ByteDance, the parent company of TikTok, is shutting down its short-lived book publishing venture, 8th Note Press, according to a report by The Bookseller. Reports Technology News
With TikTok’s #BookTok community becoming a powerhouse for boosting book sales, the platform has helped both traditional and self-published authors find viral success. Capitalizing on this momentum, ByteDance launched 8th Note Press in 2023, reasoning that if TikTok could drive demand for books, the company might as well get involved in selling them too.
However, ByteDance’s publishing experiment is coming to an early end. Despite initial interest from authors—many of whom were drawn in by the promise of TikTok-fueled visibility—8th Note Press is now informing writers that it will shut down and return the rights to their works.
So far, ByteDance has not explained why it’s pulling the plug so soon. The company has not responded to TechCrunch’s request for comment, nor has it issued any statements to other media outlets.
