I, like many others, have discovered TikTok. While I haven't gotten up the gumption to make an actual video, because I HATE being on camera, in true aspiring author fashion, I have "innocently" (read: knowingly and with delinquent intent) opened TikTok for just a few minutes only to come out of a video scrolling stupor hours later when some weirdo pops up on my screen and tells me I've been scrolling for too long. (Confession time: I always go to at least one more video, because I do not like being told what to do!) So, yet another distraction has been added to the list of things that keep me from writing, but somewhere pretty early in the process I found BookTok, and what a glorious time it has been. So many new recommendations! My TBR pile is out of control.
But BookTok isn't just for readers. It's for writers too. There are so many hashtags worth following. Below are 5 of my favorites.
Yes, this is pretty on the nose, but it's good to start with the basics. This is a great way to find other writers on TikTok. Finding community is important, especially when you choose a career where solitude is required. That community is a hashtag away.
Yes, yes, it's a restatement of #Writertok, but let's face it, some people consider themselves "Writers" while other consider themselves "Authors". You are just widening the net and finding a larger community. There are helpful tips and there are people who just feel your pain. It's all worth it.
This one is 100% worth the time. If you are an author of color or just enjoy reading stories by authors of color, this is an obvious follow. If you are not an author of color, but want to write characters who are people of color, I strongly encourage a dive down this particular rabbit hole. There are so many things that you need to open your mind to before writing a character you don't know deeply. No one needs another heinously stereotyped and misrepresented character of color.
My inner nerd comes out when I watch #writingtips videos. You'll find tips from other writers about pain points in the writing process, but you also get good old-fashioned grammar refreshers. Special note: While this post is about hashtags to follow, I want to give a mention to Ms. James @iamthatenglishteacher. Her posts bring me right back to the grammar classes I loved in school. #GrammarNerds, this one is for you.
I AM SO HAPPY TO SEE CHICK LIT AGAIN! I'll stop yelling, but the enthusiasm is real. I was told years ago by an editor that "chick lit was dead" and that we chick lit authors had to refer to our work as "commercial women's fiction". Bleh. I hated it. Know why? BECAUSE I WRITE CHICK LIT! And do you know what? So do a lot of other authors. Know what else? There are a lot of readers along for the ride. (Did I mention my TBR is at an insane height?) And while I'm specifically calling out #ChickLit (as I do a happy dance in my chair), you can search for any genre and find your people. Even as an introvert, I love it when I find my people.
I'm still going to watch cute puppy videos and all of those silly dances, but the #BookTok side of the internet is where I want to be, and with these hashtags I can at least feel like the time isn't a total disservice to my writing.
Drop your favorite social media hashtags in the comments and let's make the internet work for us!
Photo by Katie Harp on Unsplash
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