by Kaitlyn Payne
Photo by Aliis Sinisalu on Unsplash
Since its creation in 2016, TikTok has taken the world by storm. Whether you like it or not, TikTok has been the equivalent of Pandora’s box for creators, providing them with more freedom than ever. The simplicity in content creation has brought increased people to social media and a new wave of advertising.
While this has created many opportunities for various companies and corporations, BookTok has had the largest impact on authors by far. Books have a new way to reach readers through this marketing strategy.
Authors have had the ability to self-publish and advertise for years, but the process has never been easy. Fighting for a publisher and wanting to appeal to a mass audience while also keeping your own vision has led authors to struggle when releasing new material.
Social media has made it less difficult for authors and publishers to spread the word about their new books. As online platforms have grown, so too has the ease of spreading new ideas, writing, content, works of art, and more. Authors now have an easier time getting through the “what happens now” moment after publishing. The ability to easily spread word to a mass audience has allowed these authors to expand their consumer base.
Before the onset of TikTok, authors did not have the ability to directly connect with their audience. Books that didn’t already generate buzz through authorial reputation or name recognition would go largely unnoticed. For the readers who go to the bookstore with a specific purchase in mind, these books were sitting like fillers on the shelves. For people who judge books by their covers, many novels weren’t getting the time of day.
But now, anyone can go viral on social media, and authors both big and small have taken advantage. Viewers from all parts of the world can be reached and are eager to discover their next great read online. This not only helps the authors, but avid readers. Authors get book recommendations and favorites out to the masses, while readers can begin to cuddle up with a good book.
People who enjoy their latest book finds are curating lists and creating videos that hype up their recent reads. A quick scroll through #booktok will provide hundreds of videos exclaiming over authors and their intriguing storylines, many of which would otherwise have gone unnoticed by the majority. TikTok has created a mainstream platform through which book fiends can interact and engage in stimulating discourse.
TikTok’s capabilities are only just starting to expand. Books have barely begun to take leaps forward in the world of the Internet and technology. As this progress continues, I encourage everyone, from those who currently love to read to those who haven’t picked up a book in years, to check out #booktok. With all the options out there, it’s almost certain that you can find something to pique your interest.
Kaitlyn Payne is a senior at FSU and editorial assistant for the social media section of Kudzu. She is working towards a B.A. in English (Editing, Writing, and Media) with a minor in communications. If you want to find all of her favorite Amazon items, go to her storefront. You can find lists personally curated by Kaitlyn by clicking here.
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