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‘Book Boyfriends’ and ‘Shadow Daddies’: the men cashing in on romantasy

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Romantasy books are now a $471 million industry.

With the help of TikTok ’s book community and its own influencers, there's a growing world of book-themed fantasy balls.

The genre has created a slew of microeconomies, including OnlyFans performers.

Bookish content creators have propelled romantasy books to the top of bestseller lists.

This has created demand for events like fantasy balls.

The ball attendees and performers churn out their own videos, raising the profile of the bookish creators involved.

TikTok has noted the potential of bookish content to drive real-life sales.