BookTok has transformed the publishing industry, turning forgotten novels into bestsellers and giving readers unprecedented influence over which books succeed. But as TikTok becomes one of the most powerful forces in publishing, is it changing not just what we read, but what it means to be a successful writer?
For much of the history of publishing, becoming a bestselling novelist was a fairly straightforward proposition. Not necessarily easy, of course, but at least the rules were reasonably clear. You wrote a book, persuaded a publisher to publish it, hoped the newspapers would review it favourably, and waited to see whether readers bought it.