That awful place called TikTok

[AnnieSummerlee]

Hi everyone,

When I first heard of TikTok as a means to market yourself or build a readership, I was ready to run away. When we think of TikTok, we think of people doing really awkward dances, pointing at blocks of text to tell you about their books, and you couldn't pay me to do that. But there's another way that doesn't require you to show your face, and I think this might appeal to those of you who are self-publishing, or just want to start to build momentum around your WIP. Imagine querying an agent and telling them you have 10k followers on TikTok who all love the concept of your book? Or 1 million views? That is essentially how Lightlark got a 6-figure deal.

I started experimenting a while back, and got an average of 1k hits on the first 4 Tiktoks I posted about a WIP, which isn't much, but still got me a few comments from people asking where they could buy the book.

So how do you do it without having to record yourself?

I used a website called Clipchamp, a video-editing site that's pretty easy to use. All I did was grab a bunch of royalty free images that fit the aesthetic of my WIP, and made a slideshow, using a zoom effect on the pictures to make it dynamic. Then, add text: a pitch + tropes. On each image, put a few lines about your book.

Here's how you'd do that with something like Rapunzel, using images I just found on Unsplash (I'd recommend putting a filter that'll give them a similar feel):

-in a desolate tower

-a trapped princess

-longs to see the outside world

-until one day a prince

-asks her to throw down her hair (etc, etc, etc)
then (still using images that fit the aesthetic):
-the stakes
-the tropes (enemies to lovers? found family?)(Tiktok LOVES tropes)
-finally, title and cover (if you've got one), and a call to action: "buy now, link in bio" (or something like that).

If you don't want to use a blurb/pitch, you could also choose a snippet that will hook the reader. So, if you're writing fantasy, maybe the moment your MC discovers they have powers. Romance? When your MC meets their love interest, or any other scene that you think readers will like. Usually dialogue works best, and just like with the pitch, use images that fit the aesthetic and setting of your book, and end it with the same call to action. I tried with both a pitch and a snippet, and both Tiktoks did well.

Once you've got your little slideshow, upload it onto Tiktok and use any audio that is trending but that suits your book, and use all the right tags for your genre.

Another method (I haven't tried) that's probably easier than the slideshow, but will only work if your book is already in print, is to flip through the pages (or simply hold it still) while listing the tropes, and at the end of the video, show the cover.



Anyways, I don't know what possessed me to write this because I haven't posted a Tiktok in like a month, but it's just a reminder that you don't have to show your face, and it might be good to experiment and see how people react. Plus, it's good practice for when you do get published.

If anyone would like a more in-depth tutorial or you've got questions, let me know!

 

[JohnBertel]

Thanks for sharing. 1k isn't bad, is it?

I think there is another way to link to your book without going through the bio

https://screenrant.com/tiktok-link-booktok-recommendations-how-explained/

 

[AnnieSummerlee]

Thanks for sharing. 1k isn't bad, is it?

I think there is another way to link to your book without going through the bio

https://screenrant.com/tiktok-link-booktok-recommendations-how-explained/

Oh that's good to know, thanks!

 

[Jonny]

Thanks for posting, Annie. very interesting and well done on getting some traction so quickly.

 

[ChandlerJules]

Hi everyone,

When I first heard of TikTok as a means to market yourself or build a readership, I was ready to run away. When we think of TikTok, we think of people doing really awkward dances, pointing at blocks of text to tell you about their books, and you couldn't pay me to do that. But there's another way that doesn't require you to show your face, and I think this might appeal to those of you who are self-publishing, or just want to start to build momentum around your WIP. Imagine querying an agent and telling them you have 10k followers on TikTok who all love the concept of your book? Or 1 million views? That is essentially how Lightlark got a 6-figure deal.

I started experimenting a while back, and got an average of 1k hits on the first 4 Tiktoks I posted about a WIP, which isn't much, but still got me a few comments from people asking where they could buy the book.

So how do you do it without having to record yourself?

I used a website called Clipchamp, a video-editing site that's pretty easy to use. All I did was grab a bunch of royalty free images that fit the aesthetic of my WIP, and made a slideshow, using a zoom effect on the pictures to make it dynamic. Then, add text: a pitch + tropes. On each image, put a few lines about your book.

