Over the weekend, the social media platform TikTok was banned in the US after the Supreme Court unanimously upheld a law passed by Congress. The move could profoundly impact international publishing as the popular BookTok community becomes displaced.
Less than 24 hours after the ban took effect, however, many users were already beginning to restore service. Incoming President Donald Trump promised to delay the ban via executive order within hours of his inauguration. The future of the platform in the US remains in doubt. Trump tried to ban the platform in his first term, and the Supreme Court’s support of the plan may undo his executive order. Many BookTok users have already fled the platform.
The US Congress implemented the ban with bipartisan support, citing national security concerns because of TikTok’s Chinese ownership. “I would like the United States to have a 50% ownership position in a joint venture,” Trump posted on the platform X. “By doing this, we save TikTok, keep it in good hands and allow it to say [sic] up.” Trump said he was in communication with Chinese President Xi Jinping about the matter.
BookTok likely to fragment in the wake of US ban
TikTok has already been banned in India, and it is one of the many platforms Australian teens will soon be unable to access in the Federal Government’s under-age ban. TikTok is the original home of BookTok, a community of devoted readers and book lovers that has launched a tsunami wave of book buying and publishing, especially for the romance and fantasy genres.
BookTok features countless international users, but its impact and reach in the US is undeniable, affecting Australia, the UK, Canada and other English-speaking countries. The hashtag has garnered well over a hundred billion views on the platform. In 2023, half of all American TikTok users said they had read a book because of a BookTok recommendation.
“BookTok has had a hugely positive influence on the publishing industry, with millions of younger readers in particular discovering a newfound excitement and passion for books,” the Australian Publishers Association (APA) tells ArtsHub. “That’s meant a direct increase in sales of popular BookTok titles – and seen younger book-buyers heading into bookstores, many for the first time.”
Millions of users fled to rival platforms in the week leading up to the TikTok ban. BookTok already has a large presence on YouTube, where users post longer-form videos. A surge of TikTok refugees have begun posting on another Chinese-owned platform called RedNote, but its longevity is yet to be tested.
“A US TikTok ban will likely displace this growing community of readers,” confirms the APA. “While many will move to other platforms, others will simply lose their access to the online peer recommendations they trust.”
Possible benefits for the BookTok community in a TikTok ban
BookTok has not been without its problems. While the community publicised a diverse range of genres and styles, the homogeneity of American titles has made it tougher for Australian authors and smaller publishers to breakthrough.
A viral BookTok moment is akin to winning the lottery for most authors, but it’s recently become the Holy Grail of marketing for every publisher worldwide. The fading of TikTok would have a knock-on effect for marketing strategies.
“A reduction in the American dominance of the algorithms may allow for Australian authors and books to be more visible to local readers – something that’s difficult for ANZ writers in the current social media landscape,” the APA tells ArtsHub.
TikTok legislation and the role of social media more broadly promise to be a large part of Trump’s new presidential term, as Silicon Valley CEOs rush to garner his support in the wake of his popularity. The long-term effect on the publishing industry is unknown.
