Viral TikTok boosts father's thriller book to bestseller. His “Stone Maidens" book soars to No. 1 with TikTok's Help
After 14 years of pursuing his passion for writing and 11 years of hoping for success, full-time attorney and father of three Lloyd Devereux Richards finally saw his thriller novel "Stone Maidens" reach the top of Amazon's Serial Killer Thrillers list, thanks to a viral TikTok video posted by his daughter.
With more than 40 million views, the video detailing Richards' long journey to finishing the book sparked an outpouring of support from fans on TikTok, who quickly propelled the book to the top of the charts.
TikTok, a short-form video hosting platform, has been instrumental in boosting the sales of hundreds of books in recent years, and helped authors sell 20 million printed books in 2021 alone, according to a New York Times report.
In the heart-warming video, Richards' daughter thanks fans for their purchases and encourages others to never give up on their dreams, as her dad's unexpected success serves as a reminder that anything is possible.
Despite the overwhelming response, Richards remains humble and grateful, toasting the boost in sales with milkshakes and working on a sequel to the book.
With his novel's newfound popularity, the attorney and dad is living proof that persistence and a little help from TikTok can turn a long-awaited dream into a reality.