Influencer Creep

"Both a page-turner and a thorough academic study. Drawing on ethnographic research and interviews with influencers and artists, Sophie Bishop astutely and creatively combines theoretical reflection with lively examples of how influencer practices and strategies are increasingly used in professional and everyday life."--Thomas Poell, coauthor of Platforms and Cultural Production

"In this rich, sympathetic study of influencer culture, Bishop shows how algorithmic systems are brought to life by the people who inhabit them. As more kinds of work are drawn into algorithmic orbits, the struggles and strategizing of influencers are, as Bishop ably demonstrates, relevant to us all."--Nick Seaver, author of Computing Taste: Algorithms and the Makers of Music Recommendation

"Drawing from conversations across sociology and media studies, Influencer Creep brings Howard Becker's Art Worlds into the present day, where creative industries are increasingly mediated by social media platforms. Bishop reveals how artists, especially women, package their daily lives and work as 'content' as they seek to cash in on the promises and sidestep the perils of platformized creative work. I will be citing, teaching, and--dare I say--posting about Influencer Creep for years to come."--Hannah Wohl, author of Bound by Creativity: How Contemporary Art Is Created and Judged

Sophie Bishop is Associate Professor in Media and Communication at the University of Leeds and former Specialist Advisor to the UK Department of Digital, Culture, Media and Sport. She is a contributor to the Financial Times, the BBC, The Atlantic, and other outlets.