Tik Tok Trends - use 'em or lose 'em?

 

Photo by Thought Catalog on Unsplash

Tik Tok doesn't come naturally to me, as our other SFF 7 authors have also noted for them. But in the last year or so I've been trying to connect with readers on the app--because there are millions of readers on BookTok looking for their next read.

Just as readers go to Amazon to buy books, so readers flock to TikTok to discuss books. They're talking about their latest read, showing off their TBR list, and sharing funny trends and memes that have bookish content. Who wouldn't want to join in on the fun?

Well, introverted authors, or authors using pen names, might not love having to show their faces. Also, it can be challenging for those of us who are over the age of 25 to keep up with the fast pace of the trends. And there are so many users generating content that it is not easy to go viral without devoting a great deal of time and effort into the app.

Some authors seek a formula for success: use these words in your caption, make a book-flip-only account, post x number of times a day. The algorithm has its own mind, though, and what works for one author won't work for you. Although there is no single way to succeed, there are many ways to engage readers on the app. Trends can be a fun way to do this. 

When I started, I found BookTok follow parties were a great way to find like-minded readers and grow your following. The BookTokers I follow use simple and elaborate posts--some take no time to create and others can take hours. I've tried some of the easy kinds of posts that many BookTokers do: Meet the BookToker, Book Challenges, book flips, and book stacks, for example. Most of them can be done with a stack of books or even a single book. Others need you to stand and point, or lip sync to a sound. It takes time, but some authors say this time can be worthwhile to gain a larger following. It's rewarding to make short-form content--so different from novels!--and this creative outlet can provide more immediate gratification than book-writing does.

I'll never be someone who sets a trend, but it can be fun to participate in the community. There are lots of BookTok sounds you can find if you search "booktook trends" that can provide you with ideas. I've only dabbled in using costumes for posts, but I would love to do this more. These are more involved and I don't have the time while I'm teaching. Summer would be a good opportunity to experiment.

Proper BookTokers have a lovely full wall of books, but this isn't a requirement for everyone. TikTok doesn't want everyone to look and be perfect, it prefers authenticity and informal or spontaneous posts (even though many influencers devote a great deal of time to their posts). This approach is appealing to me. Sometimes I feel too chaotic and messy for Instagram, so showing more of my real self on TikTok seems more natural. I'm still getting comfortable onscreen and I haven't found my niche yet, but I've learned to focus on having fun and making connections rather than trying to make the perfect viral post.

Striking Social Gold

Oh trends, what fickle things they are. 

If that sentence doesn’t tell you where I stand…then I guess I need to elaborate. This week we’re talking about TikTok. Technically we’re talking about Tick-Tock trends, Jeffe decided to keep the typo and I kinda like it. 

I also like what Jeffe said: only do the kind of social media you enjoy. I’m paraphrasing, so check out her post for the direct quote AND you’ll see some gorgeous book covers! But back to that author social media stuff. If you don’t enjoy it then you’re not going to do it well. Or often enough. Which means it’ll be difficult to reach readers through it. 

Videos aren’t my creative outlet, so TikTok doesn’t appeal to me. Yes, I get sucked into watching the feed on Instagram, who doesn't, but I limit the amount of time I spend on there. As for TikTok, I long ago decided if I’m not actively participating by posting my own content on a social, I’m not going to spend my time using. So this week’s topic got me curious about the positives that surround trends, specifically BookTok.

There have been a number of books that began as a concept or gainted a pre-pub following on BookTok take off successfully. One that I read and thoroughly enjoyed was Assistant to the Villain. There have been others I DNF’d. I didn't know Assistant to the Villain or the ones I DNF'd were BookTok books until after I'd read them and some because I looked up BookTok books to write this and found out their origin. Maybe I haven’t read enough BookTok-spurred stories, but I don’t feel they’re any better or worse than books I find in other ways. However, I acknowledge it’s a new avenue to reach publication and readers. 

It’s sort of like BookTok is the new Twitter-fest for books. #pitmad and #pitchwars were golden opportunities for savvy writers to craft 35 word hooks for their books. I know authors who landed publishing contracts that way. It was exciting and thrilling—the Twitter pitch-fests ushered in a new way to connect authors with agents online. It blew attending conferences in person for pitch sessions out of the water. Twitter provided authors a way to find publishing contracts and/or promote books from the comfort of their own homes—pantless! I'm sure there was a small percentage of people who were pantless. It seems to be a thing people crow about. 

What it really boils down to is our social media usage evolved and so did the way writers use it. And it’s not going to stop changing.

There will be another new social that people glom to and authors will find a way to sell their books and book ideas with it. And after that new shiny there’ll be another, and another. So it really goes back to: make sure you have fun with whichever social you choose. (if you read between the lines it says: don’t do them all, you’ll burn out) If you’re one of the lucky ones and you find an open door on a social—congrats! And I hope you remember what it was like when all you had were dreams and reach a hand back for someone else when you’re able. 

New Covers for Sorcerous Moons!

 Our topic at the SFF Seven this week is "Tick-Tock trends—have you tried any reading or writing trends?" 

