Sophie Bishop
sophiebishop.bsky.social
Sophie Bishop
@sophiebishop.bsky.social
She/her

Studying influencers & ‘influencer creep’ in creative industries

Associate Professor in Media & Communication, University of Leeds

Pre order Influencer Creep now: https://www.ucpress.edu/books/influencer-creep/paper
Pinned
Hello I've decided to use Blue Sky now. In unrelated news, my book 'Influencer Creep' will be published with University of California press in October 2025. It's about the ways influencer culture has transformed creative work.

Preorder here: www.ucpress.edu/books/influe...
So because of various personal and toddler related reasons I missed my pub date post (Influencer Creep was out on the 28 October). Here's a pub week round up because nice things happened! I was thrown a pub day dinner, gave a talk for @digitalculturekcl.bsky.social & matched my nails to the book.
October 31, 2025 at 9:50 AM
Reposted by Sophie Bishop
Celebrating the publication of our very own @sophiebishop.bsky.social's first book, 'Influencer Creep'!
🎉 We are hosting a book launch on the 19th November (followed by a drinks reception), and everyone is welcome: ahc.leeds.ac.uk/media/events...
📚 Order the book: www.ucpress.edu/books/influe...
October 29, 2025 at 11:14 AM
An interesting piece from Aaron Timms about how ESPN's embrace of the creator economy has changed their sports coverage - "Influencer creep symbolizes a broader rot at the heart of the broadcaster as it attempts to stop interrogating the very sports it covers" www.theguardian.com/sport/2025/s...
ESPN has discarded brilliant journalism for squirts of memebrain swill | Aaron Timms
Influencer creep symbolizes a broader rot at the heart of the broadcaster as it attempts to stop interrogating the very sports it covers
www.theguardian.com
September 25, 2025 at 9:43 AM
Reposted by Sophie Bishop
In "Navigating privilege and precarity: A reflexive inquiry into identity, academia, and Indian media industries", Smith Mehta (@mediaindustries.bsky.social) explores the interplay of identity, privilege, and precarity in academic research. Read it here: journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10....
September 3, 2025 at 11:06 AM
The @rollingstone.com list of most influential creators is Influencer Creep in action! For many, content creation did not start as their main gig - for example a former Hamptons private chef (@wishbonekitchen.bsky.social) and a former Team USA rugby player ( @ilonamaher.bsky.social).
25 Most Influential Creators of 2025
From streamers and podcasters to OnlyFans models and TikTok megastars, here's the people shaping the culture of 2025.
www.rollingstone.com
August 27, 2025 at 12:09 PM
My book, Influencer Creep, is a Publishers Weekly (@publisherswkly.bsky.social) Pick! Thank you for engaging so deeply with the themes of the book. The verdict? “those in the art world will find plenty to chew on”. Read here: www.publishersweekly.com/9780520402706
Influencer Creep: How Optimization, Authenticity and Self-Branding Transform Creative Culture by Sophie Bishop
In this uneven debut treatise, media studies scholar Bishop analyzes how social media influencer culture impacts the art world. ...
www.publishersweekly.com
August 14, 2025 at 10:09 AM
Reposted by Sophie Bishop
[New paper] "You and TikTok are, and will remain at all times, independent contractors", By ‪@taylorannabell.bsky.social‬, @sophiebishop.bsky.social, & ‪@cgoanta.bsky.social‬ policyreview.info/articles/ana... #TikTok #Monetisation #PlatformGovernance
July 26, 2025 at 10:51 AM
Reposted by Sophie Bishop
I'm in Montreal on annual leave right now but really happy to share Tom Brock, Will Partin, & I's new article out in Team Performance Management: 'Towards a geopolitical economy of esports: making sense of Saudi Arabia’s investments' www.emerald.com/insight/cont...
June 27, 2025 at 2:20 PM
These covers are gorgeous!
We are thrilled to announce our lineup of forthcoming titles for Fall 2025! We are also offering a 20% discount on pre-orders, see our website for more details:
www.concordia.ca/press/books....
June 24, 2025 at 2:35 PM
Really love this piece in Art Plugged by Eva Zhang about the ways that artists are returning to craft and care in an increasingly messy digital landscape artplugged.co.uk/art-digital-...
Human After All: Art in the Digital World
Explore how artists in 2025 are balancing technology and tradition. From digital tools to handmade revival, the future of art remains deeply human.
artplugged.co.uk
June 24, 2025 at 2:27 PM
V late to the party but really enjoyed this @nytimes.com piece by M.H. Miller, who reveals the plentiful economic rewards for artists who end up 'tripping the algorithm', simultaneously noting the risks of visibility when art worlds remain 'suspicious of populism' www.nytimes.com/2025/05/14/t...
So You’re an Artist? How Many Followers Do You Have?
www.nytimes.com
June 18, 2025 at 9:34 AM
This looks great - Reddit is such a vibrant and important source within content creation, important to study in-depth.
April 15, 2025 at 9:28 AM
Hello I've decided to use Blue Sky now. In unrelated news, my book 'Influencer Creep' will be published with University of California press in October 2025. It's about the ways influencer culture has transformed creative work.

Preorder here: www.ucpress.edu/books/influe...
April 13, 2025 at 9:13 AM
Reposted by Sophie Bishop
On December 17 & 18, we are organizing a conference at the University of Amsterdam on GenAI & Creative Practices. We are very much looking forward to your proposals for papers, panels, roundtables and fishbowls!! CfP: rdt.uva.nl/genai--creat... Deadline proposals: 26 May
rdt.uva.nl
April 10, 2025 at 10:22 AM