Let’s chat about what triggers book sales. National media rarely has an effect. I’ve watched book ranks closely as authors were featured on Good Morning America or had a two-page advertorial in People magazine. Those sort of activity have a shockingly low effect on sales. Social media posts can go viral but rarely lead to actual book sales.

Then… you have TikTok.

TikTok is a phenomenon that the book world has never seen and is today’s single biggest authentic manipulator of sales.

That’s a bold statement, but I stand behind it 100%. Let’s take a look at the last three months.

Books rarely go viral anymore. In today’s market, hitting a bestseller list is almost impossible without a massive ad budget or a loyal and established audience. The recent exceptions to this rule have all had one trigger in common: TikTok.

Let’s look at some specific examples.

Kandi Steiner’s 2018 book, The Wrong Game skyrocketed to #6 in the Amazon US store solely from a TikTok video she made that went viral. Watch the video here.

Christina Lauren’s book The UnHoneymooners hit the USA Today Bestseller list two years after it released, thanks to this TikTok video.

And, nearly 10 years after it was published, Song of Achilles hit #1 on the New York FREAKING Times list and is continuing to sell over 10,000 copies a week. This spike was first triggered by a single “Books that make you sob” Tiktok video that led to hundreds of other videos.

Fun Fact about TikTok:

Readers are less price-sensitive and don’t chase sales on TikTok. If they find a book interesting, they purchase it, even if it’s at full publisher-level pricing.

I’ve been watching the craze from afar, unsure of how to navigate the TikTok waters. I read a few articles, created an account, and did a right and proper job of floundering around like a blind bulldog. To date, my follower count is a staggering 55 people, and I’ve created six videos and only posted one.

But here’s the thing…

A TikTok video can go viral even if you don’t have many (or any) followers.

Still, I don’t know where to begin or what to do, so I’m bringing in the big dogs to share all of their TikTok wisdom and tips. Later this month, I’ll be sitting down for a 90-minute tell-all video session with 5 authors who are dominating the TikTok game. Authors like…

Romance author Chelle Sloan, whose following has exploded to over 400,000 followers.
KD Robichaux, whose backlist books never got traction on other social media platforms but have now consistently hit Amazon and wide lists thanks to her TikTok posts.
Kandi Steiner whose backlist title hit #6 in the US store thanks to a TikTok post.
Carrie Aarons, whose TikTok videos have been liked over 2 million times, and who focuses almost solely on book promotions in her videos.
Eden O’Neill, whose follower count grew from 3,000 to 19,000+ in less than six months.

I have a ton of questions lined up to ask them, including:

What are the different ways I can promote my book on TikTok?
Is there a good ratio of book versus non-book posts?
Can I hire someone to make my TikTok videos?
Does follower count matter and how can I grow mine?
What is your #1 TikTok tip for an author?
What are some mistakes authors make on TikTok?

If you’re interested in watching this video class (and over 20 other author-specific classes), reserve your ticket to Inkers Con 2021 now. This author’s conference is 100% online and allows for on-demand viewing of all content for a full three years, as well as the chance to network with other authors and meet with representations from Apple, Amazon, Draft2Digital, Kobo and more. Save $50 with early registration today at www.inkerscon.com.

Do you have any questions you’d like me to ask the panel? Please drop them below.