30 comments on “2026 Is the Year Writers Stop Being Invisible”

1. Oooh, Jaime, you're making me face a hard truth. "AI is quietly becoming the world’s most influential search tool." I have quietly watched that happening and pretended not to see. Thank you for making me think about that this morning. Fortunately, I have been giving discoverability a lot of thought and have goals to improve mine. However, I hadn't been thinking in terms of AI visibility...I'm going to have to listen to your podcast and give this some thought.

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   1. Lynette, thank you for your honesty here—and I owe you an apology for the delayed reply. I was unexpectedly tied up at the hospital today (all is well now), but I didn’t want to rush a response to something this thoughtful.

      What you said really matters: “quietly watched it happening and pretended not to see.”

      I think that describes far more writers than will ever admit it out loud. Not because they’re negligent—but because this shift feels… uncomfortable. It asks us to rethink assumptions that kept us sane for a long time.

      The good news...and I truly mean this...is that you’re not behind.

      You're not.

      The fact that you’ve already been thinking about discoverability puts you ahead of the curve. The AI visibility piece isn’t a replacement for that work; it’s more like a new lens to look through.

      Same values.
      Same voice.
      Just a clearer signal.

      And please don’t hear “AI” as something technical or soulless. At its core, this is still about humans asking meaningful questions—they’re just using a different intermediary now. If your work is alREADY rooted in intention and clarity, you’re closer than you think!

      If the podcast helps you think...not pushes you, not pressures you...then it’s doing its job. That’s all we ever built it for.

      Thank you for engaging with this so thoughtfully. These kinds of conversations are exactly why I felt compelled to write the article in the first place.

      Reply

2. I have a love hate relationship with AI. I love that it does the tasks that I don't want to do, all my marketing for the most part, but hate how people are using it to make a quick buck on creative endeavors. BUT, I really need to dig into AI visibility with my books and see what I can do to get that working as well!

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   1. Jenn, thank you for this—and forgive the slow reply.

      That love–hate tension you described? Completely valid.

      I don’t trust anyone who doesn’t feel at least a little conflicted about AI right now.

      Used shallowly, it absolutely encourages shortcuts and “creative fast food.” Used intentionally, though, it can remove friction from the parts of the job that drain us… so we can protect the parts that matter most.

      It took me a LONG time to come to this conclusion. MANY questions...MANY interviews...and many, many patient people answering them =)

      What I’d gently offer is this distinction: AI replacing creativity vs. AI locating creativity.

      Those are very different conversations, and unfortunately they get lumped together. One cheapens the work. The other helps the right readers actually find it.

      Digging into AI visibility doesn’t mean changing how or why you write. It means making sure the signal of your work—your themes, your promises, your intent—is legible to the systems now answering readers’ questions.

      That’s not selling out.
      That’s stewardship.

      You’re already using AI wisely by letting it handle the tasks you don’t want to do. This is just the next layer of that same thinking—protecting your creative time while ensuring your books don’t quietly disappear from the conversation.

      And honestly? The fact that you’re cautious is a strength. At least, that's how I personally see it.

      It means you’ll approach this thoughtfully, not opportunistically. That’s exactly the kind of voice the ecosystem actually needs right now.

      Thanks so much for your comments!

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3. I'm definitely going to watch your podcast.
   Thanks for the update on this.

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   1. Vivienne, I really appreciate you taking the time to chime in—thank you.

      And thank you for being willing to check out the podcast. That means more than you probably realize, because we built Nothing About This Is Safe for exactly this kind of moment: when a writer senses a shift happening and wants to understand it without hype, panic, or fluff.

      If you go into it with one simple question, I’d suggest this:

      “If a reader asked an AI system for the kind of story I write—would my name come up?”

      That’s the heart of “visibility” right now.
      Not going viral.
      Not feeding an algorithm.

      Just making sure your work has enough clear, consistent public signals that it can be understood and recommended when the right reader asks the right question.

