YouTube star JennXPenn is building an empire

At 19, Jenn McAllister has accomplished what others only dream of: She's her own empire.

Online, she is known as JennXPenn. McAllister is a YouTube maven who supports herself by making videos about her life experiences.

There are 2.1 million people who subscribe to her YouTube channel (www.youtube.com/jennxpenn); 1.09 million follow her on Twitter (@jennxpenn) and 1.7 million on Instagram (www.instagram.com/jennxpenn). She's working with Dell on a campaign for a new product and was recently nominated for her second Teen Choice Award.

Last year, Adweek listed her as one of the 12 biggest young stars on YouTube.

On Tuesday, McAllister releases Really Professional Internet Person, a "memoir-style" book from Scholastic, which approached her for the project. She'll do a meet-and-greet Sunday at the Neshaminy Mall Barnes & Noble.

YouTube fame is "a more democratic approach to celebrity," said Bill Graham, vice president of business development at Florida toy company Jazwares. The company launched a line of toys, accessories, and other merchandise called TubeHeroes, based on popular YouTubers.

This month, McAllister, who lives in Los Angeles, had just flown to her childhood home in Holland, Bucks County, for the first time in seven months.

She sat in a lawn chair in the backyard, one leg folded under the other. Despite slight jet lag, she spoke with occasional energy. She was open and friendly.

There isn't much of a difference between McAllister in person and on camera. That may be her formula for success.

"I'm kind of the girl next door," she said.

She started making videos at 12. Her first was called Snow Zombies. "Not a lot of people watched it," she said.

At the time, McAllister was happy to have "one other person watching besides parents."

Growing up, McAllister always wanted to be an actor. She loved photography, videography, and entertaining people.

"YouTube," she said, "is a place where you can take all those things and mash them into one."

She spent hours in her room, posting videos. While in school, she says, she was "always reserved and a little bit shy." But her personality flourished online. She taught herself lighting and editing.

While McAllister was still living in Holland, her mother, Sherri, was nervous her daughter wasn't socializing enough. But once Sherri took her equipment away, she saw how much it crushed Jenn. She relented. "I realized that was it, this is what she wants," said Sherri. "That's when I switched over to total support."

Most YouTube heavyweights create videos with specific themes: makeup (like Michelle Phan - with more than 7.9 million subscribers, and videos that have 1.2 billion views - who will be at the Forbes 30 Under 30 summit in October in Philadelphia), style, gaming, music (Justin Bieber started as a YouTube star), and comedy (like Miranda Sings' 4.8 million subscribers, 618 million video views).

McAllister is a vlogger. She talks about her life with a humorous twist in videos like Things They Don't Teach You in High School and the inspirational A Letter to My Younger Self. In other videos, she pranks her mother, friends, fellow YouTubers, and guys on Tinder. Even accepting "truth or dares" from viewers.

McAllister is disciplined about her schedule: film on Thursdays, edit on Fridays, post on Saturdays. Her videos have a combined 128 million views.

At 16, in the summer after her junior year at Council Rock South High School, McAllister moved to Los Angeles, completing her final year online.

If she were to go to college, it would be for business, something she has mastered on the YouTube front.

Content creators like McAllister split ad revenue with YouTube (the New York Times reported that YouTube takes 45 percent). According to a YouTube representative, "There are millions of channels earning revenue through the YouTube Partner Program," as well through endorsements and merchandising.

According to YouTube, more and more channels are making more than six figures a year. McAllister's publicist would not disclose her earnings.

"Jenn doesn't do it for the money, but for the love of it," her mother said. "She's smart. She knows her followers."

McAllister says her fans have grown up with her. When she began, her demographic was ages 13 to 17, based on YouTube analytics. Now, it's 18 to 24.

So, who are they?

Alexis Gogola, 16, of Bucks County, has been watching McAllister for four years. "When you watch her, it's like watching a friend," said Gogola. "She's not afraid to put content out there that people haven't done before."

Gogola is excited about attending McAllister's meet-and-greet for Really Professional Internet Person.

The book chronicles McAllister's journey on YouTube, through the halls of middle school where she was teased for making videos, navigating corporate meetings, and moving out to Los Angeles.

For Gogola and many others, McAllister is a celebrity. In a survey conducted for Variety, YouTube stars are perceived by teens as 17 times more engaging than traditional celebrities.

Gogola remembers running into McAllister at the Neshaminy Mall. She waved and yelled "Hi!" then ran away.

"It feels so surreal never really knowing anyone from Pa. who became Internet famous," Gogola said.

In July, paparazzi stopped McAllister on her way to fellow YouTuber Amanda Steele's Sweet 16 in L.A.

And it's only the beginning. McAllister starred in and coproduced Bad Night, featuring Molly Ringwald and Parks and Recreation's Jim O'Heir. McAllister and fellow YouTuber/best friend Lauren Elizabeth Luthringshausen star in the comedy as two friends mistaken for art thieves. The movie was released in July on Vimeo and can be purchased for $9.99.

McAllister has other projects in the works, but she can't disclose too many details.

Yet her greatest role has always been the role of Jenn.

"I don't think you can really expect this to happen," McAllister said of her achievements. "But I always knew I would keep working on it until I succeeded."

215-854-5054@sofiyaballin