Since its appearance, and despite the various controversies it has been involved in, TikTok has only grown. The short video application has gone from being a simple source of entertainment to one of the main sources of information, not only for teenagers, but also for young adults and even for members of generation Many communities have appeared on the platform that bring together millions of users with similar tastes.
One of them is #BookTok, one of the hashtags whose popularity has grown like wildfire. Only among Spanish-speaking users, during 2023 the content on TikTok specialized in books and literature exceeded four billion views, according to Esquire. Naturally, for the owners of the application this was not going to go unnoticed, and they already plan to market printed books through their publishing house, 8th Note Press.
TikTok’s new objective: the publishing market
According to Business Insider8th Note Press, the publishing arm of ByteDanceparent company of TikTok, began publishing digital books 2023. It has now partnered with Zandoan independent publisher, to make the leap to physical format and launch a line of printed novels, which will be sold in retail stores starting in 2025.
In statements for The New York Times, Jacob Bronsteineditorial and marketing director at ByteDance, acknowledged that the physical format remains the most popular among readers, especially “in specific genres, some of which we are addressing“.
According to Molly SternCEO and founder of Zando, the target audience of 8th Note Press will be readers millennial and generation Z “who seek stories that reflect their diverse experiences“, said to Business Insider. According to The New York Times, The publisher plans to release between 10 and 15 books a yearwith titles from genres popular with younger TikTok users, such as romance and fiction.
Image | 8th Note Press on Instagram
He boom they BookTok
Communities of readers on social networks are not a new topic. Before BookTok there were already BookTubersYouTube content creators dedicated to reviewing books and giving recommendations to readers, especially young readers. Another particularly important phenomenon is Bookstagrama community hosted on Instagram that is dedicated to sharing reading experiences and showcasing their collections and new acquisitions.
However, BookTok’s impact is in the popularity of short videos. The platform not only has allowed new writers to make their work knownbut it has brought younger generations closer to the classics and has even given visibility to little-known titles.
The truth is that the so-called “reading clubs” on social networks have been beneficial for publishers. For example, Grupo Planeta said to The Confidential that, between 2019 and 2020 alone, its sales grew by 90% thanks to this phenomenon.