Here's how you'd do that with something like Rapunzel, using images I just found on Unsplash (I'd recommend putting a filter that'll give them a similar feel):

-in a desolate tower

-a trapped princess

-longs to see the outside world

-until one day a prince

-asks her to throw down her hair (etc, etc, etc)
then (still using images that fit the aesthetic):
-the stakes
-the tropes (enemies to lovers? found family?)(Tiktok LOVES tropes)
-finally, title and cover (if you've got one), and a call to action: "buy now, link in bio" (or something like that).

If you don't want to use a blurb/pitch, you could also choose a snippet that will hook the reader. So, if you're writing fantasy, maybe the moment your MC discovers they have powers. Romance? When your MC meets their love interest, or any other scene that you think readers will like. Usually dialogue works best, and just like with the pitch, use images that fit the aesthetic and setting of your book, and end it with the same call to action. I tried with both a pitch and a snippet, and both Tiktoks did well.

Once you've got your little slideshow, upload it onto Tiktok and use any audio that is trending but that suits your book, and use all the right tags for your genre.

Another method (I haven't tried) that's probably easier than the slideshow, but will only work if your book is already in print, is to flip through the pages (or simply hold it still) while listing the tropes, and at the end of the video, show the cover.

View attachment 15757

Anyways, I don't know what possessed me to write this because I haven't posted a Tiktok in like a month, but it's just a reminder that you don't have to show your face, and it might be good to experiment and see how people react. Plus, it's good practice for when you do get published.

If anyone would like a more in-depth tutorial or you've got questions, let me know!

Hi everyone,

When I first heard of TikTok as a means to market yourself or build a readership, I was ready to run away. When we think of TikTok, we think of people doing really awkward dances, pointing at blocks of text to tell you about their books, and you couldn't pay me to do that. But there's another way that doesn't require you to show your face, and I think this might appeal to those of you who are self-publishing, or just want to start to build momentum around your WIP. Imagine querying an agent and telling them you have 10k followers on TikTok who all love the concept of your book? Or 1 million views? That is essentially how Lightlark got a 6-figure deal.

I started experimenting a while back, and got an average of 1k hits on the first 4 Tiktoks I posted about a WIP, which isn't much, but still got me a few comments from people asking where they could buy the book.

So how do you do it without having to record yourself?

I used a website called Clipchamp, a video-editing site that's pretty easy to use. All I did was grab a bunch of royalty free images that fit the aesthetic of my WIP, and made a slideshow, using a zoom effect on the pictures to make it dynamic. Then, add text: a pitch + tropes. On each image, put a few lines about your book.

Here's how you'd do that with something like Rapunzel, using images I just found on Unsplash (I'd recommend putting a filter that'll give them a similar feel):

-in a desolate tower

-a trapped princess

-longs to see the outside world

-until one day a prince

-asks her to throw down her hair (etc, etc, etc)
then (still using images that fit the aesthetic):
-the stakes
-the tropes (enemies to lovers? found family?)(Tiktok LOVES tropes)
-finally, title and cover (if you've got one), and a call to action: "buy now, link in bio" (or something like that).

If you don't want to use a blurb/pitch, you could also choose a snippet that will hook the reader. So, if you're writing fantasy, maybe the moment your MC discovers they have powers. Romance? When your MC meets their love interest, or any other scene that you think readers will like. Usually dialogue works best, and just like with the pitch, use images that fit the aesthetic and setting of your book, and end it with the same call to action. I tried with both a pitch and a snippet, and both Tiktoks did well.

Once you've got your little slideshow, upload it onto Tiktok and use any audio that is trending but that suits your book, and use all the right tags for your genre.

Another method (I haven't tried) that's probably easier than the slideshow, but will only work if your book is already in print, is to flip through the pages (or simply hold it still) while listing the tropes, and at the end of the video, show the cover.

View attachment 15757

Anyways, I don't know what possessed me to write this because I haven't posted a Tiktok in like a month, but it's just a reminder that you don't have to show your face, and it might be good to experiment and see how people react. Plus, it's good practice for when you do get published.

