How a TikTok video turned into a 6-figure book contract for a first-time author

• Katie Siegel is the author of newly published mystery novel, “Charlotte Illes Is Not a Detective.
• “Siegel didn’t originally envision the story as a novel, but as a video series for TikTok.
• An editor at Kensington Books saw her videos, and Siegel ended up with a six-figure book deal.

Katie Siegel didn’t go on TikTok expecting to get a book deal.

Siegel had always wanted to write fiction, and as an avid TikTok user, she was well aware of the power of #BookTok — the platform’s hashtag and community dedicated to reading, which had over 160 billion views as of early August. TikTok has been credited with generating the highest print book sales in the United States in two decades, reigniting a love of reading among some younger generations, and spawning a string of bestsellers.

But Siegel, now 26, had amassed a TikTok following of over 500,000 with comedy sketches and other types of scripted content like episodic web series, and she had stuck to that for several years.

“I wasn’t actively pursuing publishing because I had a good thing going with making videos and hosting on the internet,” Siegel explained to Insider. “I had that feeling of instant gratification. I liked being able to work on something for a short period of time and then publish it.”

Her only online hint about her writing ambitions was a line in her website bio that simply stated, “I also really want to write a book (or books) someday!”

Shannon Plackis, Siegel’s editor at independent publisher Kensington Books, found that line on her website to be crucial.

Siegel wanted to gauge her audience’s interest in a new web series about Charlotte Illes, a former child detective who finds herself solving a mystery as an adult in May 2021. She released a one-minute pilot episode, which quickly went viral (the video has over 600,000 views).

Plackis was among those who tuned in that day.

“When it came up on my feed, I thought, ‘This would be such a great mystery series,'” Plackis explained. “There’s always discussion in the publishing world about what kinds of young, cool stories can speak to younger mystery readers. “I felt like this checked all of the boxes.”

Plackis had received no indication that the video creator was interested in bringing her character to the page. However, after perusing her website, she came across the line about Siegel’s writing ambitions and contacted her. The two decided to collaborate on a proposal, and Siegel soon had a six-figure, two-book contract with Kensington Books.

There are no hard and fast rules when it comes to calculating debut novel advances, according to Vida Engstrand, the director of communications at Kensington, but Siegel’s pre-existing following on TikTok, as well as audience interest in the specific video that went viral and the BookTok phenomenon in general, were all factors in her contract.

“Charlotte Illes Is Not a Detective,” Siegel’s first novel, was published in June and was described as a “rollicking debut” by The New York Times.Siegel even produced the web series she had envisioned as a “alternate universe” for her main character.

BookTok is powerful, but success can’t be forced

BookTok has taken the publishing industry by storm, and everyone from independent booksellers to the CEO of Barnes and Noble recognizes its potential. However, success on the platform cannot be programmed. The platform’s powerful algorithm is relied on by both ordinary users and publishers.

“It seems like you’re playing the lottery,” author and writing coach Michelle Schusterman told Insider in May.

Plackis discovered Siegel as the first and only author on TikTok. Plackis does not actively use the platform for discovery, so it was a happy accident. Having a viral video and an audience that is already invested in a story can be a predictor of success, but it is not a guarantee.

“Knowing that there are already people out there who are clamoring for this story is always going to be a bonus and a plus,” Plackis said. “However, it must also be a good story.” That was clearly the most important [thing].”

Authors have also discussed the pressures of promoting themselves on TikTok and becoming “author-preneurs” who do their own marketing. Siegel has experimented with various types of content to publicize her novel both before and after publication, but she maintains that she tries to set realistic expectations.

“I’ve grown accustomed to the anguish. “I have a large audience on TikTok, and my videos are frequently not seen by the majority of them,” she explained. “I think authors and creatives get caught up in the pressure to post that one video that goes viral and changes their lives.” But, as we’ve seen from my own experience, it only takes one person to recognize your work and ideas, recognize your potential, and give you a chance.”