I had been so reluctant and overwhelmed with TikTok, but know this year I had to dive in and try to figure it out. I stumbled into the maze just when Reesa Teesa appeared and was captivated.
This is so real, I have found myself listening to TikToks instead of Youtube or podcasts sometimes. I wish the search feature was better, tho. It's really changed the game for what I've posted to promote my small business
"I am not telling you to serialize your entire memoir in a 52-part TikTok series." – ok but a fucking stellar marketing idea. My mid is already spinning at the ways you'd have to translate stories and hooks for video 💆🏻♀️
Leigh Stein, I will forever be beholden to you because you gave me, just now in this post, the words to clarify my query letter for my memoir. I’ve been struggling with this, unable to find a simple way to encapsulate the book. My memoir is a dual perspective memoir and throughout I drop little breadcrumbs as to what actually was the illness that *nearly* killed my son. It took us over eight years to get an answer. I’m editing my query letter right now and sending it! Thank you!
I think part of the appeal is that it feels more real and true than reality TV which is so highly packaged. The phonier the world of entertainment the more we crave something real. As always thanks for great insights.
Thank you for making TikTok more accessible to writers. I love how you break down why Reese’s storytelling works for today’s audience. You should have a column on LitHub about tech/marketing/writing/publishing
The point of your piece is completely relevant--we need to understand where potential readers are getting their entertainment and acknowledge compelling storytelling. I'm guessing Reesa Teesa's story can't be factchecked and on top of it, that most people don't care; it's entertainment! Do you as a writer, reader, and person interested in publishing have any concern that people are accepting fake/embellished/unprovable "memoir" with little concern? 20+ years ago James Frey published his highly embellished memoir and only 1700 people asked for the refund his publisher offered (they set aside $2 million to handle the requests but most of that money went to a lawyer, evidently). I'm quite concerned but feel like I'm in the minority here. Would love to get your take on this.
Thanks as always, Leigh, for these helpful insights. Although I have not plunged into the TikTok world...yet...I found your highlighted learning points here very valuable, especially the one about the effectiveness of dual perspectives being in dialogue with each other. I had the pleasure of participating in your online version of Memoir+ last year and it helped me enormously in shaping the story I have been working on for quite some time now. Regardless of whether I ever embrace Tik Tok or not, your illustrative suggestions and questions are making me a better writer.
I think as a user that the ability to instantly share the content with my irl friends makes it easy and fun to digest content on TikTok. My friends and I all live in different cities and read or listen to fiction at different paces and honestly by the time one of us reads another’s pick, we’re onto something new. We can send each other a story told on TikTok and comment hours or days later in response. It’s like a “club” but requires less commitment and no consensus on what to read next.
Thanks Leigh. The correct term is diagnostic error (I’m a patient experience advocate and advisor to several medical studies) but I used “medical mystery” in my book’s subtitle.
I had been so reluctant and overwhelmed with TikTok, but know this year I had to dive in and try to figure it out. I stumbled into the maze just when Reesa Teesa appeared and was captivated.
🤩
I love all the comments on the first video that are like "who's starting this today?" and "first day in class!"
great class, Leigh - and it was lovely to meet you!
Vesna, I couldn’t attend the workshop because it was my mother‘s unveiling. But are you now in Fairfield County? I’d love to meet up.
This is so real, I have found myself listening to TikToks instead of Youtube or podcasts sometimes. I wish the search feature was better, tho. It's really changed the game for what I've posted to promote my small business
"I am not telling you to serialize your entire memoir in a 52-part TikTok series." – ok but a fucking stellar marketing idea. My mid is already spinning at the ways you'd have to translate stories and hooks for video 💆🏻♀️
Leigh Stein, I will forever be beholden to you because you gave me, just now in this post, the words to clarify my query letter for my memoir. I’ve been struggling with this, unable to find a simple way to encapsulate the book. My memoir is a dual perspective memoir and throughout I drop little breadcrumbs as to what actually was the illness that *nearly* killed my son. It took us over eight years to get an answer. I’m editing my query letter right now and sending it! Thank you!
wow, that's great! (but I'm sorry about your son's illness!) you might also use the phrase "medical mystery"...
Fellow veteran of the 2010s personal essay boom here. Great post, Leigh! Insightful as always.
I think part of the appeal is that it feels more real and true than reality TV which is so highly packaged. The phonier the world of entertainment the more we crave something real. As always thanks for great insights.
Thank you for making TikTok more accessible to writers. I love how you break down why Reese’s storytelling works for today’s audience. You should have a column on LitHub about tech/marketing/writing/publishing
Richual is brilliant.😂 You’re hilarious.
lol thanks Georgia
Amazing you could do all this AND write an entire novel over the weekend! 😉😂
thank you for witnessing my labor
The point of your piece is completely relevant--we need to understand where potential readers are getting their entertainment and acknowledge compelling storytelling. I'm guessing Reesa Teesa's story can't be factchecked and on top of it, that most people don't care; it's entertainment! Do you as a writer, reader, and person interested in publishing have any concern that people are accepting fake/embellished/unprovable "memoir" with little concern? 20+ years ago James Frey published his highly embellished memoir and only 1700 people asked for the refund his publisher offered (they set aside $2 million to handle the requests but most of that money went to a lawyer, evidently). I'm quite concerned but feel like I'm in the minority here. Would love to get your take on this.
It’s possible Reesa’s story will be revealed to be fiction…I find her trustworthy, based on level of detail in the story, but who knows? (A lot of people think my satire is real!) Generally, though, nonfiction books are not fact-checked. It’s too expensive. Emma Copley Eisenberg has written about this: https://www.esquire.com/entertainment/books/a33577796/nonfiction-book-fact-checking-should-be-an-industry-standard/
another eye opening, highly informative issue!
Thanks as always, Leigh, for these helpful insights. Although I have not plunged into the TikTok world...yet...I found your highlighted learning points here very valuable, especially the one about the effectiveness of dual perspectives being in dialogue with each other. I had the pleasure of participating in your online version of Memoir+ last year and it helped me enormously in shaping the story I have been working on for quite some time now. Regardless of whether I ever embrace Tik Tok or not, your illustrative suggestions and questions are making me a better writer.
glad my commentary on memoir has been helpful!
I think as a user that the ability to instantly share the content with my irl friends makes it easy and fun to digest content on TikTok. My friends and I all live in different cities and read or listen to fiction at different paces and honestly by the time one of us reads another’s pick, we’re onto something new. We can send each other a story told on TikTok and comment hours or days later in response. It’s like a “club” but requires less commitment and no consensus on what to read next.
love that!
Thanks Leigh. The correct term is diagnostic error (I’m a patient experience advocate and advisor to several medical studies) but I used “medical mystery” in my book’s subtitle.
Thanks Leigh, always helpful content