      When you listen, you’ll notice the podcast isn’t built like a marketing show. It’s more like a trail of conversations—topics writers are already wrestling with—and each episode is meant to help you walk away with language you can actually use. The kind that clarifies what you write, who it’s for, and why it matters.

      If anything sticks out while you’re listening—an episode that hits you in the gut, or a question you wish we’d asked—drop it in the comments. I love hearing what lands with people because it helps shape what we explore next.

      Really glad you’re here, Vivienne. Thanks again for joining the conversation.

      Reply

4. I love the Writers in the Storm blog because it gives me things to contemplate and actional items and if I want to dig deeper I can, but this post just felt like an advertisement for your podcast. I have no problem with AI and I use it daily, so I wish you had given me something I could have used.

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   1. This is my feeling too. I don't have a book to index yet. But if I did, this post wouldn't tell me where or how to do it. I also realize that I'm viewing indexing like the index at the back of a book. How is it different from key words and SEO? Are you advocating a blog or Substack for consistency? The words are all English but what they mean in terms of action (other than as selling your podcast) isn't clear to me.

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      1. [cracks knuckles]

         Debbie, thank you for taking the time to write. I’m genuinely grateful you did, because you and KJ Warawa are not the only one thinking these thoughts.

         And yes...your instinct is right: you are thinking of indexing like the index in the back of a book. That’s a helpful starting point, but what I mean here is a little different.

         What I mean by “indexing” (in plain English)
         When I say “indexing,” I mean: leaving enough clear, consistent, public information about your work that AI systems can correctly understand it and recommend it when readers ask.

         It’s not one magic place you “submit” your work. It’s more like making sure the right signals exist in the places AI already learns from.

         “I don’t have a book yet—what do I index?”
         This is actually the best time to start, because you can build the foundation before launch.

         If you don’t have a book yet, you “index”:
         1) who you are as a writer,
         2) what you’re writing, and
         3) the kinds of readers you’re writing for.

         That can be as simple as a few stable pages and a small, consistent trail of writing.

         How is this different from keywords and SEO?
         Great question. There’s overlap, but they’re not the same.

         SEO is mainly about ranking in search engines for typed queries.
         Keywords are labels that help match a query to a page.

         AI discoverability is increasingly about meaning and context:
         • What kind of stories do you write?
         • What themes show up?
         • Who is this for?
         • What “promise” does your work make to a reader?
         • Do you consistently show up saying the same thing over time?

         So yes—keywords still matter. But they’re not sufficient. AI doesn’t just match words; it tries to understand intent.

         Where do I do this? Blog? Substack?
         You’re asking exactly the right question. The short answer:

         Any place that is public, stable, and consistently updated can work.

         Here are practical options, with the simplest path first:

         Option A: Your own author website (best foundation)
         Even if it’s basic. Especially if it’s basic.
         Create these pages:
         • Home: one sentence about what you write (plain language)
         • About: why you write it / what you care about
         • Books (later): but you can have a “Work in Progress” page now
         • Start Here: “If you like X kinds of stories, you’re in the right place.”

         Option B: Substack (easy + built-in audience tools)
         Substack is fine if you will actually use it.
         A steady monthly post beats a burst of ten posts and then silence.

         Option C: Blog on an existing platform
         If you’ll write there consistently, it counts. Consistency beats perfection.

         Actionable examples you can use immediately
         Here are a few “indexing” actions you could do this week, even without a book:

         1) Write a simple “What I Write” statement and use it everywhere.
         Example templates:
         • “I write hopeful historical romance with strong family bonds and clean emotional tension.”
         • “I write middle grade adventure where courage matters more than talent.”
         • “I write cozy fantasy that leaves readers feeling safe and restored.”

         Put that line on:
         • your website home page
         • your social bios
         • the top of your Substack/about page
         • your email signature (if you want)

         2) Create 3 theme posts (short is fine).
         These aren’t sales posts. They’re meaning posts.
         Examples:
         • “Why I write stories about second chances”
         • “What ‘hopeful’ means in my fiction”
         • “The kind of reader I’m writing for—and why”

         These become durable signals AI can understand.

