Should You Be On TikTok?

Should I?

Hi friends,

I’m rounding the corner on my last edit on Write Through It. I’m tightening the things that need to be tighter and making sure there’s actual internal logic to where my brain decided to put things. I’m filling in the last of the tk tk tks. The step after that will be copyediting, where I will come face to face with what I don’t know about commas, and then after that, I’ll see the book again in page proofs. That draft will be designed and laid out like a real book. (A real book!) That is the last time I’m going to be able to make significant (i.e. more than a word here and there) changes to the manuscript. So now’s the time I need to get things right.

How do I feel about that? Fine! The book is in good shape. I trust my editors and their eagle eyes and I personally know that there is no perfect iteration of this book. I am only stressed about the things I haven’t thought to put in, any blindspots. But it’ll be fine. In the end, I think the book will help people (and hopefully entertain) and I know I will be proud of it.

Instead, I’m worrying about TikTok¹. For the record, I’m not on TikTok. My husband shows me his when he finds something funny, and of course I see random ones posted on other social media platforms. I have yet to pivot to video. I do watch an inordinate number of subpar Instagram Reels (which are mostly the half-good TikToks from three weeks ago) mostly because it’s a bad habit I’m struggling to break. I know that if I downloaded TikTok, the algorithm would be so good I may never come up for air.

Historically, I’ve been a text-based social media girlie. I was verified on Twitter when it meant something. It’s no shock I do better with words.

I also understand that editing video content is a skill unto itself and tbh, I’ve never tried it. I am not shy or worried about being on camera—I just don’t have several hours a week to edit videos.

BUT. But I know that video content has the potential to really boost a book’s sales. Bookstagram and BookTok are powerful forces. There are large communities behind them, segments of which are hungry for the real secret behind getting published. And straight from the mouth of a real, live literary agent? Pish. Slam dunk. (Apologies to the other literary agents out there who’ve been in the content mines for ages. I don’t mean to belittle your work!)

So I thought, maybe I could do low-lift editing videos, a la Dr. Becky. A lot of her Stories/Reels/TikToks/Whatever are her talking and walking down the street. Little to not pointing at text that pops up or walking to the left or tight to indicate if she still wears skinny jeans or whatever.² I could do that. I could write a short script, go outside, put on some lipstick, and be a talking head. I could bank five or six of them and be set for a while. I’ve even seen ads for apps that turn your phone into a teleprompter! But that’s probably a half, if not a whole day’s work, and the machine wants way more content than that to game the algorithm. Yes, marketing a book is like having a whole ‘nother part time (full time?) job. I already have several of those. I know I have to and will put in work to market my book. I just have to be strategic about it.

I could also probably film a lot of B-roll (B-roll!!!!!!) and put text over the video (somehow? I’d have to figure it out) and not do 47 different takes to get the script right. The algorithm wants your face, though?? That’s what I’ve heard? If my face isn’t on there, will it even be worth it? ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

---

Remember that post about Big Swiss last week? I’ve got another one cooking for you for Thursday!! Stay tuned!

---

Here’s the the biggest thing, though. Long time readers know I am not above a clickbait headline. Honestly, I enjoy writing headlines and have received many compliments on then in the past. I spent some time last week watching some Bookstagrams, and all the algorithm fed me were clickbait the real secret to getting published!!!!! stuff. The creators touted their six-figure advances and that they interned at a literary agency once. Their advice was mostly fine! I had my quibbles, but tbh I could quibble with all publishing advice. But none of it was the real secret because there is no real secret. Those promising the real secrets are always gonna get more views than here’s some reasonable advice you might want to follow!!! videos. And the louder you say you're the only one on those platforms telling the real story, the more you sound like a crank. I like a clickbait headline because all it’s doing is getting you to click, and once you’re I can be like lol no but here’s the real advice pretty quickly.³ I don’t want to waste your time. I don’t want to spend hours making videos that only tell you half of what you need to know just to be like reply BESTSELLER to get my free 10 step guide to guaranteed success!! Maybe there are other ways to be successful on these platforms. If you know, drop it in the comments.

My publisher is not going to force me, or even strongly suggest, I make video content. They would probably love it if I did! I know, though, that the choice will ultimately be mine. I’m seriously thinking about it because A: Twitter is a wasteland, B: Instagram/TikTok can be very powerful, and C: I want to support my book best I can. I still haven’t fully decided, and I might try a few things to see what I like/what sticks/what I can manage. But this is what I’ve been turning over in my head, in case that helps you make your own decision, now or later.

Take care, friends. Get off your phone and go read a book.

OXOXOXO,

Kate

1. Also Instagram Reels, but for our purposes here, I’ll basically be referring to both in the same breath, i.e. short video content meant for social media.

2. See how old my reference points are?

3. c.f. this whole post.