many authors and publishers are open to it, especially for promotion.

✅ When in doubt, ask a lawyer. For anything commercial or contested, professional advice is cheaper than a terminated channel.

Need ideas that sidestep the whole problem? Reviews, “best books” lists, author discussions and reading vlogs are all low-risk and popular — my content ideation framework can help you generate dozens. And if books are your niche, my roundup of the 50 best books for freelancers is a ready-made source of review material.

Conclusion

So, is it legal to make YouTube videos from books? For the vast majority of book creators — reviewers, BookTubers, discussion channels — yes, because you’re sharing your own commentary, not reproducing the work. The trouble starts only when a video copies the book itself: reading it aloud, or reproducing substantial text without permission. Stay transformative, quote sparingly, lean on public-domain works, and get advice when real stakes are involved. Do that, and you can build a thriving book channel without ever seeing that dreaded takedown notice.

Books & YouTube Copyright: FAQ

Is it legal to make YouTube videos about books?

Usually, yes — if you’re reviewing, discussing or critiquing a book in your own words, that’s your own original content and is generally allowed. The line is crossed when you reproduce the book itself, such as reading it aloud or copying large passages. Talking about a book is very different, legally, from reproducing it. This is general information, not legal advice.

Can you read a book aloud on YouTube?

Generally not without permission. Reading a copyrighted book aloud reproduces the author’s work, which is one of the rights copyright protects, so it typically requires a licence or the rights-holder’s permission. The main exception is books in the public domain, which anyone can read and use freely. If in doubt, seek permission or legal advice.

Is BookTube legal?

Yes. BookTube — channels that review, discuss and recommend books — is generally legal because creators are sharing their own opinions and analysis, not reproducing the books. Showing a cover, mentioning the title and quoting a short line for review are typically fine. Problems only arise if a video reproduces substantial portions of the text.

What is fair use for books on YouTube?

Fair use (in the US) and fair dealing (in the UK) are legal doctrines that can permit limited use of copyrighted material for purposes like criticism, review, commentary or education. They’re judged case by case on factors such as how transformative the use is, how much you use, and the effect on the market. They’re a defence, not a guarantee, so they don’t automatically make any use legal.

Can you get a copyright strike for a video about a book?

It’s possible if a rights-holder believes you’ve reproduced their work. Reviews and commentary rarely trigger strikes, but reading passages or reproducing text can. YouTube handles this through Content ID claims and copyright strikes; a claim may block or demonetise a video, while repeated strikes can risk your channel. Keeping your content transformative is the best protection.

Can you use public domain books on YouTube?

Yes. Once a book is in the public domain — generally when copyright has expired, which varies by country but is often decades after the author’s death — anyone can use it freely, including reading it in full. Classic literature is a rich, legal source of content. Always confirm a specific work’s public-domain status in your country before relying on it.

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Sources & disclaimer: general copyright principles reference YouTube’s fair use resources and UK government copyright guidance, current at the time of writing (July 2026). This article is general information and not legal advice; copyright law varies by country and changes over time. For your specific situation, consult a qualified copyright lawyer.