Good For You: 8 Authors to Follow on TikTok Who Are Doing Great
I can’t be the only one whose screen time has skyrocketed to a shameful degree since downloading TikTok. As the fastest-growing social media platform in the world, I am decidedly not alone. We’re all spending countless hours scrolling through our FYPs (For You pages).
I think what’s so captivating with TikTok is the specificity of the videos that wind up on your FYP and the quickness in which you consume content. With videos only a few minutes long, it’s easy to blow through hundreds without coming up for air. More than once, I’ve stumbled onto a video verbalizing something I thought was something specific to me. Ways I eat my food or things I find inherently embarrassing (loading my carry-on in the overhead bin anyone?) or thought processes I assumed I was alone in the world having. But, then, in one minute I am no longer alone.
What’s nice too, is the variety of “sides” to TikTok. While some may be broad, like BookTok or DanceTok, some are extremely niche, leaving you baffled and slightly honored if you stumble your way into them (Beans TikTok I’m looking at you). Regardless of what you’re into, there’s some facet of TikTok out there waiting for you.
So, here are a few authors to follow on TikTok for anyone wanting to see the book and writing sides!
Chloe Gong (@thechloegong)
New York Times best-selling author of These Violent Delights Chloe Gong is a delight on TikTok. Gong’s page is full of jokes about her age, insights into her publishing journey, day-in-the-life glimpses, stealth Walmart missions, and lots of These Violent Delights content (plus teasers for the sequel, Our Violent Ends!) She’s the perfect follow for anyone wanting a variety of content and a great introduction to AuthorTok done right.
Victoria Aveyard (@victoriaaveyard)
Author of the Red Queen series and newly released Realm Breaker, Aveyard’s TikTok is full of answers to questions you’ve always wondered about the publishing industry! As a reader myself, I’m fascinated by what goes on behind the scenes and Aveyard’s page is a window into that world. If you’ve ever wondered how authors get paid, the parts of a three act structure, or how it feels to kill off fan favorites, Aveyard’s page is the one to follow.
Colleen Hoover (@colleenhoover)
TikTok has latched onto Colleen Hoover’s novels, putting Verity and It Ends with Us on more than one list of their most recommended books. Bookstores across the world are putting together tables of BookTok’s favorites. When you’re done reading Hoover’s entries (and all of the rest of her books), drop on by her TikTok to get some of your burning questions answered, meet her delightful family, and see her as she lets her hair down! She’s direct and honest and always fun to follow!
Aiden Thomas (@aidenschmaiden)
Do you want swag giveaways, author jokes, and insight into what it means to be a QTPOC author? Look no further than Aiden Thomas! The author of Lost in the Never Woods and Cemetery Boys takes his viewers along during unboxings, trips to bookstores, and shows us his pets (while also dragging those on TikTok who can’t quite figure out how to spell cemetery)! What more could you ask for?
Preeti Chhibber (@runwithskizzers)
More into comics? Give Preeti Chhibber’s TikTok a look! You get fun glimpses into her writing for Marvel and Star Wars as well as the rad anthologies her work appears in (and learn about comic writing while doing it!) Check out her newest comic for D.C. Truth & Justice #19 or stick around for writing tips, cross-stitch tangents, and also coffee…lots of coffee!
Talia Hibbert (@taliahibbert)
Though it doesn’t have as many videos as some, Talia Hibbert’s TikTok is perfect for romance readers everywhere. Not only does she write incredible romance novels (*cough* The Brown Sisters novels *cough*), she also has incredible recommendations! Glimpses into her life, journey, and writing process are a nice bonus, too! Lovers of love, you’re sure to love Hibbert’s page!
Dante Medema (@dantemedemabooks)
Ever wanted to learn how to draft a novel using sticky notes? Well, look no further than Dante Medema’s TikTok for the answer! Among craft book recommendations, advice on maintaining tension, and reminders to keep going, Medema gives viewers a multi-part breakdown of exactly how it is sticky notes can turn into a full-blown novel. A must-follow for those future writers (or curious readers) out there!
Sara Raasch (@sara_raasch)
With deep-dives into the skill of worldbuilding, book gift guides for every occasion, and many, many writing tips, Sara Raasch is a great follow for writer-inclined TikTokers out there. The New York Times best-selling YA author gives insight into traditional vs. self-publishing, recommends some books, and teaches us how to beat writer’s block in the span of only a few minutes of scrolling. She’s a must-include on a list of authors to follow on TikTok!
I hope these authors to follow on TikTok were a great start. For more social media author content, why not follow a few on Instagram? Or, maybe Pinterest? Or this giant list of writers on Twitter? Spice up your social media game. We all know you could use more author content in your lives!
