The 12 Best Books for Youtubers

Starting a Youtube channel is an intimidating feat. Luckily, there are many books out there for YouTubers that can help get you started. Written by professionals, they can distill years of experience into a single book for a few bucks. 

Through reading, you can improve as a YouTuber in the following ways:

  • Learn from other creators years of experience.
  • Expand your knowledge on the technical side; learn about resolutions, lenses, cameras, and software.
  • Learn about marketing and copywriting.
  • Have a clear roadmap to guide you through the journey.
  • Set the right expectations, improve your mindset, and perseverance.

Below is a list of the best books for YouTubers. We have organized the list so you can find books to help with youtube, video production, marketing, and mindset. 

12 Books for Youtubers (Amazon Link)Topic
YouTube Channels For DummiesYoutube
So You Want to Vlog?: How to start from scratch, find your voice & share your storiesYoutube
YouTube Secrets: The Ultimate Guide to Growing Your Following and Making Money as a Video InfluencerYoutube
YouTube Black Book: How To Create a Channel, Build an Audience and Make Money on YouTubeYoutube
How to Shoot Video That Doesn’t Suck: Advice to Make Any Amateur Look Like a ProVideo Production
The Filmmaker’s Handbook: A Comprehensive Guide for the Digital Age: Fifth EditionVideo Production
The Video Editing HandbookVideo Editing
YouTube Optimization – The Complete Guide: Get more YouTube subscribers, views and revenue by optimizing like the prosYoutube SEO
How to Write a Good Advertisement: A Short Course in CopywritingCopywriting
Primal brandingBranding
The 4-Hour Workweek: Escape 9-5, Live Anywhere, and Join the New RichMindset
The Talent Code: Unlocking the Secret of Skill in Sports, Art, Music, Math, andMindset

If you want to learn more about vlogging, be sure to check out our Ultimate Vlogging Guide for 2020.

Essential Books for YouTubers

1. YouTube Channels For Dummies

The “For Dummies” series are great for learning a new subject or skill. They always put a lot of thought and value into their books. 

Nothing is different with this installment. Youtube Channels For Dummies is written by a Youtube channel owner and is an extensive guide on starting, producing, and marketing your own content on Youtube.

The book covers several subjects, such as planning content, finding an audience, editing, youtube analytics, SEO, and more. 

Overall, this is an excellent starting point for anyone looking to start their own Youtube channel.

2. So You Want to Vlog?: How to start from scratch, find your voice & share your stories

So You Want to Vlog? is a book written by an experienced Youtuber. 

It offers relatable, bite-sized advice for someone who has created vlogs daily. The author ignores unnecessary technical stuff and focuses on simple steps for someone who is just starting on Youtube.

Besides showing you all the shooting and editing techniques used by experienced youtubers, it also has important chapters on how to find your niche, tell good stories, and build a community.

It is a short, yet handy book you can go back to for everything vlogging related.

3. YouTube Secrets: The Ultimate Guide to Growing Your Following and Making Money as a Video Influencer

This book takes a more analytical approach to what works and what doesn’t in the world of Youtube. 

The authors draw on their own experience and interviews with other top content creators on the platform. They distill the information into seven essential ingredients for a successful channel.

Youtube Secrets presents a clear strategy for growing your channel and maximizing your odds for success. It’s great for beginners as well as experienced creators. In this rapidly changing industry, it presents a clear strategy for those running a youtube channel.

4. YouTube Black Book: How To Create a Channel, Build an Audience and Make Money on YouTube Kindle Edition

Youtube Black Book is a practical and straightforward guide to starting a Youtube channel. 

It is a relatively short book at just over 100 pages but focused on bite-sized practical info. The author has launched several youtube channels and shares the behind the scenes process.

Youtube Black Book is a quick read to find out what camera, editing software you need, as well as some simple strategies and numbers behind growing a Youtube channel. 

Video Production & Editing

If you take youtube seriously, you should work on your filmmaking skills. As you make content, you will want to improve the production value of your videos. There are many clever tricks you could use to make your videos look amazing. Below are some of the best books on video production for YouTubers.

5. How to Shoot Video That Doesn’t Suck: Advice to Make Any Amateur Look Like a Pro

How to Shoot Video That Doesn’t Suck.” – You should be able to relate to this title if you have ever tried to make a vlog.

Don’t expect your videos to look amazing right from the start. But there are many things you can do to improve the production quality of your content. 

