Former Canberra Raiders forward Luke Bateman has sparked considerable interest on TikTok following his recent signing of a two-book contract with publishing giants Atria and Simon and Schuster Australia.
The “BookTok” phenomenon—an immensely popular hashtag on the platform—sees millions of users sharing videos about their favourite reads.
Bateman has been actively posting videos discussing the books he enjoys and boasts nearly 179,000 followers on the app.
Just a month after beginning his book-related content, he announced the signing of his publishing deal.
“This is a dream I’ve cherished since childhood,” he shared in a video revealing the news.
“Becoming an author has always been my aspiration. I can hardly believe it; after receiving the call last week, I was in tears.”
Luke Bateman during his time with the Raiders. Getty
He then broke down in tears again during the announcement video as he reminisced about his youth, stating that the book will be an epic fantasy adventure.
The reveal prompted a variety of reactions, with some users expressing anger over the perceived ease of obtaining a publishing contract after just a month of content creation.
“I’m baffled—how did you land a book deal without even having a manuscript?” one commented.
“Publishers seem to be handing out deals to anyone these days. No book, no manuscript, nothing written. I suppose all you need is a dream and a concept,” another user added.
In response, Bateman stated: “I do have a dream and a concept. My life has always been full of dreams. I’m incredibly fortunate and thankful to pursue such a meaningful one. I can’t wait to share my passion with you.”
Some users defended him, suggesting that the negative comments stemmed from “jealousy”, while QBD Books Australia and Spotify Australia & NZ offered their congratulations.
Criticism was also directed at the publishers for extending the deal.
Anthea Bariamis, who acquired the rights to Bateman’s books for Atria, discussed the contract on her Instagram, revealing that she discovered Bateman online and recognised him as a “big book nerd” before contacting his agent.
She mentioned having a “long meeting” with Bateman where he pitched his fantasy series idea and submitted a writing sample.
Julian Novitz, a senior lecturer in media and communications at Swinburne University, remarked to the ABC that the deal is “quite unusual.”
“For someone with no prior published works, it’s rather uncommon to sign a two-book deal, especially in the realm of fiction,” he noted.
Since the announcement, Bateman has shared three additional videos unrelated to the book contract.
He retired from the NRL in 2019 after making 71 appearances for the Raiders and later participated in season 11 of The Bachelor in 2023.
Compiled by SportArena.com.au.
Fanpage: SportArena.com.au.
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