Sarah J. Maas has claimed the title of the year’s bestselling author after the first quarter, newly released Circana data shows, an example of a strong surge in the romance and fantasy genres and a case study in how TikTok popularity can catapult authors to fame years after their works first release.
Sarah J. Maas has become a case study in the popularity of “BookTok,” described by Time as the “reader-centric corner of TikTok that has become an increasingly powerful force in the publishing industry.” Maas, 38, began writing her debut novel “Throne of Glass” as a teenager and published it in 2012, but didn’t achieve her current level of mainstream success until her novels became popular on TikTok. She was named the most popular author on BookTok in 2021, her novel “House of Sky and Breath” won a Goodreads Choice Award for Best Fantasy in 2022 (her third award in a row in the category) and sales of her work increased by 79% in the first half of 2023. A TV adaptation of “A Court of Thorns and Roses” co-written by Maas is currently in development at Hulu.