How to Start Building Platform on TikTok
Cameron Dezen Hammon on reinventing herself as "The Vagina Auntie"
Hi Bleeders!
If you’ve been lurking on BookTok wondering, Should I be doing this?—this new Q&A series is for you. First up:
, a writer I adore and have watched build a growing audience on TikTok just this year. Under her cheeky alias “The Vagina Auntie,” Cameron creates videos that blend her passions: women’s sexual health, witchy spirituality, and the occasional political epiphany.Cameron’s TikTok journey started as a way to reinvent herself—carving out a new space on social media after feeling stifled by her myriad acquaintance-level connections on Instagram. So how’s it going? Spoiler: her biggest videos aren’t even about books. One viral video tackled election anxiety; another was a mic drop after a hilariously bad date. The takeaway? Authenticity and experimentation trump polished perfection on TikTok.
This Q&A is all about letting your creativity run wild on a new platform, the long game of turning strangers into future readers, and embracing the messy, magical chaos of creating viral content. There’s a lot to be learned from this witchy academic author’s journey to 2,465 followers. Is this the nudge you needed to get started on TikTok? Let’s find out!
TikTok for Writers Q&A with Cameron Dezen Hammon
How would you describe the vibe and themes of your TikTok content? How do you “brand” yourself?
CH: My TikTok has an alias. Or I guess, I do. “The Vagina Auntie” is my handle. Lol. I started a TikTok to be able to talk about stuff related to women’s sexual health I felt was missing from the internet conversation and I felt I couldn’t integrate into my other online platform—namely myself on Instagram. My IG is heavy with connections from a part of my life I’m not in touch with much anymore. I guess I was hoping to reinvent myself on TikTok to some degree.
When and why did you start using TikTok to promote your writing?
CH: I started on TikTok after I’d written and published an essay about sex and witchcraft for The Sun (this essay is the basis for my memoir-in-progress), and I couldn’t promote that essay on my Instagram channel for fear of getting fired from the church that employed me and provided my health insurance. I worked so hard on that essay, and it was heartbreaking not to be able to talk about it. I got fired anyway, so I guess it was pointless.
Who’s your target audience on TikTok? Does that match your current audience?
CH: I’ve enjoyed finding new connections and maybe a new audience on TikTok. The accounts I’ve connected with don’t know me at all. I only just added my real name, so it feels like building from the ground up, but it’s exciting to begin something new.
How is your TikTok content differentiated from other authors in your niche? Is that something you even think about?
CH: Honestly, I’ve not seen any of my literary writer friends engage on TikTok. I’m not sure why, though I can guess it might be because it seems daunting, and many of us, as writers, aren’t exactly in love with social media to begin with. It definitely requires a very different kind of engagement than IG, and I’m not sure if there’s enough incentive yet for literary writers. I really enjoy it, but I’ve always enjoyed social media in different seasons of my literary life.
What’s your content strategy? Including: What kinds of videos do you focus on creating? How often do you post? Do you plan and batch your content in advance or keep it spontaneous?
CH: My content is almost never writing-specific. I post videos about my cat, about politics, about my witchy spiritual practice. I’m trying to build a community around common interests, so it’s a longer-range “strategy,” I guess. I want to connect and engage with people on TikTok who would read my work because I’ve built trust with them through TT—readers I wouldn’t find through the traditional writing channels.
How many followers do you currently have on TikTok?
CH: 2,465.
What’s been your most popular video, and why do you think it resonated with viewers?
CH: My most popular video has 143.7K views and is about the election. It was a 10-second epiphany I had in my car about how I had to tell my students (college) that it’s not normal to fear violence during an election. This is when we thought Trump would lose and there might be another January 6. My second most popular video has 113.3K views, and it’s even shorter—it’s eight seconds of me in my car after I ended a date with a man who told me he reads his bible every morning. I said “Sir, you don’t want me, I’m a witch” which was a reference to my spiritual practice. I meant it to be funny and never expected it would strike such a nerve.
Tell us about your TikTok growth journey. What have been the most effective strategies for growing your audience? Did you experience any viral moments, and what did you learn from them?
CH: I’ve had three viral videos, which grew my following pretty quickly. I’m still small, but I have almost the same number of followers as I have on IG, which took more than ten years to build! What I learned from the viral moments is you really cannot predict what’s gonna hit. Post three times a day, at first, to get used to popping off on video. Sometimes it works!
How has TikTok impacted your career as a writer?
CH: Nothing so tangible as of yet. Really just enjoying it.
Do you monetize your TikTok directly (e.g., Creator Fund, brand partnerships) or focus on book sales?
CH: Not yet.
What’s your #1 tip for writers who want to start using TikTok to build their platform?
CH: Jump in and start. Don’t overthink it. Be silly. Be irreverent. Don’t be afraid to fail.
What’s your #1 tip for writers trying to grow their TikTok audience?
CH: See above. It’s always the throwaway videos that hit!
Shout-out another writer on TikTok who’s doing interesting things and inspires you.
CH: I would have to go search for some right now, to be honest, and I think that defeats the purpose. I’m not really following writers, but I’m following folks making content about the subjects I write about—sexuality, witchy spirituality, feminism, etc. I love @oliveandapotheca, aka Dr. Jenna PhD—another witchy academic who is doing a lot of tutorials and how-tos about witchcraft, which I love and admire and wish I had the patience and capacity to do myself! She is killing it on TikTok. Her account is growing so fast.
Thank you, Cameron!
➡️ Subscribe to on Substack.
➡️ Follow Cameron on Instagram @cameron_dezen_hammon and TikTok @thevaginaauntie.
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Are you on TikTok? If so, drop your link in the comments below—I wanna follow more writers!
 | A guest post by
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TikTok is a bit scary to me. Although I've written 5 books, I haven't done a whole lot with social media. But that little portrait of me in the corner is MUCH too sedate. My medical mystery books were so steamy that right now the first three are under a pen name. But because I was an opera singer and already have my own brand, I decided to make use of it, be brave and use my real name. Thanks for your lovely essay. It's very encouraging...and I may jump in.
Marianna