As BookTok revolutionises the industry, experts query the elite world of publishing

The platform’s rising influence marks an era where anyone can become a bestseller 

Nation’s top biography-writing service, StoryTerrace, follows suit – having helped thousands of people pen their own biographies in just under 6 years 

Lately the literary world has been abuzz with talk of BookTok – it’s TikTok’s newest sub-section of influencers, mainly teenagers and users in their early twenties who post videos devoted to reading. Videos consist of either book recommendations or short, fun and snappy takes on popular literature or the experience of reading. With views racking up to the billions – this new niche of influencer marks a refreshing take on the often ivy-clad and elite world of literary criticism. Its impact is measurable – with bookstores such as Barnes and Noble marking a notable uptick in sales since the hashtag took off. Introducing the magic of reading to an entirely new digital generation, BookTok not only marks a shift in who is buying out bookshelves across the nation, but what books are being bought. This democratization of the publishing industry marks a trend in ordinary people penning their extraordinary stories – following the ethos of the US’ top biography writing service, StoryTerrace, which has helped thousands publish their biographies in just under six years. 

Journalists are starting to write of the ‘BookTok effect’ which is when a novel in relative obscurity gets pushed into the stratosphere by influencers on the platform raving about it. Books such as Adam Silvera’s 2017 novel They Both Die at the End and Colleen Hoover’s 2016 novel It Ends With Us have seen sales shot up by over 500% in over the past two years due to BookTok. What this also signifies is a gradual movement to demystify the process of publishing – with Amazon’s release of the Kindle Direct Self-Publishing in 2007, which allowed anyone to publish their own e-book, the power of publishing was given to the masses. This resulted in an over-saturation of weird and often wacky books and manifestos on the platform, yet TikTok’s approached seems more refined. Biography-writing company, StoryTerrace’s mission is to make the process of publishing one’s own book more accessible and streamlined – with the rise of subcultures like BookTok, this suddenly brings the idea of being a bestseller within grasp. With BookTok’s audience being mainly university-aged and recent graduates – the community is a wide-reaching, yet strangely intimate subsection of the internet. It is a space where distinct novels and biographies are championed and shot into sky-high sales figures, meaning that what matters most on the platform is not the caliber of the publisher, but the quality of the work. 

A social survey by StoryTerrace, showed that 39% of respondents hope to accumulate enough life experience by the time they are 40 to write a biography. Oftentimes we think of the moments that make up our lives and realize the dramatic credentials in them – sometimes ordinary lives take on narratives stranger than fiction. StoryTerrace’s service matches clients with a professional ghostwriter and presents them with a beautifully bound biography, giving clients full rights to then go on and sell their book on Amazon – and who knows, even BookTok might pick it up? 

Rutger Bruining, CEO and founder of StoryTerrace comments on the importance of giving the power of publishing back to the people: 

“Growing up I was saturated with grandiose stories of fictional characters and historical figures – and whilst I devoured books as a child, it made me realize that there are qualities in not only my life, but the lives of my family and friends that had enough dramatic and heroic qualities to make for a compelling novel. 

“When wanting to write one’s own story the often nebulous and impenetrable nature of the publishing industry deters a lot of people from taking the plunge. This is partially why I started StoryTerrace – to give ordinary people the chance to publish their extraordinary stories. 

“The rise of BookTok and social media’s grasp on publishing in general shows that readers nowadays are less concerned with the reputation of an author or a  publishing house, but the quality of a story.” 

About StoryTerrace

StoryTerrace’s mission is to ensure that every life story is captured and passed on in a meaningful way. Its award-winning memoir writing service takes care of the whole process – matching clients with one of over 750 professional writers, interviewing, photo gathering, editing, designing, and printing their very own book. Books are on average 100 pages long, meaning that everyone can have their life story – or those of their loved ones – documented in a professionally curated biography or series of memoirs. 

Powered by its proprietary technology platform, StoryTerrace continues to scale globally and has sold over 3,000 packages to date since it was founded in 2014. The company was a winner on BBC Dragons’ Den in 2020 and has gained traction in the likes of Sky News, The Wall Street Journal, The Times, Forbes, and CBS News.