Alice Vol. 7 No. 3

For other authors, BookTok has shown
publishers the power of certain genres.
“What TikTok did for me was prove
to traditional publishers that my books
[and similar ones] were in demand
contrary to what the traditional
publishing industry had told me
previously,” said St. Clair.
“A Touch of Darkness” is the first
in a series of a modern-day retelling
of Persephone and Hades. While it
originally was only available through
Amazon, a direct competitor to Barnes
and Noble, the demand for the book in
stores became clear.
“While I did get into B&N stores,
obtaining books was so difficult for
their buyers. I was a topic on their
agendas often because they had to get
approval to purchase my books since it
was directly supporting a competitor,
but the demand was there,” said St.
Clair. “My local B&N said that my books
alone have boosted their sales over the
last year, and I’m also their number one
seller.”
BookTok has forced traditional
publishers to seriously consider the
traditionally underrecognized young
adult and romance genres seriously.
“I definitely respect the platform and
its demographic of young, diverse and,
as far as I have seen, predominantly
female users. I’ve always felt those
audiences were underestimated when
it comes to rescuing the publishing
industry,” said Blake..
Readers have shown that the market
for these books is present and prevalent.
“I think it illustrates the power of
readers. I was a librarian for five years
before becoming a full-time author, so
I know the power of readers, the power
of sharing what you love,” St. Clair said.
“I think that’s powerful no matter the
platform.”
While many people might see
BookTok as an unconventional way to
talk about books, the impact it has had
on the accessibility of diverse voices in
literature is profound. From creators
to authors, it is a place where every
person, no matter their background,
can find themselves represented.
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