If anyone would like a more in-depth tutorial or you've got questions, let me know!

 

[ChandlerJules]

Thank you for details and pictures, I appreciate the thought behind this—very useful!

 

[AnnieSummerlee]

Thank you for details and pictures, I appreciate the thought behind this—very useful!

Great, I'm glad it's useful!

 

[James Charles]

Hi everyone,

When I first heard of TikTok as a means to market yourself or build a readership, I was ready to run away. When we think of TikTok, we think of people doing really awkward dances, pointing at blocks of text to tell you about their books, and you couldn't pay me to do that. But there's another way that doesn't require you to show your face, and I think this might appeal to those of you who are self-publishing, or just want to start to build momentum around your WIP. Imagine querying an agent and telling them you have 10k followers on TikTok who all love the concept of your book? Or 1 million views? That is essentially how Lightlark got a 6-figure deal.

I started experimenting a while back, and got an average of 1k hits on the first 4 Tiktoks I posted about a WIP, which isn't much, but still got me a few comments from people asking where they could buy the book.

So how do you do it without having to record yourself?

I used a website called Clipchamp, a video-editing site that's pretty easy to use. All I did was grab a bunch of royalty free images that fit the aesthetic of my WIP, and made a slideshow, using a zoom effect on the pictures to make it dynamic. Then, add text: a pitch + tropes. On each image, put a few lines about your book.

Here's how you'd do that with something like Rapunzel, using images I just found on Unsplash (I'd recommend putting a filter that'll give them a similar feel):

-in a desolate tower

-a trapped princess

-longs to see the outside world

-until one day a prince

-asks her to throw down her hair (etc, etc, etc)
then (still using images that fit the aesthetic):
-the stakes
-the tropes (enemies to lovers? found family?)(Tiktok LOVES tropes)
-finally, title and cover (if you've got one), and a call to action: "buy now, link in bio" (or something like that).

If you don't want to use a blurb/pitch, you could also choose a snippet that will hook the reader. So, if you're writing fantasy, maybe the moment your MC discovers they have powers. Romance? When your MC meets their love interest, or any other scene that you think readers will like. Usually dialogue works best, and just like with the pitch, use images that fit the aesthetic and setting of your book, and end it with the same call to action. I tried with both a pitch and a snippet, and both Tiktoks did well.

Once you've got your little slideshow, upload it onto Tiktok and use any audio that is trending but that suits your book, and use all the right tags for your genre.

Another method (I haven't tried) that's probably easier than the slideshow, but will only work if your book is already in print, is to flip through the pages (or simply hold it still) while listing the tropes, and at the end of the video, show the cover.

View attachment 15757

Anyways, I don't know what possessed me to write this because I haven't posted a Tiktok in like a month, but it's just a reminder that you don't have to show your face, and it might be good to experiment and see how people react. Plus, it's good practice for when you do get published.

If anyone would like a more in-depth tutorial or you've got questions, let me know!

Wow! Thanks, Annie. I just made and uploaded my first video. Will do another tomorrow. Now, to get followers... It's jamescharlesauthor for you all...

 

[AnnieSummerlee]

Wow! Thanks, Annie. I just made and uploaded my first video. Will do another tomorrow. Now, to get followers... It's jamescharlesauthor for you all...

Brilliant! One thing I'd reccommend for your next video is to use a vertical template (you can change the size by clicking on the top right corner), because most Tiktok users use their phones.

 

[Brooke]

i feel obligated to add my 2 cents in here, as TikTok's target audience/the only teen here--

1. ABSOLUTELY use 9:16 for videos; that's how 99% of tiktoks are formatted and it looks cheap/amateurish when it's anything else. try not to make your videos longer than 15 seconds, 25-30 at most!

