Hannah Nicole Maehrer, who famously turned a popular, quarantine-era TikTok skit into a series of New York Times bestsellers, is celebrating an “unbelievable” milestone in her career as an author.
The writer took to the platform that helped launch her career this week to share a piece of emotional news with her readers, revealing that her book series, which currently includes three novels, “has officially sold a million copies.”
Maehrer shared a heartfelt message, filmed selfie-style, detailing the last five years since she started making the eponymous Assistant to the Villain skits, in which she played the naive assistant to a morally gray fantasy villain (as well as the morally gray fantasy villain). Since she first started to post those videos, she has published three novels, with at least one more hitting the shelves this August, and gotten to travel across the world to meet her readers.
Maehrer Said There Are ‘No Words’
“I have a habit of saying that there’s no words to properly express my gratitude,” she admitted, doing her best to “try to explain what’s going through [her] mind” following the news, likening the videos to her “safe place.”
“While I knew how special it was at the time—it was a support system, it was a place to go when I couldn’t live inside my head anymore, and my head at the time was a really difficult place to be. Because of you guys and the past five years, I have done more things than I ever thought I’d be capable of doing in my entire life,” she said, tearfully adding, “I just wanted you to know that I’m grateful and thankful for all of you.”
She called it “the best compliment I could ever be given” as she recounted how many others have told her how the series “made them feel like they have a safe place to go when they really need one,” crediting her readers with being “able to give back to [her] family…who have seen [her] through some of the lowest points of [her] life.”
“I don’t know why it’s happening to me,” she admitted, suggesting that “there’s so many more people that deserve it,” calling herself “gobsmacked.”
“I don’t know how to speak anymore,” she said of the “most life-changing thing.”
“Absolutely beside myself❤️,” she summed it up in the caption.
@hannahnicolemae Absolutely beside myself❤️. Thank you so much. #assistanttothevillain #apprenticetothevillain #accomplicetothevillain #adversarytothevillain #fyp
♬ suono originale – tayloewe
Fans Are ‘Unbelievably Proud’ After Hearing the Exciting News
Readers were quick to assure the mastermind behind the beloved series, “you deserve everything & more Hannah. it all came from you & because of you! Congratulations 💕.”
“We love you Hannah, thank you for sharing your art with the world 🫶🏼🫶🏼,” another asserted, with a third joking they “feel like a proud mom 😭.”
“I’ve watched you since the first few skits. I’m so unbelievably proud to have watched you grow and achieve so much!” someone else praised.
“I love you and your stories! Can’t wait for more ☺️🥹,” another replied, calling the books their “comfort series.”
The fourth book in the series, titled Adversary to the Villain, is slated for release this summer. A television adaptation is also currently in development, so, luckily for fans, “more” is coming soon!
Related: ‘SNL’ Star’s New Release Just Named One of Amazon’s Best Books of January