         3) Build a “Start Here” trail.
         Even pre-book, you can do:
         • “Start Here” page
         • “What I’m writing next” page
         • “My story values” post (clean, hopeful, etc.)

         4) When you do have a book, you’ll add structured basics.
         This is where more traditional discoverability still matters:
         • consistent series titles + subtitles
         • clear book descriptions (not vague poetry)
         • author page filled out
         • metadata categories that match the true genre
         • reviews help, but they’re not the only “proof”

         On the “this feels like a podcast ad” concern
         I hear you—and I’m glad you said it plainly.

         Here’s the truth: this subject is too big to handle responsibly in one article. If I tried to cram it all into a single post, it would either become a confusing wall of tactics or I’d overpromise certainty where none exists.

         That’s why I started the podcast, and why the information is offered freely. Not because anyone “has to” listen—no one does. It’s there as a tool because I was in the same place many commenters are right now: watching the shift, hearing the jargon, and thinking, “Okay… what does that mean in real life?”

         So the show is simply me documenting the process:
         • the questions I asked
         • the people I learned from
         • the line of reasoning that helped me understand it
         • and the practical steps that came out the other side

         Also—this isn’t being talked about in many of the usual writing/publishing spaces in a grounded way. Most places either dismiss AI entirely or treat it like a slot machine. I wanted a place to think out loud without hype.

         If you never listen to the podcast, you can still apply what I’m saying:
         Be clear. Be consistent. Leave a public trail that explains what you write and why it matters.

         Debbie, I know this was a small novel, but I hope this helps...at least a little?

         Thank you again for pushing on the unclear parts.

         That kind of pushback makes the conversation better.

         ...and it helps me communicate this in a way that’s actually useful.

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   2. KJ, thank you for saying this so plainly—and for taking the time to engage honestly. I genuinely appreciate it.

      Let me start by owning the feeling you’re describing. If the post felt like an advertisement instead of something immediately usable, that tells me I didn’t make the practical pieces visible enough for some readers. That’s on me, and I’m grateful you called it out rather than just moving on.

      That said, I do want to gently point out that the article did contain actionable guidance—it just wasn’t presented as a checklist, which may have made it easy to miss. So let me surface those pieces more clearly here.

      Here are practical actions already embedded in the article, translated into steps you can actually use:

      1. Define your work in plain language (publicly).
      Not marketing copy—human language.
      • What kind of stories do you write?
      • Who are they for?
      • What emotional promise do they make?
      AI systems look for clarity and repetition. If this language only lives in your head (or a private doc), it doesn’t exist to them.

      2. Leave a public record of your thinking.
      This doesn’t mean blogging every day. It means occasionally writing or speaking about:
      • Why you write what you write
      • The themes you return to
      • The questions your stories explore
      AI indexes patterns over time. One post won’t matter. Ten honest ones will.

      3. Make sure your body of work lives somewhere stable.
      A site, a blog, a long-form platform—not just social media.
      Ephemeral platforms don’t create lasting signals. Stability does.

      4. Repeat your core ideas on purpose.
      This is the part most writers resist. Repetition feels boring—but to machines (and readers), it equals clarity.
      Same ideas. Different angles. Over time.

      5. Ask the discoverability question directly.
      “If a reader asked AI for the kind of book I write… would my name come up?”
      If the answer is “probably not,” the fix isn’t ads—it’s clearer signals.

      As for the podcast: I hear you. It was mentioned prominently, and that can read as promotional. My intent wasn’t to sell—it was to point to a living example of what I was describing: a long-form, indexed, public record of ideas unfolding over time. But your feedback tells me I need to make that distinction clearer in future pieces.

      I value Writers in the Storm for the same reasons you do—thoughtful contemplation paired with things you can actually do. Thank you for holding me to that standard. Conversations like this sharpen the work, and I’m grateful you spoke up.

