Special Topics Paper

Special Topics Paper

Megan Van Prooyen

    It is true that social media has increased the amount of book readers in the world. “The influence of online platforms has led to a growth of the publishing industry through the increase of book sales, and certain books have gained rampant success because of attention on social media,” (Eesley, 2023). This article goes on to state a few specific materials that have gained attraction via social media, which I will address later. Like anything, there are downsides of social media. On the other hand, for the book industry, social media has been a huge benefactor.

    Social media offers book publishers an easy way to access their supporters. Using TikTok, companies can take a couple minutes to create a video that could easily blow up. If these accounts are verified, the videos will gain even more attraction. The same goes for authors. In an online article, writer Roopa Sandhir states, “The growth of social media and unlimited public platforms have allowed publishers to connect with readers personally, providing readers with an inside view of their lives,” (2022). I strongly agree with Sandhir. Social media platforms allow for authors to get to know their readers, and even apply their suggestions into their materials.

    Another topic I want to discuss is debut novels and self published books. With the help of social media, it is easier to get recognition without having a publishing company behind you. Author Jessa Hastings, writer of the Magnolia Parks Universe, was a self published author, as well as a debut novelist. When she released the first installment in the series, Magnolia Parks, in July of 2021, it was self published. It was also her debut novel. In just one short year, she had multiple offers from different publishing companies across the world. With the help of social media, she was not only able to do it on her own, but do so successfully. The Bookseller states, “According to the publisher, on TikTok, there have been more than 8.4 million views of #MagnoliaParks and 6 million of #JessaHastings,” (Brown, 2022). With five books currently published, there is still plenty more to come from this series. I am positive when I say that TikTok will continue to support her and the Magnolia Parks Universe.

    Overall, I think it is fair to say that social media, mainly TikTok, largely affects the book industry. There are so many aspects affected because of social media. What authors rise to fame, what books pick up attention, what books are worth spending your money on versus those that are not, and the list goes on. It’s silly when you think about it, how different people’s opinions are the reason why certain books/authors become successful. I suppose it starts as one person’s opinion, and then millions of people agree with that opinion. To conclude, I believe that social media positively affects the book industry. Of course, there are downfalls, but I feel the pros outweigh the cons. The most important conclusion I have come to is that TikTok allows for people to talk about the book industry. More than possibly ever before, people are talking about books. At the end of the day, that is the biggest takeaway, and it’s a great one.