TIKTOK PARTNERS UP TO PRINT BOOKS
Tiktok owner ByteDance will start printing books, as the surge in popularity of the TikTok #BookTok community is reflected in the rapid growth of young people reading printed books.
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ByteDance started publishing digital books a year ago, and its publishing arm 8th NotePress, has just teamed up with publisher Zando, with the aim of releasing a string of printed books next year.
TikTok’s influence on young people cannot be overstated, with 57 per cent of Australian teenagers spending time on TikTok this year, most spending almost an hour a day on the social media platform. The number of Australian teens on BookTok is 16 per cent. The #BookTok community has racked up 46 billion views worldwide. The number of Booktok videos is up by 15 per cent so far this year compared with last. It is the world’s biggest book recommendation channel, with its users - almost all young people - sharing their passion for printed books.
“Physical books are still overwhelmingly the most popular format, and certainly in specific genres, some of which we’re playing in, they’re still super important,” 8th Note head of editorial and marketing, Jacob Bronstein, told The New York Times. “So we knew that we needed to be in physical books.”
Zando “will debut its titles for the first time in print to a worldwide audience.” The two companies plan to release 10 to 15 romance, romantasy, and young adult titles a year in print, beginning early next year, with a focus on millennial and Gen Z readers.