      Reply

5. I don't know what you mean by indexing. To me, it's not very clear what I need to do to be noticed by AI.

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   1. [SUPER big smile....]

      (whispers...."I got this...")

      Gillian, thank you for saying this—and I really mean that. You put words to something a lot of writers are feeling but aren’t quite sure how to ask.

      Let me start here: I was in the exact same boat. When people first started talking to me about “indexing,” my internal response was, “Okay… but what does that actually mean for a novelist?” I needed it translated out of tech-speak and into writer-speak.

      I was fortunate—people like Alicia McCalla and Lisa Norman were incredibly patient with me. They didn’t make me feel behind or foolish; they just kept explaining it from different angles until it finally clicked. So let me pay that forward.

      Here’s the simplest way I know to explain indexing:

      Indexing is how AI learns who you are as a writer and when to recommend you.

      It’s not about feeding AI your book files. It’s not about tricks or hacks. It’s about signals.

      AI notices three main things:

      1. Clear language about what you write.
      Somewhere public, you need words that answer:
      • What genre do you write in?
      • Who is it for?
      • What kinds of themes or emotional promises show up again and again?

      If that language only lives in your head—or changes every time you describe your work—AI has nothing stable to latch onto.

      2. A public record that connects you to those ideas.
      This can be:
      • Blog posts
      • Essays
      • Podcast interviews
      • Articles like this one

      You don’t need to do everything. You just need something that shows up over time where your name and your ideas appear together consistently.

      3. Repetition over time.
      This part feels strange to writers. We’re trained to avoid repetition. But AI uses it to understand pattern and intent.

      When you talk about the same core ideas—courage, healing, hope, faith, resilience—from different angles across months or years, AI starts to understand:
      “Oh. This is what Gillian Andrews writes.”

      Here’s what indexing is not:
      • It’s not daily posting
      • It’s not social media performance
      • It’s not chasing trends

      It’s more like leaving breadcrumbs that say, “This is who I am. This is what my stories explore.”

      If you’re feeling unclear right now, that doesn’t mean you’re behind—it means you’re standing right at the starting line. I needed patient guides to get here, and I’m happy to be one for you.

      Thank you again for asking the question out loud. It helps far more people than you realize.

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6. This is scary, but so inspiring. Thank you.

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   1. Moya....

      Moya, Moya, Moya...

      THANK you for sharing that—and for trusting me with both sides of that reaction.

      You’re absolutely right: this sits right at the intersection of scary and inspiring. That’s exactly where I was when I first started digging into it. Fear usually shows up when we sense a real shift, not an imagined one.

      What changed things for me—what turned the fear into excitement—was learning from people far smarter than me in this space. And what they helped me see is this:

      This shift finally rewards substance over noise.

      For most of my career, discoverability depended on things writers don’t control very well:
      • Gatekeepers
      • Algorithms optimized for ads
      • Popularity masquerading as quality
      • Luck dressed up as strategy

      But AI doesn’t care about flash. It cares about patterns, clarity, and intent.

      That’s thrilling to me.

      It means writers who:
      • Think deeply about their work
      • Care about the reader experience
      • Return to meaningful themes again and again
      • Show up honestly over time

      …aren’t at a disadvantage anymore. They’re actually easier to understand and recommend.

      What also excites me is that this doesn’t require becoming someone you’re not. You don’t have to be louder. You don’t have to be everywhere. You don’t have to turn yourself into a brand mascot.

      You just have to be legible.

      Once I understood that—once people patiently walked me through it—the fear gave way to relief. This isn’t a system designed to replace writers. It’s a system that finally notices the ones who’ve been quietly doing the work all along.

      I'M SOOOO EXCITED!!!!!

      Thank you for saying this out loud, Moya.

      Really.

      That combination of unease and hope is a healthy response...and it tells me you’re asking the right questions!

