Back in spring 2021, Eyewitness News
shared the story of two sisters in Britain who were using TikTok to encourage other teens to read.
Mireille and Elodie Lee’s
“A Life of Literature” account has grown dramatically since then, and now they’re stepping into the publishing business.
The Lee sisters’ move to become publishers is all more remarkable when you consider Mireille is just 18 years old and Elodie recently turned 16.
Together they have found fame promoting the books they love on TikTok and now they are looking to deepen the connection with fans and broaden their reach.
“We’ve been building this audience together on TikTok and Instagram for a long time now,” said Mireille to Eyewitness News entertainment reporter Sandy Kenyon.
“It’s been an amazing experience. All of the offers that we have received have been unimaginable,” said Elodie.
The sisters grew up close in Brighton, England.
“When we were little, we were obsessed with the library,” said Mireille.
They took to TikTok early, starting “A Life of Literature” and encouraging their peers to read the books they love.
“And, our love of books is behind our new venture, Bindery,” added Mireille.
The Lee sisters are part of a diverse group under the Bindery umbrella.
Bindery is the brainchild of Matt Kaye.
“When I saw what was happening with people like Mireille and Elodie on social media, like how many books they were selling and how passionate their audience was, I got really excited about this idea that they could do even more in the publishing world,” Kaye said.
His new company is a place to interact directly with fans.
What’s even more exciting about the new venture is the opportunity for these influencers to become publishers.
“We get to give unpublished authors a bigger chance to get their books published because they’re just as deserving as the other bigger authors in the industry, but they don’t necessarily get that chance,” said Elodie. “So that’s what Bindery is about and that’s what everyone’s trying to do on the platform.”
Once a manuscript is accepted for publication, Bindery acts like a traditional publisher when it comes to editing and cover design and the like, but those who follow Mireille, Elodie and the others get to follow along as that process unfolds.
Readers get to be a part of a book’s journey to the point of sale.