This book offers some practical techniques and tricks to make your videos look like they were shot by a professional. 

Written by a filmmaker, it will teach you the methods used in Hollywood and on TV so that you can create better content. As a YouTuber, this information can be invaluable to you.

6. The Filmmaker’s Handbook: A Comprehensive Guide for the Digital Age: Fifth Edition

As the title suggests, this is a book targeted toward filmmakers. As a content creator on Youtube, there is a lot of info here you will find helpful.

The Filmmakers Handbook teaches you how to shoot video on DSLRs and other cameras. You will also learn about resolutions, lenses, sound recording, and editing. 

It will also teach you theories and techniques in filmmaking you can apply to tell better stories through your videos.

If you apply the information and techniques presented, you will improve the quality of your content dramatically. Not only will your video look better, but you will become a better storyteller as well.

7. The Video Editing Handbook

If you want to improve your editing skills, this is a book you must have. 

The Video Editing Handbook offers clear, practical advice on editing. It is made for complete beginners as well as professionals.

The author of this book presents editing concepts through simple language and uses many visuals so you can better understand editing, even as a complete novice. 

Marketing & SEO

If you produce valuable content consistently long enough, you will eventually grow your channel. It will slowly become a business, and you will need to learn some essential marketing and copywriting skills. 

To make your channel more discoverable, you need eye-catching and SEO-optimized titles. You also want to learn how to write persuasively to get more viewers. Below is a list of books about the marketing side of Youtube.

8. YouTube Optimization – The Complete Guide: Get more YouTube subscribers, views and revenue by optimizing like the pros

This is a book that focuses solely on SEO for youtube. 

Don’t forget that youtube is a search engine, and there are strategies and steps you can take to make your content more discoverable to your target audience.

It will help you better understand analytics and their impact on ranking, like watch time, session time, etc. The author also teaches you how to create SEO-optimized titles and descriptions, as well as how to use tags.

Youtube Optimization is ideal for someone who is already seeing growth on their channel and is looking to get to the next level. 

9. How To Write A Good Advertisement: A Short Course In Copywriting

How To Write A Good Advertisement by Victor O. Schwab is a must-read in copywriting circles. 

As a Youtuber, you will need to write eye-catching titles and interesting descriptions. This book offers an introduction to persuasive writing from someone with over 40 years of experience in the field. 

Although written decades ago, the general principles laid out there still apply to video titles, descriptions, and other content on youtube.

This book even contains a chapter with 100 different titles, breaking down why they work or don’t work, and what tactics they have used. This is invaluable information if you are looking to grow your channel.

10. Primal Branding

A big part of creating a successful youtube channel is how you brand yourself and the community you build for your audience. 

Primal Branding is a book on how to to do just that. It will teach you the principles for creating a strong brand and community based on human nature and psychology. 

The author uses case studies of companies to show what works and what doesn’t. The principles are presented through the primal code, seven key components of good branding.

As a content creator looking to build a connection with your audience, Primal Branding should be one of the key books in a YouTubers library.

Mindset & Motivation

Having the right mindset is crucial if you want to find success as a vlogger. Producing new and valuable content consistently is hard, expect to hit roadblocks now and then. 

Part of a YouTubers library should be on dealing with mindset, motivation, and productivity. Below are some of the best mindset books for YouTubers.

11. The 4-Hour Workweek: Escape 9-5, Live Anywhere, and Join the New Rich

If you want to take a more business side approach to youtube, you should read The 4 Hour Workweek by Tim Ferris. 

Although not about Youtube specifically, the author writes about creating lifestyle businesses that can help others and allow you to do what you love. 

The title, “The 4-Hour Workweek”, hints at the idea of creating passive income. Creating videos online can allow you to make a living through passive income. It takes a lot of hard work, and this book can help you out on the journey.

12. The Talent Code: Greatness Isn’t Born. It’s Grown. Here’s How.

Daniel Coyle’s bestseller, The Talent Code, dives into how skill and talent are only grown through practice and hard work. 

The book emphasized how talent is grown, and not just something we are born with, supported by scientific evidence and facts.

The Talent Code is a book that can make you think differently. If you want to produce your own content online, it motivates you put in the hours and hard work to make it happen.

In Conclusion

We hope you enjoyed our list of the best books for YouTubers. Written from first-hand experience and proven strategies, the books above should help to get you started.

It is important, though, to remember that no book will help you without taking action. Never let lack of information be an excuse for not taking getting started and try things. So go out there, try, fail, and try again.