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What TikTok’s Potential Shutdown Means for the Book Biz on Eve of ‘Onyx Storm’ Release
The most highly anticipated book release of 2025 is set for next week, less than a month into the new year, and just after the planned TikTok ban.
But the immense impact TikTok, owned by Beijing-based ByteDance, has had on the publishing industry over the past five years cannot be denied, for it’s #BookTok that is largely responsible for the massive attention and subsequent success seen by “ Fourth Wing,” along with dozens of other romance and fantasy novels that have landed on the New York Times bestseller list. And that’s based on proven demand for the “Fourth Wing” franchise, as social media and events manager Teresa Lynch says the Ripped Bodice’s November 2023 release parties for “Iron Flame” sold out 300 tickets “immediately” at both locations. Though the online reader community might be losing its biggest place to congregate if TikTok shuts down just before “Onyx Storm” releases, the reservations and pre-orders tied to these in-person experiences showcase what is possibly a lasting effect on the larger publishing industry that isn’t at risk of being banned.
Or read this on Variety