{"id":78505,"date":"2025-03-20T10:58:01","date_gmt":"2025-03-20T17:58:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.mozilla.org\/?p=78505"},"modified":"2025-08-08T00:08:53","modified_gmt":"2025-08-08T07:08:53","slug":"reaching-readers-one-tiktok-at-a-time","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.mozilla.org\/en\/internet-culture\/life-online\/reaching-readers-one-tiktok-at-a-time\/","title":{"rendered":"Reaching readers, one TikTok at a time"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"Three
Sanibel Lazar is using TikTok to break beyond traditional book promotion. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Before I started promoting my debut novel, \u201cTo Have and Have More,\u201d<\/a> I hadn\u2019t posted on any social media platform since 2015. Creating content wasn\u2019t in my plan \u2014 until I realized it was the most practical way to get my book noticed. Working with a brand-new press<\/a> meant I had to carve out my own opportunities. Social media was a means to feel like I was in the driver\u2019s seat as my book went out into the world. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Instead of feeling overwhelmed by the need to promote my book, I leaned into what I could control. I started creating videos on TikTok<\/a>, not as part of BookTok, but tailored to themes from my book like class, privilege and wealth. They led me to unexpected audiences. I\u2019ve ended up on PrivilegeTok, WealthTok, StatusSymbolTok and even QuietLuxuryTok \u2014 places where I stand out as the only person talking about a novel. My videos are a way to access audiences who might not otherwise pick up a book.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When one of my videos hit a couple hundred thousand views, I checked my Amazon ranking and watched my book climb. Social media has also brought me opportunities I didn\u2019t anticipate. Rather than chasing podcast invites or op-eds, I\u2019ve been getting invitations to do readings and guest spots (it\u2019s thanks to social media that I got tapped to write this article) \u2014 all because people discovered me through my content. <\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\""To<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

I\u2019m not on TikTok to recommend books or talk about author life; instead I riff on social etiquette, classism, and luxury brands. My strategy isn\u2019t about jumping on trend bandwagons but about getting people interested in my book. I call this approach \u201cOblique Content,\u201d inspired by perfume ads that sell a mood or idea rather than focusing on product specs. In my videos, I talk about everything from toxic wealth to throwback millennial fashion trends \u2014 and I plug my book for ten seconds at the end.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I got a DM recently from a follower who said she was shocked to see a certain high-end brand at TJMaxx and thought of me. That message was a small but significant sign: My content was resonating. People were connecting my name and voice with the themes of my book.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For creatives, finding success on social media isn\u2019t as simple as racking up views. You want your followers to be interested in your body of work and your ideas \u2014 not just your ability to \u201cstop the scroll.\u201d My advice? Experiment widely and don\u2019t pigeonhole yourself in the conventions of your genre. And don\u2019t get sidetracked scrolling for inspiration; focus on creating. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n

Sanibel Lazar<\/a> is a writer based in New York City. She earned her MFA from The New School and her BA in Classical Studies from the University of Pennsylvania. Her debut novel, \u201cTo Have and Have More,\u201d will be published in April 2025. Sanibel\u2019s work has appeared in New York Magazine, ELLE, Air Mail, Literary Hub and more.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Before I started promoting my debut novel, \u201cTo Have and Have More,\u201d I hadn\u2019t posted on any social media platform since 2015. Creating content wasn\u2019t in my plan \u2014 until I realized it was the most practical way to get my book noticed. Working with a brand-new press meant I had to carve out my […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1889,"featured_media":78506,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[461998,464326],"tags":[4708,464315],"coauthors":[464316],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nReaching readers, one TikTok at a time<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Author Sanibel Lazar shares how creating unexpected TikTok content about privilege, class, and wealth helped her debut novel reach readers \u2014 and why creatives shouldn't pigeonhole their work.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/blog.mozilla.org\/en\/internet-culture\/life-online\/reaching-readers-one-tiktok-at-a-time\/\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" 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