Jessica Mendoza

It's the kind of novel Penn had dreamed of writing, but she didn't think she could make any money in it.

It's the kind of novel Penn had dreamed of writing, but she didn't think she could make any money in it.

That book is called Spark of the Everflame. It's the first in a four-part series, The Kindred's Cursed Saga. And it's got a feisty heroine, a hot immortal prince, a human rebel faction, and a whole lot of will they, won't they. Penn read me a snippet.

That book is called Spark of the Everflame. It's the first in a four-part series, The Kindred's Cursed Saga. And it's got a feisty heroine, a hot immortal prince, a human rebel faction, and a whole lot of will they, won't they. Penn read me a snippet.

That book is called Spark of the Everflame. It's the first in a four-part series, The Kindred's Cursed Saga. And it's got a feisty heroine, a hot immortal prince, a human rebel faction, and a whole lot of will they, won't they. Penn read me a snippet.

When Penn started writing that first book in 2021, she'd already decided that she wanted to self-publish. She'd been to law school and worked as a consultant for small businesses, helping them with branding, social media, and growth. So she was pretty savvy when it came to launching her own career as an author. Why did you choose to self-publish?

When Penn started writing that first book in 2021, she'd already decided that she wanted to self-publish. She'd been to law school and worked as a consultant for small businesses, helping them with branding, social media, and growth. So she was pretty savvy when it came to launching her own career as an author. Why did you choose to self-publish?

When Penn started writing that first book in 2021, she'd already decided that she wanted to self-publish. She'd been to law school and worked as a consultant for small businesses, helping them with branding, social media, and growth. So she was pretty savvy when it came to launching her own career as an author. Why did you choose to self-publish?

reap the benefits of it. And Penn quickly learned that a lot of that work needed to happen on social media.

reap the benefits of it. And Penn quickly learned that a lot of that work needed to happen on social media.

reap the benefits of it. And Penn quickly learned that a lot of that work needed to happen on social media.

So even before she'd finished writing her books, Penn made an official TikTok account. And it was there that she found a lot of the readers she was looking for. They were on BookTok. BookTok really took off during the pandemic, when many readers were stuck at home. One of the first books that went viral on BookTok is Colleen Hoover's dark romance novel, It Ends With Us.

So even before she'd finished writing her books, Penn made an official TikTok account. And it was there that she found a lot of the readers she was looking for. They were on BookTok. BookTok really took off during the pandemic, when many readers were stuck at home. One of the first books that went viral on BookTok is Colleen Hoover's dark romance novel, It Ends With Us.

So even before she'd finished writing her books, Penn made an official TikTok account. And it was there that she found a lot of the readers she was looking for. They were on BookTok. BookTok really took off during the pandemic, when many readers were stuck at home. One of the first books that went viral on BookTok is Colleen Hoover's dark romance novel, It Ends With Us.

Hoover's book had already been considered a commercial success when it came out in 2016. But when users on BookTok picked up on it, the sales went bananas. Hoover's publisher told me that by 2021, weekly sales for It Ends With Us were 100 times more than what they'd been two years before. Hoover later published a sequel. And earlier this year, It Ends With Us was adapted into a movie.

Hoover's book had already been considered a commercial success when it came out in 2016. But when users on BookTok picked up on it, the sales went bananas. Hoover's publisher told me that by 2021, weekly sales for It Ends With Us were 100 times more than what they'd been two years before. Hoover later published a sequel. And earlier this year, It Ends With Us was adapted into a movie.

Hoover's book had already been considered a commercial success when it came out in 2016. But when users on BookTok picked up on it, the sales went bananas. Hoover's publisher told me that by 2021, weekly sales for It Ends With Us were 100 times more than what they'd been two years before. Hoover later published a sequel. And earlier this year, It Ends With Us was adapted into a movie.

Other authors have also broken through, like Sarah J. Maas with her fairy series, A Court of Thorns and Roses, which I devoured way too fast. There's also Rebecca Yaros and her novel, Fourth Wing. And while not everyone makes it as big, BookTok has raised up other romance and fantasy authors. TikTok says that this year there was a 300% increase in posts with the hashtag Romantasy.

Other authors have also broken through, like Sarah J. Maas with her fairy series, A Court of Thorns and Roses, which I devoured way too fast. There's also Rebecca Yaros and her novel, Fourth Wing. And while not everyone makes it as big, BookTok has raised up other romance and fantasy authors. TikTok says that this year there was a 300% increase in posts with the hashtag Romantasy.

Other authors have also broken through, like Sarah J. Maas with her fairy series, A Court of Thorns and Roses, which I devoured way too fast. There's also Rebecca Yaros and her novel, Fourth Wing. And while not everyone makes it as big, BookTok has raised up other romance and fantasy authors. TikTok says that this year there was a 300% increase in posts with the hashtag Romantasy.