When Authors Play the TikTok Game

When I set out to write my new middle-grade novel 12 to 22, which is about a girl who makes a wish on a TikTok filter and winds up in her 22-year-old self's body, I knew I had to get familiar with the one social media platform I had tried to avoid. I was writing the book in the early days of 2020 when, like many of my author friends, I found the only way to connect with readers during a pandemic was to take to social media in ways I never had before. I ordered a ring light, then hid in a quiet corner of the house and recorded myself giving writing prompts for Facebook. I posted my attempts to find a writing spot after my kids started doing school from home on Instagram. I did teacher book giveaways on Twitter.