how readers will find your book a year from now: 3 secrets, 2 links, 1 quote

I take a photo of my bookshelf

I upload that photo to chatGPT

I ask chatGPT to tell me what I should read next

Is your book on that list?

That’s what today is about.

BUT FIRST

Freshly back from reporting for Uncle duties in Virginia 🫡

Secondly…my good friend Susan Friedmann of the one and only Book Marketing Mentors podcast is hosting Book Marketing Summer Camp.

Use code SUMMER50 at checkout for the Basic Bunk level. ($50 OFF)

An accountability partner is invaluable so let Susan be that for you this summer.

👉 Register here: https://www.avivapubs.com/book-marketing-summer-camp​
(I don’t make any money recommending this)
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Alright, let’s get into it….

3 Secrets to get AI to recommend your book:

1. Your book needs it’s own webpage: Whether you have an author site or a company page – it’s vital that you have a webpage dedicated specifically to your book
-> Your ISBN and copyright info listed on that page
-> Sample chapter
-> Editorial reviews
-> News, blog, media attention you’ve gotten for the book
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AI crawlers need an easy place to learn all about your book so it can easily recommend it. Make sure your website has a specific page dedicated to all these things.

2. YOAST SEO: Basic functionality is free and optimizes your (wordpress) website so that AI platforms like chatGPT or Gemini can easily learn about who you are and what your book is about in order to recommend it appropriately. Install this plugin to easily optimize your book for AI SEO.

3. Local news: Many of the top publications (like the NYT) have paywalls that prevent AI models from learning from them.
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Most local news stations don’t have such paywalls so they’re becoming a goldmine for legitimate sources that AI can learn from.
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Good news: It’s also the easiest media to get. Get attention from the local news stations in your region.

4. BONUS SECRET: Goodreads has never been more important.

It’s easily the #1 platform that AI models are pulling in information about books from what books are associated with yours to what people are saying about your book.
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Ask any AI model and it will tell you that it learns the most about books from what Goodreads is telling it.
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MAKE SURE you’ve set up your Goodreads account as an author, claimed your title, and have an active presence on that platform.
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2 Links
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1. All of these tips were learned from one of my favorite book marketing shows, The Novel Marketing Podcast. Listen to that episode here. REQUIRED listening for all authors who want to remain relevant. Man oh man I should be getting paid to recommend this show but it’s the real deal for authors to learn about book marketing.

2. For those needing inspiration on this Wednesday, Jim Murphy stopped by Before The Bestseller to talk about cultivating Inner excellence. Listen here.

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1 Quote

“Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever.”
— Mahatma Gandhi

with love and sincere appreciation,

Alex
​BeforeTheBestseller | ShelfLife​
alex@getshelflife.com