2. marketing books with tiktok (that niche is called booktok/writetok/authortok, there are a lot of ___-tok subgenres) is pretty popular, but know that a lot of people will also be reviewing your book! i only add this warning because of the book @AnnieSummerlee mentioned in the original post, Lightlark-- it got tons of marketing on tiktok, lots of people bought and reviewed it, and now the author's name is permanently smudged because the book was terrible. (i mean, come on, they described a dress as "the color of midnight laughter")

3. followers are NOT that easy to get. with a video that gets thousands of views, it'll give you maybe some dozens of followers. (i posted a video that earned 22k views, yet got me barely 100 followers) 10k followers is the amount that a super-popular "booktokker" would have, who is known in the community, and that's really saying something when 10k followers isn't really all that much in terms of the internet. i'd say the most important thing when trying to build a following on tiktok is to be engaging. talk fast, include colorful captions, lots of jumpcuts, images, etc. kids are scrolling at the speed of light and will only pause for maybe a second to see if your book could be something they'd like-- if you can't grab someone's attention immediately, they and thousands of others will be gone right away.

4. tell your readers what they'll like in your story. "tiktok loves tropes"-- truer words ne'er spoken, to say the least. the teens on this app have grown up not only with books, but with fanfiction, which is riddled completely with tropes, hundreds and hundreds. all these tropes have (gratuitously) been given names and there are people who will buy any book for any amount as long as it has their favorite tropes in it. they're basically buzzwords on booktok/writetok-- say "enemies to lovers" and hundreds of people are listening.

i hope this helps a bit? i'm not the internet messiah but there's a fine line on tiktok between thousands of people watching and nobody caring at all, and i want to help my litopian pals get as many sales on their books as possible

 

[AnnieSummerlee]

i feel obligated to add my 2 cents in here, as TikTok's target audience/the only teen here--

1. ABSOLUTELY use 9:16 for videos; that's how 99% of tiktoks are formatted and it looks cheap/amateurish when it's anything else. try not to make your videos longer than 15 seconds, 25-30 at most!

2. marketing books with tiktok (that niche is called booktok/writetok/authortok, there are a lot of ___-tok subgenres) is pretty popular, but know that a lot of people will also be reviewing your book! i only add this warning because of the book @AnnieSummerlee mentioned in the original post, Lightlark-- it got tons of marketing on tiktok, lots of people bought and reviewed it, and now the author's name is permanently smudged because the book was terrible. (i mean, come on, they described a dress as "the color of midnight laughter")

3. followers are NOT that easy to get. with a video that gets thousands of views, it'll give you maybe some dozens of followers. (i posted a video that earned 22k views, yet got me barely 100 followers) 10k followers is the amount that a super-popular "booktokker" would have, who is known in the community, and that's really saying something when 10k followers isn't really all that much in terms of the internet. i'd say the most important thing when trying to build a following on tiktok is to be engaging. talk fast, include colorful captions, lots of jumpcuts, images, etc. kids are scrolling at the speed of light and will only pause for maybe a second to see if your book could be something they'd like-- if you can't grab someone's attention immediately, they and thousands of others will be gone right away.

4. tell your readers what they'll like in your story. "tiktok loves tropes"-- truer words ne'er spoken, to say the least. the teens on this app have grown up not only with books, but with fanfiction, which is riddled completely with tropes, hundreds and hundreds. all these tropes have (gratuitously) been given names and there are people who will buy any book for any amount as long as it has their favorite tropes in it. they're basically buzzwords on booktok/writetok-- say "enemies to lovers" and hundreds of people are listening.

i hope this helps a bit? i'm not the internet messiah but there's a fine line on tiktok between thousands of people watching and nobody caring at all, and i want to help my litopian pals get as many sales on their books as possible

I remember the whole Lightlark saga, the author being called an industry plant and whatnot. And the book not actually matching the tropes / including some of the scenes she advertised. So false advertising is definitely not a good idea.
And yeah, followers are hard to get, during my little sprint of uploading I got 1k views per vid and...5 followers, I think? So I'm sure you actually have to stay active, post every day and interact with people.
Anyways, great tips!!!

 

[James Charles]

Brilliant! One thing I'd reccommend for your next video is to use a vertical template (you can change the size by clicking on the top right corner), because most Tiktok users use their phones.
View attachment 15758

Thanks, Annie. I rweaked it and posted a new one. I think they look okay on my phone app.