TikTok’s owner wanted to publish books, not anymore

When 8th Note Press launched in the summer of 2023, the small publisher had a big advantage over other new presses. It was started by Chinese technology company ByteDance, the owner of TikTok, the wildly popular social media platform where viral endorsements can transform books into bestsellers overnight.

That was not enough, it seems, to build a successful publishing business. In late May, 8th Note Press began informing writers that it was shutting down and returning publication rights to the authors.

News of the press’s demise, which was reported…