TikTok is the social media app to join right now, and though I initially doubted its staying power, I’ve come to the conclusion that it’s going to stick for quite a while to come. And even better, I’ve found that it’s a tool that can seriously skyrocket book sales when used properly. So much so that Barnes & Noble now has a dedicated BookTok section on its website and in some stores.
Which I guess meant to me that I should get very familiar with the ins and outs of TikTokking. Despite never making a TikTok myself (though I do experiment with Instagram Reels, which are more or less the same concept), I’ve been studying the layout of the land, and I think I have discovered some archetypal TikToks you can recreate if you are wondering what to post.
But first, a few tips:
- The For You Page (or FYP) should be your new best friend if you want to go viral on TikTok. There, you will find trending sounds (which are what they sound like—clips of sound you can add to your video), dances, and hashtags that you can jump on, which will help people—you guessed it—discover you.
- A Canva account is free (there’s also a paid version), and it should be your second new best friend. There are TikTok templates ready to go for you on there.
- TikTok learns very quickly from your first few hours scrolling and your first couple of videos what kind of audience you’re attracted to and who you’re likely to attract.
- The worst that can happen is nothing. The best that can happen is that you find a new platform you love, and you get tons of views and engagement which skyrockets your book to the top of the charts.
- Just like with every other platform, you don’t want to just be constantly pushing your books. Answer questions from readers, hop on getting-to-know-me trends when you find them, post about your behind-the-scenes process, and do all that other stuff we are always told helps boost engagement. That’s how you get the followers who love you, not just one particular TikTok you made.
Fair warning: I have made all of the names for these TikToks up, so if you try to communicate to other TikTokers or other authors about these types of videos, you will have to send them this blog post for context.
Another fair warning: All of these authors write some flavor of (mostly steamy) romance, but that in no way means these ideas are not applicable to your genre. These are just the authors I happened to have seen on my feeds, and so they are easy for me to use as examples. Let’s agree to not read into this at all, okay? Okay.
Also, here’s a fair warning: this is not a post on how to actually create a TikTok. I am going into this post assuming you either know how to create a TikTok video already—that includes recording, editing, adding sounds and effects, and whatever else the kids are doing these days—or you are willing to learn. There are plenty of YouTube tutorials out there. Don’t be nervous! If you learned how to use Instagram Stories, you can learn this. I promise.
A fourth and final fair warning: I really like alliteration.
The Aesthetic Appreciation
Shining Examples: One and Two by M.C. Frank
If you don’t have your book out yet, or you’re waiting on your cover, this is the perfect type of TikTok to make as an introduction for your book to be.
You can go about this type of TikTok in two ways. You could have a bunch of images flash by in a slideshow, or have a single mood board made of many images (again, Canva is a great place to create a collage like that, with plenty of templates). Select a popular (if you can) “sound” from TikTok’s library that has lyrics or a beat that matches the mood of your books, and finish the video with your book cover, if you have it, or a release date, or any other details about where a potential reader should look next.
For this kind of TikTok, you’ll need to scour the Internet for images that match your book’s “vibes.” What do I mean by this? I mean images that allude to your book’s setting, the emotions you want to evoke in your reader, and/or details of your characters. It’s hard to get specific without knowing more about your book. This is more of an art than a science. Suffice to say, if you immediately thought of searching Pinterest, you are on the right track.
Here is a list of where to find free images ready for you to download and use. To get them to all have a similar look or color palette to them, you can use any of these free apps and websites.
The B-Roll Blurb
Shining Example: Kandi Steiner and Kristin Granata
Much like the Aesthetic Appreciation TikTok, you will be looking to match your book’s vibes or setting. This time, you’ll use video to do it. Ideally, you would use video from your own camera roll that is readily available, but stock videos could also work. Both Pixabay and Pexels have free stock videos you can use, though the selection is limited. If you have Canva, you have more options available to you, especially if you spring for a Pro account.
But, as my cutesy nickname for this type of TikTok suggests, the video you select is secondary to what you say in your voiceover. If you have a scene that is particularly strong all by itself and can stand alone—or can be tweaked to stand alone—then, by all means, use that! You could also read aloud a particularly detailed or intriguing review, your back cover blurb, or any other snippet of text you think will intrigue a listener.
Of course, you don’t need to have a voiceover. You can also have captions pop up on the text. In fact, I encourage captions regardless of the content you create. Captions (a) make your content more accessible for those who are d/Deaf or hard-of-hearing, and (b) mean that you won’t automatically be scrolled past when the viewer is in a public space or can’t listen for another reason.
Also, the example from Kandi Steiner I used? It launched her book to #1 in that book’s genre.
The Sensational Scenario
Shining Example: Jami Albright
It’s time to brush up on those acting skills you were absolutely sure you were never going to need again after grade school. Surprise! To do this TikTok right, you will be stepping into the role of your main character and narrating your book’s meet-cute or inciting incident, or some other “crazy but true” sounding scene from your book.
There is more than one trick to this. First, I don’t recommend reading straight from your book, as you want it to have a more conversational tone to draw people in. Write a script for yourself as your main character answering the question, “So what happened to you today?”
The other trick? Look the part if you can. Add props if you can. Dollar stores can be very helpful in this regard. And the green screen effect is your friend, too!
If you’re reluctant to act like the events of your book really happened to you—and I understand that hesitation—then change the whole thing to, “When [xyz] happens…” and end with your book cover on screen.
When you wake up and discover a dead body in your apartment and you don’t remember last night…
When you learn you’re a fairy and also the long-lost queen of fairies all in one day…
When the chess-obsessed AI on your spaceship goes rouge and forces your crew to play its deadly game…
You get the picture. Regardless, the call to action at the end is usually something to the effect of, “read to find out what happens next,” and your book cover flashing onscreen.
The Trope Tell-all
Shining Example: Kandi Steiner (Again!)
You should know your book’s tropes. At the very least, knowing your book’s genre is essential to marketing your book. Even if your book is a blend of genres or groundbreakingly unique, you should make an effort to figure out what your books have in common with other books.
Why?
Because that’s how you learn who your audience is, and that’s how a potential member of your audience decides whether your book is their cup of tea (a.k.a., is worth their time; a.k.a., is worth their money).
If you can bullet-point a few tropes from your book, you can recommend your book as a complement to books with those similar tropes. If you like x, you will love y. You can tag the authors of the books you recommend, and now you’re making genuine connections. Maybe that will open the door for collaborations in the future. Maybe that will get their readers talking about your book and vice-versa. Everybody wins!
