Eloisa James (the pen name of Mary Bly) has published over 30 historical romances, many of which have hit the bestseller lists. She also wrote a bestselling memoir, Paris in Love, as well as a contemporary novel, Lizzie and Dante. Her books are published in 28 languages and 30 countries, from Slovakia to Sweden. Worldwide, she has approximately 7 million books published in print or electronically. After graduating from Harvard University, Eloisa earned a M.Phil. from Oxford University and a Ph.D. from Yale and eventually became a Shakespeare professor, publishing an academic book with Oxford University Press. Her “double life” as a professor and romance writer is a source of fascination to the media and her readers. In her professorial guise, she’s written a New York Times op-ed defending the romance genre, as well as articles published everywhere from women’s magazines such as More to journals such as the Romance Writers’ Report.

I’ll spare you the pep talk and cut to the cruel truth: readers don’t find you. You find them.

I have a Facebook page, a Facebook Group, an Instagram page, and I used to have an X until it was hacked. If you’re curious, here’s my media universe. All of these media outlets function as an extension of my newsletter, which announces pub dates, explains my writing process, and shares personal photos.

Then came TikTok—which cannot simply reflect your newsletter.

I’ve seen authors face the camera, offering a synopsis or a tidbit about their life.

That won’t work.

TikTok is fundamentally different. Ignoring it is a reasonable alternative, but that’s where younger readers are. Yes, they scroll through Instagram, but they engage on TikTok. They check in with Olivia Rodrigo and Billie Eilish daily.

So how can you find them after they look up from their favorite creator?

I’m not pretending to have all the answers: it’s taken a while for me to reach a puny 20K followers. But those followers are valuable. They interact; they send me messages; they profess to love my books.

Start by exploring AuthorTok. Check out the biggest accounts, say Tessa Bailey, Amy Dawes, and Alex Aster. Now stop panicking. You don’t have to go to Harper Collins in your pajamas, knock back shots at a signing, or weep over your New York Times ranking.

You can be you and gain a following on TikTok.

But what if you are boring, married, and sober… Which many of us are, right? If we’re in PJs, we’re in front of a laptop, not in a publisher’s office.

So here are my three tips for conquering the algorithm, while being you.

Tip Number 1: Follow TikTok Trends

A video of you staring into the screen and telling people about your book will fail because TikTok will kill it.

TikTok trends dictate whether your video dies on the vine or spins out to thousands. You must know the trends, so that you can hook them to your brand and your books.

How to find trends? If you know a big artist is dropping a song or a relevant movie just came out, you could think up a connection. But you can also search “trending sounds” or “current trends on TikTok” to find marketing content creators’ daily videos listing trends.

What to do once you identify a trend?

Let’s say that an Ella Lane audio clip goes viral, asking “What are you Addicted to?” My answer is Writing Historical Romance, obviously!

One key point here: It’s hard to be earnest without being boring. I aim to be funny or ironic.

Tip Number 2: Hire Someone to make TikToks for you

If you’re not in your twenties, pay someone who is. TikTok videos thrive on generation-specific irony and humor. (They also thrive on great dancing, but this is about books.) Be clear up front with your new assistant about the number of videos you want to post a week. Those videos should be a mix of on-trend/pop culture tied to a book or books, and videos tied to you/your brand.

Get them started making a trend report every week. A trend report has three parts:

Trending Song: user Amai’s mash-up of Billy Joel’s “Piano Man” with Fleetwood Mac’s “Silver Springs”

Two current examples: Your assistant should give you two links showing how a specific trending song is being used. This trend, for example, contrasted an early ambition with a later career.

Idea: Young Eloisa writes to pay student loans, followed by carousel of Writer-Eloisa

Here’s the video!

This TikTok was constructed from photos and event video content, so it’s an easy option that allows you to be off screen.
Give your assistant a lot of silent videos—you making gestures, expressions, reactions. Here’s my “startled face,” attached to the news that Gracie Abrams and Taylor Swift mentioned my dad in a song.

Here’s another example, a silent video paired with an ironic comment, backed by a viral sound (“That’s not what the fans want to see”). This one has an edge since I diss historical romances where a heroine chews gum. I made that up, but it’s funny and positions me as an expert.

Finally, how about just using your book cover? Here’s my upcoming novel, The Last Lady B, tied to a viral sound, bouncing around with a clever comment.

Set your 20-year-old to work creating TikToks while you get back to writing. That said, you must review these videos before they are posted; it’s far too easy to jumpstart a media storm.

Tip Number Three: teach something.

People love to learn, so what do you have to teach? For example, my first career was as a Shakespeare professor. So when Taylor Swift published “The Fate of Ophelia,” I read the lyrics and made a quick video about what I thought, which went over a million views.

I hooked my expertise to a trend.

But I’m not trying to get a job as a Shakespeare professor, so what can I teach that leads to someone wanting to buy my books? Well, I know a lot about Regency manners. How can I tie that to a trend?

You don’t have to be on the screen. POV videos are useful. Check this one out and read the comments: I’m reaching the right readers, since they tag Bridgerton, mention Mayfair, and even offer interesting info about how hackney drivers tried to stop people from boinking in their carriages (just like NYC cabbies).

TikTok may not be for you. But please don’t ignore it simply because you can’t dance or you don’t want to be on screen. You can make it work.

TikTok readers are young, enthusiastic, and interested in finding their next book.

Your book may be the one they’re looking for—but how will they find it without your help?

The Last Lady B by Eloisa James

Lady Genevieve Hughes travels to a haunted Scottish abbey with her much older husband, expecting ghosts—but instead finds unexpected friendship and the sharp-witted Sir Godric Everly. As secrets unravel, including shocking revelations about her husband’s past, Evie is thrust into a web of lies, identities, and scandal. Newly widowed and unsure of who to trust, she must navigate deception, protect her reputation, and determine where her heart truly lies.

Buy the book now: Bookshop.org | Amazon