      Seriously, listen to the first 3 episodes of the podcast.
      ....I'm positive it'll help.

      (I kinda created it for my own fears and therapy, so you wouldn't need any....lol)

      Reply

7. Beautiful! Jamie, this is huge! THANK YOU! You've pointed out an important aspect of AI that's been overshadowed by fear.

   What you've taught me--hopefully I've got this right:
   AI cares about the digital trail we leave. So, I need to be hyper-aware of:
   Consistency.
   Clarity. (Making sure my brand/message is clear and consistent. e.g.: I write hopeful historical romance. Or something like that, right? )

   Establishing public proof of what I create and why it matters. (You mean like Amazon and Goodreads reviews, etc.?)

   In other words… my record. What people say about my work and what I say about my work. Online.

   Am I understanding what you're saying?

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   1. Kathleen, that kind of engagement tells me the article did what I hoped it would do.

      And yes...you’re very close. Let me affirm what you’ve got right and gently clarify one important piece.

      You’re absolutely right about this:

      AI cares about the digital trail we leave.

      And the three pillars you pulled out are spot on:

      Consistency.
      Showing up over time with the same core ideas and promises.

      Clarity.
      Your example is exactly right. “I write hopeful historical romance” is clear, human, and legible. The goal isn’t cleverness—it’s understandability.

      Public proof of what you create and why it matters.
      This is where a small clarification will help.

      Reviews on Amazon and Goodreads do matter—but they’re only part of the picture, and they’re not the part you have the most control over. If I remember correctly, Amazon blocks AI searching, and I don't know how deep that goes OR if it affects AI's ability to index your reviews or not (have to ask someone smarter than me).

      When I talk about public proof, I’m mainly referring to:
      • What you say about your work
      • How you connect your stories to the deeper questions they explore
      • Where your name and your ideas appear together, publicly, over time

      Think blog posts, essays, interviews, articles, podcast appearances, even thoughtful comment threads like this one. These create context, not just opinion. AI is very good at understanding that difference.

      So yes—it’s your record.
      What people say about your work and what you say about your work.
      But especially the parts that show intent, not just reception.

      If I could rephrase your understanding in one sentence, it would be this:

      AI learns who to recommend by watching what you consistently claim, explain, and stand behind in public.

      You’re asking exactly the right questions, Kathleen. Thank you for engaging...and for helping surface the nuances that matter for other writers reading along.

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      1. Thank you for taking the time to clarify it for me. This is Great. I really appreciate it!!!

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         1. Kathleen, you’re very welcome—and thank you for engaging so thoughtfully. I’m really glad the clarification helped. Conversations like this are what make the ideas clearer for everyone reading along.

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8. My apologies everyone...I have to spend most the day in the hospital.
   Will reply to everyone when I get home...and also find my glasses!!

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9. Thanks for this, Jaime! As always discoverability is a challenge for authors! Here's hoping we're all very findable in 2026!

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   1. Lisa, thank you...I always appreciate hearing from you.

      What gives me hope right now is that the nature of that challenge is finally changing. For the first time in a long while, being “findable” isn’t just about volume, velocity, or visibility for visibility’s sake—it’s about clarity and continuity.

      That feels like a fairer fight.

      Here’s to a 2026 where the right readers can actually find the stories written for them—and where authors who care about substance aren’t penalized for refusing to shout.

      Thank you for being part of most of the conversations I've had.

      ...and yes… here’s hoping we’re all very findable in the year ahead.

      (let's out a heavy sigh...)....whew! I think I finally caught up on the comments!!

      Reply

10. definitely gives me things to think about.

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    1. Plenty to consider, Denise.

       Thank you for reading and leaving a comment =).

       Reply

11. Wow. This is hopeful. Lots of great stuff here. A mindset shift. I have been very apprehensive about AI and haven't dived in yet. I am very curious about indexing the work and how. I see it in another comment. That's the meat. Thankyou!

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    1. Maria, thank you for taking the time to say this...I really appreciate it.

