Popular TikTok creator Sabrina Brier is upending the publishing industry by releasing her first book as a celebrity-filled audiobook… except there’s no book you can physically or digitally purchase.

Why It Hits: Taking a cue from the soaring popularity of podcasts, Brier’s “book” aims to cash in on the demand for more audio-first content. While it’s doubtful that strategy would work with most books (or fly with most authors), Brier could kick off a market for audiobook talent — authors who feel like a mix of online influencers and radio-play directors.

Between the Covers: Sabrina Brier’s That Friend sounds like an entertaining read.

  • The four-hour-long audiobook is published by Simon & Schuster.

  • It follows “a fictional social media influencer whose personal life is crumbling just as her career as an online advice podcaster is taking off.”

  • It features performances by actors Lukas Gage, Rachel Zegler, Nicola Coughlan, and Anthony Ramos.

Final Chapter: According to THR, the idea for the audio-only format of the book came from a cold call from a Simon & Schuster editor who felt like Brier’s TikToks showed potential that she could pull off the novel idea. Brier says it couldn’t have come at a more perfect time as she looks to diversify her career before TikTok potentially disappears.

That’s a position a lot of TikTok creators are about to find themselves in… and it could lead to a lot of creative innovations as they try to find new ways to keep their audiences engaged beyond the fleeting nature of social media.

Reply

or to participate