I'm leaving in the misspelling, just so you get how clueless we are. ~ Shakes cane at kids on lawn ~

Regarding TikTok - lol! - a social media property that originated in China, no, I don't follow or attempt the trends. I sometimes feel like I should. I do have a TikTok account - https://www.tiktok.com/@jeffe_kennedy - and I even have over a thousand followers there, even though I almost never post anything. The followers are due to very kind and generous fellow authors who do the Tiks and Toks better than I do. (Shout out to Vela Roth and Lisette Marshall!)

So, I know that I really should post to TikTok, and I sometimes think about it, and even occasionally do it. But I also remind myself of advice I've been giving since the beginning of social media, which is that you "should" do only the kind you enjoy doing. Social media is social and if you're hating it and faking being social and happy and fun, it shows. 

Therefore, instead of discussing reader trends or writing trends or TikTok dances, I'm going to share these beautiful new covers for my complete, six-book Sorcerous Moons series!!! The spine design with all six together is so gorgeous even Taylor is gasping in admiration! The print editions can be ordered via my website store or the usual retailers. 

Instagram Time Sinks

 Pretty Instagram photos haven't been on my list of things to do. Should probably be. Aren't. In part because cats and a moveable composition aren't compatible. I do realize I could maybe go somewhere in this house and close a door with the ever so helpful felines on the other side of it. I just haven't. Instead, I play with virtual photos - these were ads that ran on Facebook and got posted (but not boosted) on Instagram. They did fine. 

The issue for me is that I can spend a bunch of time on photos, or I can steal that time back for working on a book. Given that I've had to take on a day job (living in a house big enough to accommodate four adults - one with mobility issues is more expensive than  two people living in a 34' boat - who knew) the hours available for writing have shrunk considerably. 

I'm going to opt for words over photos most of the time. So while these are a little flat and shiny rather than textured and lush like Jeffe's lovely photos, the ads are the closest I get to Instagram-worthy shots. If I want yet another job, I'll figure out some means of creating clever TikToks cause nothing says time sink like an amateur doing video editing.

Unpopular Opinions? Welcome to my TED Talk.

1. Insomnia's not so bad.
   No, really! It has its limited, mind-numbing, exhausting uses. I mean, I finally got on Tik-Tok and followed people who slay me. Laughing my ass off without waking my family or peeing my pants in the middle of the night counts as exercise, right?
   RIGHT?
2. Being warm is overrated.
   Those of you not enduring a scorching heatwave right now, hear me out. Moving to a warm climate where a good, hard frost is perishingly rare just ain't all it's cracked up to be. Ask the allergic asthmatic how they know.
3. Firefly.
   I'm team Vivien on this one. It can be problematic as hell - just like most human beings I'd posit. But y'know, it did a lot right from a scripting and conflict standpoint. Mostly, I just remember it as a really good time that ended too soon. Of course, had it come out today, it's possible I'd have liked it less because of the yuck factors associated with it.
   
4. Snakes.
   Don't care. I like 'em. Not in my house necessarily, but I like seeing them. I like knowing they're out there in the world doing snake things. 
5. Old cats are the best.
   
   Sure kittens are cute and adorable, but they grow up. Old cats are opinionated, cranky, eccentric as hell, and set in their ways. They might be stiff with arthritis and their hearing may be gone. They might live for another few weeks or for years - getting more assertive and opinionated each day. But they are the cats who appreciate everything you do for them. They're suckers for a warm lap and a few soft pets. The relationship you've forged with them is settled and established. As their worlds get smaller, you move closer and closer to the center of it.
6. Having your parents live with you can be a win.
   Don't think I'm not aware of the incredible privilege I enjoy - my relationship with my folks is pretty damned good and a lot of people aren't that fortunate. In this case, it's even more privileged than that. I get to have this time with a parent who's becoming frailer and whose world is (like the elderly cat's) getting smaller. When we moved my parents into the house, it was to help them age in place and to never need a nursing home. That's a pretty big gift to give and to get. I hope we can sustain it. Are there hard days? Oh, yeah. But you know what? One of the parents brings me tea at random intervals throughout the day and makes fake ice cream every afternoon. It's the little things.
   
7. Pronouns are no big deal.
   Ask what people prefer. Use the preferred pronouns. Mess it up? Correct yourself. No flailing or apology or groveling necessary. Correct. Move on. Impacted people care that you're trying - though at some point - trying needs to move into habit. Otherwise, affected people may be forgiven for bringing an air horn into the conversation to provide demotivating commentary on being misgendered for the thousandth time.
8. Book lights don't actually light up books.
   I'd like to think this isn't an age thing, but it could totally be an age thing. Those tiny LED book lights that so cleverly clip to your book cover and adjust to illuminate the pages you're reading? Yeah, they don't. Sure, I can see the pages and that there are letters on the pages. But provide enough contrast to actually allow my migraine addled brain and eyes to bring those letters into focus so they can be seen, read, and registered? Not a chance. The book light is enough to keep me from killing a cat or dying because I tripped over a cat in the middle of the night, though. So there is that.

 TikTok comedy anyone?