       You put your finger on the heart of it when you said “a mindset shift.” That’s exactly what it was for me. Once that clicked, the fear softened and curiosity could finally take its place.

       It’s completely understandable to feel apprehensive. Most of what we hear about AI is framed around replacement or abuse of creativity. What’s easy to miss is this quieter, more hopeful angle—AI as a way for meaningful work to be found, not diluted.

       I’m glad you spotted the indexing explanation in the other comments—that really is the meat of it. If you start there, slowly and thoughtfully, you don’t have to “dive in” all at once. One clear step at a time is more than enough.

       Thank you again for being part of the conversation. Your curiosity is exactly the right place to start.

       Reply

12. Jaime, this is gold. I thought I had all the appropriate computer skills for what I do, but along you come with a wrecking ball to tell me there's a whole nuther world I need to learn. A necessary world. Your dictates seem to be geared to fiction, but I believe I can adapt them to my narrative nonfiction. Thank you!

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    1. Anna, thank you for this—I’m really glad you said it the way you did.

       That “whole nuther world” realization hit me the same way. I didn’t feel unskilled so much as… under-informed. Like the ground rules quietly changed while we were busy doing the work we’ve always been told mattered most.

       Know what I mean?

       And you’re absolutely right: while I’m speaking primarily from a fiction lens, these ideas translate beautifully to narrative nonfiction. In some ways, they may even apply more cleanly. Themes, questions, reader intent, and lived experience are exactly the kinds of signals AI is trying to understand.

       What matters isn’t the category—it’s:
       • clarity about what you write
       • consistency in how you talk about it
       • a public trail that connects your name to those ideas over time

       If this felt like a wrecking ball, my hope is that it’s the kind that clears away confusion rather than creates it. You don’t need to master everything at once. You just need to know which direction to face.

       Thank you for your openness.

       I'm glad you're seeing possibility instead of just disruption.

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13. I have a blog that goes back 11 years. On Amazon 7 books (3 nonfiction, 4 novels). I tweet, I post on Substack, I have given my explicit permission for all my work to be hoovered into AI training. What more can I do?

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    1. An 11-year blog, seven books, active posting, and explicit permission for training?

       Matthew, that’s a real body of work!

       Since you’re asking, “What more can I do?” the answer probably isn’t more volume. It’s more coherence—making your existing signals easier for both humans and machines to interpret.

       Take a deeeep breath, cause I'm gonna write a novel of a reply. You're at a point like myself, where you have plenty to work with...so it's critical to get that last 1% adjustments to hit your target.

       Here are the most actionable, highest-leverage moves (in order) that writers in your position usually benefit from, IMHO.

       1) Run the “AI Librarian” test on yourself
       Ask a few AI systems questions a reader would ask, and note what comes back.

       Try prompts like:

       “Recommend novels like [your genre/style], written by authors who focus on [your themes].”

       “Who writes nonfiction about [your topics] with [your angle/voice]?”

       “Tell me about Matthew Rapaport’s books and what they’re about.”

       Then write down:

       Are you mentioned?

       If yes, is the description accurate?

       If no, who is being surfaced instead? What signals do they have that you don’t?

       This tells you where the gap is: clarity, topical authority, or cross-linking.

       2) Decide what you want to be “the answer” to
       Right now you have two lanes (nonfiction + novels). That’s fine, but AI often struggles when an author’s “identity” is scattered.

       Write 2–3 “reader questions” you want to own.

       Examples:

       “Who writes [your type] novels with [your theme promise]?”

       “Who explains [your nonfiction topic] for [your audience]?”

       Everything else below gets easier once you decide those questions.

       3) Create (or tighten) a single, stable “Start Here” hub on your website
       This is one of the biggest missing pieces for people who already have lots of content.

       On one page, include:

       One-sentence positioning (simple and repeatable)

       Your two lanes (Nonfiction / Fiction) with clear descriptions

       Best entry points: “Start with this book” + “Start with this post”

       Your themes in plain language

       Links to: Amazon Author Page, Substack, Twitter/X, Goodreads, etc.

