TikTok Ban: What Happened (& What It Means for Authors)

Some authors greeted the United States’ ban on TikTok with a shrug of indifference.

They didn’t use TikTok (and never planned to), so the ban didn’t matter.

But other authors?

Authors who used TikTok to connect with their readers on social media?

To them, TikTok (and the “BookTok” community) going the way of the dodo is a BIG freakin’ deal.

After all…

According to the Pew Research Center, a whopping 62% of TikTok users in the United States say they use the platform to make purchasing decisions — with 27% saying this was the “major” reason they used it.

(BTW: That 27% is more than the combined total of Instagram and Facebook.)

So, if you’re in the former group of authors, feel free to skip this one. But if you’re in the latter…

If you’re one of the thousands of authors who leverage TikTok to market their books…

Grab a cup of coffee and pull up a chair. In this article, we’re going over:

  • what happened to TikTok,
  • what happens next,
  • and what authors can do to adapt,

We’ll start with what’s happened…

How We Got Here (An Abridged Timeline)

Since repeating the full timeline of TikTok’s legal situation would likely bore you (and me) to tears, we’ll hit the highlights.

First, some context:

For several years, there’s been growing momentum to ban TikTok in the United States due to national security risks; specifically, that the Chinese government could access users’ data.

So:

  • On April 20, 2024, the United States House of Representatives voted 360-to-58 to approve a bill that, among other things, required the China-based ByteDance — the company that owns TikTok — to sell it within 270 days or face a ban in the U.S.
  • On April 23, 2024, the United States Senate passed the bill by a vote of 80-to-19.
  • The next day, on April 24, 2024, President Joe Biden signed the bill into law.

Next, the lawyers got involved:

  • On May 7, 2024, TikTok and ByteDance sued the U.S. government, saying the law was unconstitutional.
  • On August 2, 2024, the FTC (Federal Trade Commission) and DOJ (Department of Justice) sued TikTok and ByteDance for violating children’s privacy laws.
  • On December 6, 2024, the U.S. Court of Appeals upheld the ban on TikTok in the United States.
  • On December 18, 2024, the U.S. Supreme Court announced it would review TikTok’s challenge on January 10, 2025.
  • On January 10, 2025, President-elect Donald Trump filed a request to the Supreme Court asking it to delay the implementation of TikTok’s ban until he took office on January 20, 2025.
  • Later on January 10, 2025, the Supreme Court heard oral arguments from both sides, with justices appearing “inclined” to uphold the law.
  • On January 17, 2025, the Supreme Court unanimously upheld the TikTok ban.

And that’s when things got wild…

Shortly before the Sunday deadline, on January 18, 2025, at approximately 10:50 PM EST, TikTok went dark. It was unavailable to its 170 million users in the United States.

Shortly after going offline, TikTok’s app displayed the following message to U.S. users:

The following morning, President Trump wrote on Truth Social:

I’m asking companies not to let TikTok stay dark! I will issue an executive order on Monday to extend the period of time before the law’s prohibitions take effect, so that we can make a deal to protect our national security. The order will also confirm that there will be no liability for any company that helped keep TikTok from going dark before my order.

Later that day, around 12 hours after going dark in the United States, TikTok started to come back online and sent the following notification to users:

Thanks for your patience and support. As a result of President Trump’s efforts, TikTok is back in the U.S.!

On January 20, 2025, President Trump signed an executive order granting TikTok a 75-day extension.

“I guess I have a warm spot for TikTok,” Trump announced.

What Happens Next

TikTok may be back online, but it’s not yet in the clear.

Trump’s executive order gave ByteDance more time to find a buyer — but it didn’t eliminate the TikTok bill Biden signed into law. The national security concerns must still be addressed; otherwise, at the end of the 75-day extension, TikTok could leave the United States once again (this time for good).

In other words…

If you’re an author who uses TikTok to connect with readers, hope for the best but prepare for the worst.

How How Authors Can Prepare

No matter how it ultimately plays out, TikTok’s saga highlights an old adage:

Never put all your eggs in one basket.

The authors best equipped to handle TikTok’s banishment will be the ones who didn’t solely rely on it. Instead, TikTok was one of several platforms and strategies they used to market their books and connect with readers.

One platform (like TikTok) goes down? No problem. Other platforms pick up the slack.

It’s risk mitigation.

And the great thing about risk mitigation is it’s (almost) never too late to implement it.

