Youtubers: How Youtube Shook Up TV and Created a New Generation of Stars

Jake Paul, KSI and PewDiePie influence the views, lives and purchases of millions of fans. And their power is growing. Two billion people worldwide watch YouTube.

Yet despite their reach, YouTubers remain a mystery to much of the public and media. What is the secret of their appeal? How do they cope with being in front of the lens? And who is behind them?

Wired journalist Chris Stokel-Walker reveals the answers in the first independent in-depth book on YouTube. For three years he has interviewed more than 100 figures connected with the world's biggest video-sharing website, among them agents, managers and influencers themselves.

He charts YouTube's rise from showing a single video of a zoo to multi-billion-dollar site that outmuscles Facebook. And he delves into thorny issues about brands, burnout and authenticity. He explains why YouTubers keep stopping traffic in city centers and whether they will eat normal TV.

If you are a journalist, publicist, advertiser, or marketer who needs to know how YouTube works or a parent intrigued by what the kids are watching and why (or just fascinated by the lives of leading creators) you need this book.