That popular blogs spawned bestselling books shouldn’t have been much of a surprise, since the format relies at least as much on engaging writing as it does on strong visuals. But YouTube, which rewards the telegenic rather than the well-written, seems a bigger leap. And as for Vine, its six-second format makes Andy Warhol’s 15 minutes of fame seem like 15 years.
Publishers, though, have found success with authors drawn from all sorts of social media. Here’s a selection of some of the people—and animals, and characters—they’re banking on in the coming months.
Blake Wilson
3.6 million Vine followers
BatDad: A Parody
Three Rivers, May
Wilson, aka the masked dad, delivers unconventional parenting tips.
Amanda Patten, senior editor at Crown Publishing Group, cites the success of Darth Vader and Son by Jeffrey Brown (Chronicle, 2013; 332,000 print copies sold) as part of the inspiration behind publishing a book of BatDad’s parenting witticisms. “We wanted something that felt very true to the DIY style of the videos,” she says.
more
Alfie Deyes
4.7 million YouTube subscribers
The Scrapbook of My Life
Running Press, Apr..
The British vlogger who launched PointlessBlog shares glimpses of his early years, with extra pages for readers to add their own diary entries.
Deyes has written two activity books for Running Press: 2014’s The Pointless Book, which sold 46,000 print units, and a follow-up, 2015’s The Pointless Book 2, which sold about half that. With the new book, he shifts gears and gets personal. “We look for interesting, unusual formats and highly visual material,” says Kristin Kiser, v-p and publisher at Running Press.
more
Grace Helbig
2.8 million YouTube subscribers
Grace & Style
S&S/Touchstone, Feb.
The author of 2014’s Grace’s Guide (S&S/Touchstone)—which, according to Nielsen BookScan, has sold more than 52,000 print units—offers lighthearted fashion tips.
“Her style is informed by her improv training,” Lauren Spiegel, senior editor at Touchstone, says of Helbig, who posted her first video in November 2007. “Her meditations on style and beauty go in many different directions—from personal and heartfelt stories to the secret diary of her sweatpants.”
more
ConCrafter
1.4 million YouTube subscribers
Minecraft by ConCrafter
Feiwel and Friends, Feb., ages 10–14
One of the biggest YouTubers in Germany writes an unofficial guide to the massively popular game.
Five years ago, ConCrafter joined the burgeoning club of vloggers who have achieved international fame by posting about a video game. In this tips-and-tricks guide and memoir, “he offers a conversational, informal approach to the game,” says Jean Feiwel, senior editor at Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group and publisher of Feiwel & Friends.
more
The Yogscast
7.3 million YouTube subscribers
Yogscast: The Diggy Diggy Book
Scholastic, Feb., ages 8–12
The team behind the Yogcast—a U.K.-based social media broadcast network of more than 20 gamers who create videos, animation, and songs based on their favorite games—serves up a joke book.
“They’re a cast of irreverent content creators,” says David Maybury, media development director for Scholastic U.K. As for the book, he says, “It’s about developing an on-screen world for an offline media.”
more
My Nguyen
One million Instagram followers
My Healthy Dish: More than 85 Fresh & Easy Recipes for the Whole Family
Skyhorse, Apr.
Nguyen, creator of healthy-eating Instagram account My Healthy Dish, shares some favorite recipes.
“With this book, My really brought people into her home and her life—we meet her husband, the twins, and learn about her days offline, and her past,” says Nicole Frail, an editor at Skyhorse. “We wanted to make it personal.”
more
Melissa Nicholson
569,000 Instagram followers
Prissy & Pop: Big Day Out
HarperCollins Children’s Books, June, ages 4–8
Nicholson, a Florida elementary school teacher, shares a photographic adventure starring her pair of mini pigs.
“[Nicholson] knows her fan base better than we do, so she’ll be helping to market the book directly to her thousands of followers,” says Nancy Inteli, editorial director at HarperCollins Children’s Books. “We talked with her about how she adopted Prissy and Pop, how they go to her first-grade class with her every day, how they’re well-known around town, and about how the two pigs each have their own personality.”
more
Jeffrey Marsh
274,000 Vine followers
How to Be You
Penguin/Tarcher Perigee, Aug.
The social media ambassador for GLAAD offers self-help advice for teens and 20-somethings.
“I was impressed by how Jeffrey’s message resonates” beyond an LGBTQ audience, says Jeanette Shaw, editor at Tarcher Perigee. (Examples: “joy is your responsibility” and “today, there is a place for you.”) “The idea that such positivity and affirmation can be conveyed effectively to today’s youth in six-second clips is astonishing.”
more
Matthew Santoro
5.1 million YouTube subscribers
Mind=Blown
Penguin/Tarcher Perigee, Aug.
The creator of YouTube’s 50 Amazing Facts videos compiles, per the book’s blurb, “amazing facts about this weird, hilarious, insane world.”
“Matt’s fascination with the world around us, as well as his strong connection with his fans, made a great impression on us,” says Marian Lizzi, editorial director for Tarcher Perigee. “It felt like a strong indicator that he’s more than ready to move into the book space.”
more
Laura Young
483,000 Instagram followers
Pumpkin: The Raccoon Who Thought She Was a Dog
St. Martin’s Griffin, Oct.
Young shares photos of Pumpkin, an orphaned raccoon she’s raising alongside two rescue dogs.
“I am a complete sucker for adorable animals, and a domesticated raccoon was a new one for me,” says Alicia Clancy, editorial assistant at St. Martin’s Press. “[But] you still need a story. For Pumpkin, she already had a heartwarming story about love, family, and friendship.”
more
