TOGETHER WITH

It's Wednesday and if you still refuse to pay for Max, we have good news: Netflix has at last snagged streaming rights to a few of HBO’s very best shows.

BYTEDANCE & BOOKS

Bytedance is taking #BookTok to the next level with the launch of its very own publishing company

Bytedance is getting into the book biz. According to The New York Times, the TikTok owner filed a trademark in April for “8th Note Press,” a venture it described as both a publisher and an ecosystem where people can find, buy, read, review, and discuss books. Bytedance isn’t wasting any time bringing that literary oasis to life: 8th Note has reportedly tapped former Penguin Random House Katherine Pelz to serve as its lead acquisitions editor, and has already begun soliciting authors.

So far, those publishing offers are less than impressive.

Per the Times, 8th Note offered to acquire two books by bestselling romance novelist Tricia O’Malley for a meager $3,500 advance per title—a number well below the total those books already earn each month. Although its press also offers royalties, Bytedance’s status as a social media giant is likely one of 8th Note’s main selling points for prospective authors. BookTok has become a major marketing force over the last few years; it’s catapulted numerous titles to bestseller lists, helped boost some authors’ sales by 60% year-over-year, and has become a regular topic in quarterly earnings calls at book retailers like Indigo.

8th Note Press will capitalize on that influence by selling books in a digital storefront on TikTok. (In an email reviewed by the Times, Bytedance confirmed that its new publishing venture will focus primarily on digital publishing, with limited print-on-demand runs.)

As for the books themselves?

According to O’Malley, 8th Note Press is seeking titles that are “wholesome, fun and sexy, but nothing too steamy or dark.” In other words: the press is aiming to publish age-appropriate books tailored to the tastes of TikTok’s influential Gen Z viewership.

🔆 SPONSORED 🔆

What does 360° talent representation look like for creators? Here are the answers to 3 FAQs—from the industry’s top agents:

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1. What obstacles do unrepresented creators face when working with brands? 🚧 
Fabio Gonçalves, Director of International Talent (talent roster includes Kenz Lawren and Spencewuah): Unrepresented creators face “difficulty in negotiating fair deals and contracts that protect their rights and interests,” which can result in “potential exploitation or unfavorable terms.”

2. When should creators ​get in touch with a talent agent? 🤔​
Alexandra French, Director of Fashion, Beauty & Lifestyle (talent roster includes Drew Afualo and Chris Klemens): “If you're stressed and can't manage your emails/deliverables/invoices it's time to grow your team!”

3. What defines a good agent-client relationship? 🤝 
Toni-Rose Goulden, Talent Agent (talent roster includes Yuri Lamasbella and The Real Tati): “It is really important for an agent and a creator to have a personal connection, for us to understand them both as a person and a brand so we can represent them authentically.”

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HEADLINES IN BRIEF 📰

• Streamer Ibai Llanos’s ‘La Velada Del Año’ event has once again broken the record for most concurrent Twitch viewers, with a peak of 3.4 million concurrent viewers. (Tubefilter)
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• Kick has signed its first homegrown star, a 23-year-old streamer known as Snoh. (Tubefilter)
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• Smosh is joining Rooster Teeth’s podcast network, The Roost, and will reportedly have a “huge presence” at this year’s annual RTX convention. (Tubefilter)
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• According to Elon Musk, non-verified Twitter users will now be limited to viewing a maximum of 600 posts per day. (Engadget)

PLAY BALL

The Sidemen have already sold out all 62,000 tickets to their 2023 charity football match

The Sidemen are bringing their soccer skills to London Stadium. The U.K.-based YouTube group—which includes stars KSI, Miniminter, Zerkaa, TBJZL, Behzinga, Vikkstar123, and W2S—has already sold out all 62,000 in-person tickets to its annual charity football match, while is set to take place on September 9. Funds generated by the Sidemen’s big event will go towards causes like suicide prevention org Campaign Against Living Miserably (CALM), youth-focused firm Teenage Cancer Trust, and wish-granting charity Rays of Sunshine.

The Sidemen won’t be the only influencers hitting the field.

While the opposing team’s full roster has yet to be revealed, fans can expect to see at least two social media giants at London Stadium: YouTube legend MrBeast and Rumble star iShowSpeed, who made headlines by feuding with KSI before last year’s match. That game ended in a narrow victory for the Sidemen—meaning the groups’s next slew of opponents will be out for revenge. Luckily for viewers based outside the U.K. (and for the many fans who didn’t manage to snag an in-person ticket), any vengeance-fueled drama that goes down at this year’s match will be streamed live on September 9.

WATCH THIS 📺

Tom Scott is taking a well-deserved vacation

On January 1, Tom Scott’s YouTube channel will hit an incredible milestone: he’ll have “published a video here every week for the last ten years.”

With that anniversary comes some major changes. 26 videos from now, Scott says his channel “will stop” (“at least, for a while”). In the meantime, though, the education-focused YouTuber is putting out a call for video concepts that are “interesting, surprising, and visual.”

Have an idea that fits the bill? Give Scott a heads up at tomscott.com/lastcall.

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Today's newsletter is from: Emily Burton, Sam Gutelle, and Josh Cohen. Drew Baldwin helped edit, too. It's a team effort.