How to Market a Book on TikTok

TikTok is selling books - hundreds of thousands of them - and you don't need a huge marketing budget or a massive following to make your book the next sensation. This is about connecting with readers genuinely through short, engaging videos. This guide will walk you through the exact strategies you need to find your audience, create content that resonates, and turn viewers into loyal fans who can't wait to read your work.

Understanding the Power of BookTok

First, let's get acquainted with the corner of TikTok where you'll be spending most of your time: #BookTok. This isn't just a hashtag, it's a massive, passionate community of readers, authors, reviewers, and booksellers who collectively drive global bestseller lists. The key to BookTok's power is authenticity. Unlike the polished, highly-produced content on other platforms, BookTok thrives on raw, emotional reactions.

Think about it: readers post videos of themselves weeping over a character's death, laughing at a witty line of dialogue, or sharing a book that completely changed their perspective. This kind of user-generated content feels genuine and trustworthy, making recommendations incredibly powerful. As an author, your goal is to tap into this organic ecosystem not as a salesperson, but as a fellow book lover and storyteller.

Setting Up Your Author Profile for Success

Before you post your first video, you need to turn your TikTok profile into a welcoming hub for potential readers. Every element should work together to tell people who you are and why they should stick around.

1. Choose a Clear and Discoverable Username

Your username should be simple and closely related to your author's name. The best options are:

• Your Author Name: @JaneDoeAuthor or @JaneDoeBooks
• A Creative Variation: If your name is taken, you could try something like @AuthorJaneDoeWrites.

Avoid long strings of numbers or confusing abbreviations. You want to be easy to find and tag.

2. Craft an Informative Bio

You only have a few lines to make an impression, so make them count. Your bio should immediately communicate:

• Who you are: "Author of..." or "Writer of..."
• What you write: Mention your genre(s), like "YA Fantasy," "Spicy Romance," or "Cozy Mysteries."
• A link to your book: TikTok allows one clickable link in your bio (once you have enough followers). Use it wisely! Link to your primary book purchase page, your author website, or a simple Linktree with multiple buying options.
• A peek at your personality: Add a fun fact or an emoji. For example: "Author of The Crimson Scythe | Dark Fantasy & Villain POVs | Fueled by coffee ☕"

3. Pick the Right Profile Picture

Use a clear, high-quality headshot where you look friendly and approachable. People connect with faces. Alternatively, you could use a high-resolution image of your book cover, especially if it's visually striking. Test which one performs better, but a personal photo often builds a stronger connection.

Content Strategies: What to Post to Sell Your Book

The "what to post" question is the biggest hurdle for new authors on the platform. The secret is variety. Don't just post "buy my book" videos over and over. Instead, use a mix of content pillars that entertain, educate, and build a connection with your audience.

1. Create Intrigue with Book-Specific Content

This is where you directly market your book without feeling like you're marketing. The goal is to make people need to know what happens next.

• Plot & Trope Teasers: Use text on screen over an aesthetic video (a person reading, a cozy fireplace, a rainy window). For example: "If you like books with chosen family, 'who did this to you?', and one bed, then you might like my new fantasy romance."
• Character Introductions: Use a trending audio to showcase your main characters' personalities. Find a sound that represents a character's vibe and add some text explaining who they are. "Introducing the grumpy sunshine MMC from my book, The Iron General."
• Aesthetic Videos: Create a "mood board" video for your book. Compile a series of short clips and images that capture the feeling, setting, and atmosphere of your story, set to a fitting piece of music.
• Excerpt Readings: Record a voiceover of you reading a tense or emotionally charged line from your book. Overlay it with a relevant video background. Skip the big spoilers and focus on snippets that create questions.
• Cover Reveals: Build excitement around your cover reveal. You can do a slow, dramatic pan over the cover or use a "jumping" transition trend to unveil it with a flourish. This is a big event, so treat it like one!

2. Build Connection with Author-Life Content

Readers love to see the person behind the pages. This is your chance to be human and relatable, building a community of fans who are invested in you, not just one book.

• Unboxing Videos: Filming your genuine, excited reaction to opening a box of author copies for the first time is content gold.
• Writing Process: Show your workspace, a time-lapse of you typing, or a shot of your notebook filled with scribbled plot points. People are fascinated by the creative process.
• Share Your Inspiration: Did a historical event inspire your book? A specific trip? A painting? Share that story. It adds depth and dimension to your work.
• Relatable Writing Struggles: Use funny, trending sounds to make videos about writer's block, pesky secondary characters taking over the plot, or the fear of hitting "publish." This type of content tells other writers and readers, "I get it."

3. Grow Your Reach with Trend-Based Content

Jumping on trends is the fastest way to get your content in front of new eyes. The TikTok algorithm favors videos that use trending sounds and formats.

• Adapt Trends to Your Niche: Don't just do a silly dance trend - connect it to your book! For example, take a popular point-of-view (POV) trend and frame it from your main character's perspective.
• Use Trending Audios: Scroll your "For You Page" for 15 minutes and identify sounds that you hear repeatedly. Tap on the spinning disc at the bottom right and save the audio. Think about how you can adapt that sound to a concept about your book, a character thought, or a writer's problem.
• Stitch & Duet Videos: Engage with other BookTok creators' videos. See someone asking for "books that gave you a book hangover"? Stitch their video and talk about how your book does just that. This puts your content right in front of their audience.

Mastering the TikTok Nuts and Bolts

Great content is just one part of the equation. Understanding how to package it for the platform is what gives it the potential to go viral.

Use Hashtags Strategically

Think of hashtags as keywords that help TikTok categorize your video and show it to the right people. Use a mix of broad, niche, and book-specific tags.

• Broad BookTok Tags (High Volume): #booktok, #books, #reading
• Genre-Specific Tags (Medium Volume): #romancebooks, #fantasyreads, #thrillerbooks, #yabooks
• Trope/Niche Tags (Low Volume, High Intent): #enemiestolovers, #morallygreycharacter, #foundfamilytrope
• Your Personal Tags: Use a specific tag for your book title (#thecrimsonscythe) and your author name (#janedoeauthor) to group your content.

Aim for a mix of 3-5 hashtags per video. Avoid using only huge hashtags like #fyp, as your content will get lost in the noise.

Post with Consistency

The TikTok algorithm rewards creators who are active on the platform. You don't need to post five times a day, but aim for a consistent schedule you can maintain. Even posting 3-5 times a week can make a significant difference. Find a cadence that works for you without causing burnout. Quality and consistency are far more important than sheer quantity.

Engage, Engage, Engage

Don't just post your video and walk away. TikTok is a social platform, and community is everything. Dedicate time each day to:

• Reply to a comment with a video. This feature is a great way to create new content and show your audience you're listening.
• Respond to as many comments as possible. Even a simple "thank you!" can foster goodwill.
• Engage with other creators. Watch other BookTok videos, leave thoughtful comments, and follow authors and readers in your genre. Become a part of the community you want to sell to.

Final Thoughts

Marketing your book on TikTok is less about sales tactics and more about authentic storytelling and community building. Focus on creating value, sharing your passion, and connecting with readers on a human level, and your audience - and your sales - will grow naturally.

As your content ideas start flowing, managing a consistent posting schedule across different platforms can get tricky. We built Postbase to solve this exact problem. Our visual calendar lets you plan, schedule, and see all your short-form videos for TikTok, Instagram Reels, and YouTube Shorts in one organized place, so you can focus on creating great content instead of constantly jumping between apps.