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When readers ask an AI what to read next, the books it names share engineerable traits. Answer engine optimization is how your book becomes one of them.
5 min read
Latest from the Brief
Spotify is now an audiobook storefront with a listener base the traditional retailers never touch. Here is how authors get listed and paid.
AI is a lever for the busywork of book marketing. Used carelessly, it sands off the voice that made your book worth reading. Here is where the line sits.
7 min read
National retail distribution has named gatekeepers, real timelines, and terms worth understanding before you sign anything. Here is how the shelf actually works.
6 min read
Book clubs are the most trusted recommendation engine in publishing, and almost nobody markets to them on purpose. Here is how to do it deliberately.
A look at the craft of audiobook narration: the skills narrators need, how to break in, choosing a narrator, AI voices, and the production process.
4 min read
A guide to the main types of bestsellers, from Amazon category lists to the New York Times, and why the title matters for an author's career.
A step-by-step guide to finding a children's book illustrator: define your needs, set a budget, vet portfolios, write a brief, and manage the work.
A practical guide to author marketing: build an author platform, use social media, email, ads, ARCs, and events, and plan a book marketing timeline.
11 min read
