Tick Tock has exploded within the publishing community as of late. With authors referring to "book tock" as the ultimate marketing platform. Authors across the Internet are ranting and raving in Facebook groups about moving their income from in the hundreds to six figures per month.
So, when it comes to TikTok for authors, you have to ask yourself, are you missing out on the greatest marketing tool of our time?
Today we find out!
This guide will be the ultimate guide to Tiktok for authors. You’ll learn the best practices, tips, and everything you need to know to set up your author account on TikTok.
Are You Missing Out On The Greatest Marketing Tool Of Our Time?
If you're not using TikTok, then yes, you are missing out. Generally, social media is used for connecting with your audience. Authors are allowed to communicate with their readers and give them an inside look into their everyday lives.
However, some platforms such as Facebook and Instagram offer ads that give authors an additional perk to attract new readers.
However, it's far more than that on TikTok. TikTok’s algorithm connects you to people who would be reading your book in Booktok.
Readers find new content that may interest them, then based on the teasers you provide, determine whether or not to buy your book.
Authors have been raving about increasing their income by hundreds of thousands using TikTok. There are so many benefits to using TikTok, but the best one is that it's completely free for you to set up, post content, and attract new readers.
If that wasn't enough to convince you, let's take a look at some of the reasons why TikTok is important for all authors.
Why Is TikTok Important for Authors?
Organic reach and marketing opportunities are the two main reasons why TikTok is important for authors. Let’s take a look at each:
1. Organic Reach
In terms of organic reach, TikTok is one of the best social media platforms. People who are genuinely interested in your book can be found easily, as can other authors.
After all, Facebook Pages and Groups used to be the same way before the algorithm change, but TikTok is still a great platform for discovering and engaging with readers.
2. Marketing Opportunities
TikTok has over 1 BILLION active users, and a lot of them are book lovers and authors who are creating some cool content.
Under the hashtag #BookTok, authors of all ages have created more than 70 percent of videos recommending books, recording time-lapses of themselves reading, creating book page flip videos, or hopping on popular trends using music that will catch their target reader’s attention.
These authors are just as surprised as everyone else that these videos are selling a lot of books.
What Is the Best Frequency for Posting on TikTok?
There is no secret sauce. Every marketer will tell you a different number of times you should post on TikTok. Posting 3+ times a day and doing well is possible as well as posting once a week and doing well.
Additionally, I've seen people who post three or more times a day get very little engagement or views. It's all based on where you fall in the algorithm.
You can experiment with what works for you and your schedule. Rather than making multiple videos a day, I post once a day. I've been working hard on it!
If you are comfortable making multiple videos a day, go ahead and do it. The key is to remain consistent. As with publishing once you fall out of the algorithm you will have to start over again.
Quantity is not as important as quality. So, posting for the sake of posting is not a good idea.
How Can Writers Create Videos?
It's likely you clicked on this article looking for some ideas for TikTok posts, wasn't it?
You can start making videos right now even if you haven't yet been published! Here are a few video ideas to get you started:
- Describe what you write and who you are.
- Show us your bookshelf and tell us about your favorite books
- Take a look at a page from your book or your latest piece of writing
- Describe the inspiration behind your book or writing project
- Get advice from other writers and talk about your writing journey. The TikTok app is very popular with videos about finding success!
If you want to make TikTok users laugh, think, or learn something new, provide them with valuable content. You should aim to make an impact with every video you make.
Top 4 Tips to Grow Your Audience on TikTok
1. Develop "Aesthetic" Montages and mood boards
The readers can get a glimpse into your mind as the writer as they look at the endless amount of Aesthetic montages for your characters, scenes, and series.
Consider creating a TikTok teaser with a thematic song choice, moody, and a ton of inspirational photos from Pinterest to build hype before writing a book or scene. It's always a treat for readers to get an insider's look at your aesthetic images!
2. Bios & Profiles of Characters
In fiction books, introducing your main and supporting characters is an excellent way to build publicity. Consider adding a dialogues or few scenes from your book to enhance user engagement.
Be sure to include subtitles for every scene, since many viewers do not use their sound anyway. Leave the rest to the reader's imagination by revealing a few interesting scenes from your books.
3. Create “Pack With Me” Videos
Even if it isn't their delivery, a personalized packing experience always impresses. Add your flavor to each package by writing a personal thank you note, wrapping it with jute, and adding a handwritten note.
Many authors seal brown paper around their books with their wax seal. Also consider including a bookmark in each package, as the majority of readers use random sticky notes and papers as bookmarks (this doesn't have to be super fancy).
It doesn't matter if it has a minor print on it! If your fans are on TikTok, they may even "duet" the video of the opening of the package, giving you even more exposure: YAY!
4. Do Cover Reveal and Book Trailers
One of the best ways to build excitement around your book is by releasing cover reveals and book teasers. This can be done in a variety of ways regardless of if your book has been published or not.
Generally, you will do a cover reveal about two to three months before your book has been released if you're publishing date is far out. This would still work if you have a closer publishing date, you will just need to build interest faster.
If you have time, start by doing teasers of the cover reveal itself. This can be done using a “peeled back” image. These are a white page with a piece of it peeled back displaying a little bit of your cover.
If your release date is closer, then simply do a surprise and show the whole cover. Of course, this would be accompanied by trending sounds that would garner the interest of your target audience.
A good book trailer can be released at any time throughout the publishing process. Just ensure that the characters used in the book trailer match the characters or themes written in the book.
Your upcoming book's cover can be the subject of a TikTok video, especially if you're a fantasy fiction author. Slowly reveal the cover or hint at the title as you build up to the reveal.
This video can be saved and sent out in your newsletter as soon as it’s published, allowing VIPs to get VIP release details first.
The Biggest Mistake You Should Avoid on TikTok
The biggest mistake an author can make on TikTok is not dedicating the time needed to train the algorithm and learn the system. Consider TikTok as a child... as a child grows, it needs a parent to teach them the way they should go; TikTok is the same way.
When you open a TikTok account, you will need to train the algorithm so it knows:
- What content you would be interested in
- What content the people who would watch your videos would be interested in?
- And who will make up your target audience
To do this, you would need to consider your TikTok profile as a brand. As an author on TikTok, you need to focus predominantly on the readers you would like to reach. The mistake authors make is using TikTok as their personal playground.
TikTok watches everything you do. So, if you use your author TikTok to watch videos about cats, hats, or hairstyles, for example, when you do not write about these things, your content will be pushed to other people that watch videos about cats, hats, and hairstyles.
How to Train the TikTok Algorithm
to train the algorithm, you want to spend your time watching videos that would be similar to what you intend to post. So as an author, you want to be watching, liking, and engaging with other Booktok content.
Bonus points if you are engaging with content within your specific genre.
For example, a romance author would be engaging with Booktok content about other romance novels, particularly romance novels that appeal to your target audience.
This will tell the algorithm that this is where your videos should be going. Then when you post the video, TikTok will send it to the “for you pages” of the people liking, engaging, and commenting on the videos similar to yours.
