Is TikTok going away?

TikTok has asked the Supreme Court to block Biden’s law that would drive the app from the American market. The deal was that if the app’s parent company, ByteDance, doesn’t sell it before Jan. 19, TikTok is gone. (The actual deletion could be delayed until April.)

At least seven million Americans depend on TikTok for income. Will Trump save it? There’s a rich lobbyist working on him, but who knows? The American government cites national security concerns to justify the abolition. In Canada, no government phone is allowed to run the app, but Canadian citizens can still use it.

If the app is deleted from the app store in the United States, its value will certainly plummet for me. Most of my readers are from the United States. If I can’t use TikTok to reach them, I won’t be looking at it much. BookTok has been a great marketing phenomenon for book publishing (at least for some books). Bookstores across the land have Booktok displays that move books. Several times, I’ve become aware of books I would have missed without TikTok influencers informing me of their existence.

The US government refuses to explain the deeper details of why TikTok is a security threat. What bothers me is that all social media platforms collect information from their users. While the CEO of TikTok was advocating for the app in a hearing with a racist senator, Meta was gleefully lobbying for its demise. That’s shifty. If your nonsense alarm is going off, you’re not wrong.

The threat to the platform has led many creators to lose interest in using TikTok. Others are running with it as long as they can, at least to point their followers to their new social media of choice.

What might replace TikTok?

Threads’ user interface is still hard to chew and swallow. Bluesky is increasing in popularity as X spirals. Many users are turning their energies to YouTube. That’s where most creators will go for the platform’s monetization advantages.

A New Hope

Here’s a list of possible alternatives to TikTok, including their pros and cons.

More people are talking about Lemon8, but I’m not convinced yet. There is another app lurking on the horizon, but it won’t even be released until February 2025. I will reserve judgment until we can learn more. None of these platforms has TikTok’s powerful algorithm. I’m hoping TikTok survives somehow, but there is no reason or justice in the world, so…hmph. At least for now, it seems like we’re stuck, doesn’t it?

December 3, 2024December 2, 2024

How to Add Value to Novels

In my previous post, I discussed replay value as it applies to novels. What else can we do to delight, entertain, and enchant readers?

I have a couple of ideas to excite readers.

My first suggestion is so dead easy, you’ll wonder why you haven’t done it already! In the back matter of your novel, include a list of questions to stimulate discussion. For whom? For book clubs, of course!

In Vengeance Is Hers, I added a list of questions to get book clubbers talking and possibly arguing. The hardest part of getting a book club on track is keeping everyone on task, reading the books, and not devolving into a wine club. (There is nothing wrong with wine clubs, but I’m talking about getting more readers on board.) Make it easy for book club organizers to choose your novel for their next read. When everything else is in order, this is an easy add-on.

The second enhancement is harder to do and not always scalable, but it would entice more readers.

If you’ve spent any time on TikTok’s Booktok, you’ve seen videos of books with spray-painted edges. Some of them are really beautiful. I love gilded edges. Some edges continue or are consistent with the jacket design.

If you have an artistic streak with a paintbrush, you could elevate your game by decorating the edges and shipping special editions directly. There are other options, like using stickers. Most authors will probably try the DIY approach.

A quick Google search reveals a bunch of companies that will pretty up your edges for you. The first time I heard of this, the author added to the print specs so the printer could add edge art or messages. For direct shipping special editions, selling on Etsy, or to enhance your in-person sales, I see the value in artful edges.