I may not be the biggest fan of TikTok, but the US’s proposal to ban the app certainly poses a huge problem for authors and BookTok users.

Talks about the ban have been swirling for quite some time, since a year ago in fact, but on Wednesday, it moved one step closer to reality after the House of Representatives passed the legislation.

Lawmakers are advocating for a ban following concerns that the firm’s existing setup poses a national security risk due to its reported access to American user data. With over 150 million users in the United States, the app is fully owned by the Chinese technology company ByteDance Ltd.

The bill HR 7521, called “Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act,” passed by a vote of 352-65. It now goes to the Senate, where its prospects are unclear.

While White House National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan stated that the goal is to end Chinese ownership rather than completely ban TikTok, US President Joe Biden has mentioned that he will sign the bill if Congress passes it.

A violation of free speech

Responding to the news, the Authors Guild said it strongly opposed the move as it would be  “violating the free speech rights of millions of Americans, including many authors, who rely on the platform to share their work, build their audiences, and earn income.”

The association also warned that this would set a precedent, allowing the president sweeping powers to ban other social media platforms based solely on their country of origin.

In a blog post, the Authors Guild continued: “TikTok has become an invaluable tool for authors to connect with readers, promote their books, and generate significant income streams, especially at a time when book advances have been shrinking and record numbers of media and publishing companies have slashed their workforce due to economic and technological uncertainty.”

How popular is BookTok?

According to a 2023 report, it stated that the median annual income for full-time writers in 2022 was just over $20,000, putting most full-time writers at or below the poverty line.

BookScan analyst Kristen McLean stressed the importance of BookTok for book discovery. She stated in Publishers Weekly, “Even if BookTok sales are softening, it remains the industry’s most important platform for discovering new writers.” She notes that BookTok is especially crucial for finding books for younger readers. 

Read: BookTok: please don’t let TikTok publishing lower the bar

Last year’s standout successes included Rebecca Yarros, whose “Fourth Wing” sold nearly 400,000 copies since its debut in May, and Carley Fortune, whose “Meet Me at the Lake” surpassed 230,000 sales since its simultaneous release.

Authors such as Colleen Hoover, Taylor Jenkins Reid and even previously unknown author Alex Aster have had astronomical success from the platform’s algorithm.

And we’ve seen the tables at Waterstones showcasing the topselling books currently on TikTok. It has such a massive influence that the company was planning to roll out its own in-house publishing arm called 8th Note Press.  There were also multiple sessions on BookTok at the London Book Fair, some focusing on how it was revolutionising reading habits, reinvigorating the romance and fantasy genres, and providing marketing tips and advice.

McLean further emphasises the importance of BookTok in an article authored by Constance Grady for Vox magazine: “When I look at the data, there’s no other area of the US publishing market that we can pin that’s seeing that level of year-over-year growth right now. That’s the third year of growth for these authors.” 

In the first three months of 2023, according to BookScan, it declined 1% — except for the authors whose books blew up on BookTok. While in a poll of more than 2,000 16- to 25-year-olds, almost 59% said that BookTok had helped them discover a passion for reading. 

The success of BookTok can be attributed to its direct connection with readers, where it doesn’t resemble traditional advertising. Instead, you see similar content creators enjoying works that you could genuinely fall in love with as well. That trust and intimacy mean everything. Therefore, a ban of TikTok could have major implications for the BookTok community.

What’s going to happen to BookTok ? Our predictions

Being cynical, I would say that a ban on TikTok is a ploy to coerce BookTok users into switching to American social media platforms like Meta and its new reels feature. After all, the four major tech companies boast a combined market capitalisation of approximately $5 trillion. Facebook’s annual revenue of $70.7 billion is comparable to Venezuela’s gross domestic product. Therefore, any threat to this economic success is being swiftly removed.

Booktoker Rachel Skye predicts that users will probably pivot over to Instagram reels, after all, much of BookTok originated from Bookstagram. However, she says it’s likely that controversial or polarising content will be less popular due to the platform’s emphasis on aesthetics. As a result, we may see a resurgence of book boxes and subscriptions by marketeers. She also expects the collaboration feature to be more heavily used.

On the other hand, YA horror author Diana Rodriguez believes that this will be catastrophic for publishing because of major authors like Hoover, who got their big breaks on the platform. She also suggests that their reliance on unpaid influencers has significantly impacted the industry, which could have adverse effects.

Read: Book publishing predictions 2024: another year of AI and change

According to The Information, in 2023, a year after Meta began selling ads on Reels, the company struggled to persuade marketers that advertising on the TikTok rival could generate new business, as stated by ad executives. Meta had bet everything on Reels, even going so far as to shut down its news division to focus solely on it. However, from a media standpoint, there were no significant returns on advertising from either platform anymore.

Hence, despite the many problems with BookTok such as lack of diversity and general homogeneity, a TikTok ban would not only infringe on the free speech rights of millions of Americans but also strip users and authors of a powerful tool for advancing their careers, engaging with readers, and producing substantial returns.