TikTok’s Publishing Ambitions Collapse

What began as a bold publishing experiment backed by one of the world’s most influential tech companies has ended with confusion and frustration for authors. 8th Note Press, the boutique publishing arm launched in 2023 by ByteDance, the parent company of TikTok, is shutting down — abruptly and without the smooth offboarding authors hoped for.

As the New York Times reports, in late May, writers and agents were informed that 8th Note would be ceasing operations and returning publication rights to the authors. Digital editions of books are already being pulled from platforms, with many titles effectively disappearing from the market.

The imprint had promised much: a pipeline from TikTok virality to bestseller status, powered by ByteDance’s marketing muscle and data. With TikTok’s proven influence on book sales — the #BookTok phenomenon has catapulted dozens of titles onto bestseller lists — the idea seemed almost foolproof.

But behind the promise, execution faltered. No breakout hits emerged from 8th Note’s initial catalog of over 30 titles, and agents say marketing support was minimal. For many debut authors, the impact has been career-threatening.

“They’re wrecking careers in the process of doing this,” said Mark Gottlieb, a literary agent whose client’s debut novel "To Have and Have More" is among the vanished titles. “If this was your first book, the publishing history now shows it was released — and then went out of print almost immediately.”

Initially, the outlook had seemed bright. In 2024, 8th Note announced a partnership with Zando to distribute print editions and reach physical bookstores. The plan was to release 10 to 15 titles a year in high-demand genres like romance, romantasy, and YA fiction, with eventual expansion into sci-fi and fantasy.

Now, that vision has collapsed — and with it, confidence in ByteDance’s ambitions in the publishing world.

Neither ByteDance nor Zando offered comment on the sudden closure, which comes amid larger uncertainty about TikTok’s future in the U.S. President Trump recently extended ByteDance’s deadline to sell TikTok’s U.S. operations, as pressure mounts for a full divestment.

For authors, the implications are immediate and personal. A publishing deal with 8th Note once came with the tantalizing prospect of viral fame. Instead, it’s become a cautionary tale about what happens when tech ambition meets the slow, unpredictable world of books.

Whether any of 8th Note’s titles can find a second life remains to be seen. For now, writers are left picking up the pieces of launches that never had a fair shot.