TikTok as a Marketing Tool in the Hands of Publishers

Abstract This article analyses the impact that TikTok has on the publishing industry from the perspectives of professionals, content creators, and readers on the platform, as obtained through a series of interviews and an online questionnaire. It investigates why the BookTok community seems to be able to have a direct influence on book sales, and also enquires how publishers are reacting to this phenomenon. Thanks to the primary research, this study juxtaposes the performance on TikTok of its case studies (taken from the Big Five publishers) with the direct feedback of BookTok members, identifying common elements that indicate how the companies are perceived and which approach to the platform resonates the most with their young audiences. The article provides suggestions of how publishers can either improve their usage of TikTok or navigate it for the first time.