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Bonita author says TikTok brought a huge boost to her writing career

Bonita author says TikTok brought a huge boost to her writing career
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BONITA, Calif. (KGTV) — TikTok is a source of income for millions of Americans, including an author in Bonita, who says the social media app provided a big boost to her career.

Courtney Lund-O'Neil just had her third baby. On the one hand, she's got little Theo; on the other, she has a full-time job and a recently published book.

She says her followers on TikTok inspired her to keep going.

"Do you feel like that online community built your confidence in your writing?" I asked.

"I think the online community built my confidence in my voice," Lund-O'Neil said. "That I have ideas worth sharing."

Lund-O'Neil and more than 170 million Americans who use TikTok could lose the social media platform after Friday's Supreme Court ruling. It allowed the federal government to ban TikTok in the United States due to security concerns.

"It's been an amazing journey and of course, it would be very devastating to see if that came to an end," Lund-O'Neil said.

I first met Lund-O'Neil two years ago when one of her TikTok videos on postpartum depression went viral.

I followed through with her on Friday and saw just how much that one post - evolved to impact her entire career. Lund-O'Neil now shares her writing with tens of thousands of TikTok followers and makes money through brand deals.

"Without TikTok, I don't know if I would be able to sell books. Because you're telling people: This is part of my story, this is what I'm writing, this is what I'm interested in," she said.

Her TikTok also got her discovered by TV host Tamron Hall. Hall invited Courtney to promote her book on national television.

"It just reminded me that there's really no barriers and there's so much opportunity for connection collaboration and community," Lund-O'Neil said.

The TikTok ban will start on Sunday, but President-Elect Donald Trump could reverse it once in office. Lund-O'Neil's career and so many others are now in the hands of the federal government.