So:

Even if its ban is permanently lifted and TikTok stays around forever…

Smart authors, businesses, solopreneurs, etc. would be wise to add other social media platforms into the mix.

The question is…

Which ones?

3 TikTok Alternatives Authors Should Consider

When TikTok’s initial ban was on the horizon, users began flocking to alternative apps. If the ban returns, they’ll undoubtedly flock again.

And while many will choose Chinese-based alternatives (downloads of RedNote and ByteDance’s Lemon8 surged in early January), those are probably not the best options for authors to take if TikTok is permanently banned.

Think about it…

The same law that targeted TikTok could apply to other Chinese-owned platforms too.

A better — and safer — pivot for authors would be to large, stable platforms that aren’t viewed as potential security risks.

Here are three that are worth a look:

  1. YouTube
  2. Instagram
  3. X/Twitter

You’re undoubtedly familiar with each, but let’s dive into what makes them intriguing alternatives (or complements) to TikTok.

1. YouTube

Known for its short videos, TikTok began rolling out (and pushing the adoption of) longer videos in 2022.

So, if you posted longer videos on TikTok, YouTube will feel natural to your audience. And if you posted shorter videos to TikTok (as most did), YouTube Shorts will be an easy swap.

Add the fact it’s a platform 99.99% of your audience is already familiar with (and likely uses), and it makes YouTube an obvious TikTok alternative for authors.

It has some advantages over TikTok too. One of them is longevity…

Videos on YouTube tend to have longer lifespans, which means you can continue getting views months or even years later (especially if your videos are timeless, aka “evergreen”).

Another advantage YouTube has is SEO (Search Engine Optimization). Though not a traditional one, YouTube is the second largest search engine in the world (after Google).

That means authors can optimize their videos for keywords and phrases — increasing their searchability (and reach).

2. Instagram

Introduced in 2020, Instagram Reels were designed to go head-to-head with TikTok.

Like TikTok videos, Reels are short in duration, full-screen vertical format, offer editing tools and background music, use hashtags, encourage engagement (likes, shares, comments, etc.), and — possibly most importantly — rely on an algorithm-driven feed.

To that last point…

TikTok’s biggest draw for many authors (and other marketers) has been its algorithm, which gave everyone the ability to “go viral” overnight.

Because of this, TikTok offers organic reach possibilities that other social media platforms couldn’t match — you could have zero followers and STILL get views for your videos.

Though its algorithm is not quite on par, Instagram attempts to mimic TikTok’s virality and organic reach by prioritizing engaging, personalized, and trending content based on a user’s interests and interactions.

It’s why many creators chose to cross-post their TikTok videos to Reels, long before the ban was on the horizon…

Because it was a natural alternative.

And it’s even more if TikTok eventually goes away.

3. X/Twitter

At first glance, X doesn’t seem like a natural alternative to TikTok’s video-based platform.

But that’s only if you’re thinking of the old X (back when it was called Twitter).

X, in the Elon Musk era, releases updates at breakneck speeds. And three of these updates make it a strong TikTok alternative:

  1. “Time on content” is the most important algorithm metric,
  2. A dedicated vertical video feed, and
  3. A recommendation engine that focuses on smaller accounts

Inside X’s algorithm, “time on content” is — by far — the most important metric. The longer people are consuming your content, the more the algorithm rewards you.

That makes “video” the ideal type of content to post to X right now — and that was before X added a dedicated vertical video feed designed to go toe-to-toe with TikTok.

Combined with a recommendation algorithm that actively aims to boost smaller accounts outside of their friend-follows networks, X is possibly the platform best poised to match the organic reach upside that authors loved about TikTok.

The Key Takeaway for Authors (and Anyone Really)

If TikTok is merely one of several tools in your marketing toolbelt, take a bow and give yourself a pat on the back.

Regardless of what happens with TikTok after the 75-day extension ends, you’ll likely be ready (fingers crossed).

But if that isn’t you…

If you’re an author who primarily uses (or only uses) TikTok to connect with your readers and market your books…

And the thought of TikTok going away causes you to wake up in the middle of the night in a panic…

You need to take advantage of the 75-day extension.

Cross-post your TikTok videos to YouTube or Instagram.

Look into X.

Start building an email list.

(Building an email list is something you should consider doing regardless of what happens to TikTok, by the way).

And if TikTok stays forever, you should still do these things.

Embrace multiple platforms…

Spread your risk around…

Actively choose to never be reliant on a single platform ever again.

You got this.

Good luck.



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