       Why this matters: it becomes the canonical interpretation of your work.

       4) Turn 11 years of blog history into “topical clusters”
       A long blog is powerful—but only if it’s organized into clear lanes.

       Pick 3–5 topic pillars you’re known for (or want to be known for).
       Create a hub page for each pillar:

       Pillar page title: “Matthew Rapaport on [Topic]”

       Short intro: what you believe / your angle

       Link to your best 10–20 posts on that topic (with 1-line summaries)

       This tells AI: “This person has sustained intent and depth here.”

       5) Write 2–4 “definition posts” that act like anchors
       These are not marketing posts. They’re clarity posts.

       Examples:

       “What I mean when I say [core idea in your nonfiction]”

       “The themes my novels return to (and why)”

       “If you like X, Y, and Z, you’ll like my work”

       “The questions I can’t stop writing about”

       These posts become strong “index entries” for your worldview.

       6) Make your identity consistent everywhere
       This sounds small, but it’s huge.

       Use the same (or nearly the same):

       author bio

       positioning sentence

       list of themes/topics

       headshot

       links back to your canonical hub page

       Do this on: Amazon, Goodreads, Substack, Twitter/X, any publisher pages, any interviews. Consistency is a machine-readable signal.

       7) Add structured “machine-friendly” info to your site
       Not glamorous. Very effective.

       Make sure your site has:

       a sitemap (and it’s submitted to search engines)

       clean navigation to Books / Blog / About / Start Here

       dedicated pages for each book (not just retailer links) with:

       description, genre, themes, audience

       ISBN (if applicable)

       links to reviews/interviews

       series order (if applicable)

       If you (or your web person) can add schema markup (Author + Book), even better. That helps machines interpret pages accurately.

       8) Strengthen “third-party validation” signals
       You already have volume. Now you want corroboration.

       Actionable ways:

       Get listed/interviewed on 3–5 reputable podcasts or blogs in your topic areas

       Write 2–3 guest posts on strong sites that link back to your hub pages

       Encourage reviews where readers describe who the book is for and what it delivers (those phrases matter)

       This isn’t about ego. It’s about creating external confirmation of your identity.

       9) Tighten your Amazon + Goodreads ecosystem
       You likely have this, but it’s worth checking:

       Amazon Author Central filled out completely

       Consistent categories/keywords per book (aligned with your positioning)

       Series pages correct

       Goodreads author profile complete

       Book descriptions written for clarity, not mystery

       Editorial reviews (even a few) on Amazon can help

       10) Create a simple “AI-readable” press kit page
       One page. Clean. Copy/paste friendly.

       Include:

       short bio + long bio

       1–2 sentence “what I write” statement

       topics you speak on

       book list

       media links

       contact info

       canonical links

       This gets reused by humans and scraped by systems.

       What I suspect is happening (based on what you said)
       You’ve done a lot of distribution. The next gains come from consolidation and interpretation—making your work easier to summarize accurately and recommend confidently.

       If you want a simple “next 7 days” plan, do this:

       Day 1: Write your one-sentence positioning + 5 themes/topics
       Day 2: Build/refresh your “Start Here” hub page
       Day 3–4: Create 3 topical pillar pages and link your best posts
       Day 5: Write one “definition post” that anchors your worldview
       Day 6: Standardize your bio across Amazon/Substack/Twitter
       Day 7: Run the AI test again and see what changed

       Thank you for commenting, Matthew...I know this is a lot, but this is the best I can give you in a comments section (grin).

       You’re already doing the work. Now it’s about making the work legible.

       Wishing you fantastic success!

       Reply

14. Okay, I just finished dinner and this post and most of all, the step-by-step ideas of exactly how to structure my online persona and body of work for discoverability is like, no it's better than, cake for dessert!

    Thanks, Jaime, for the delicious dessert! I have so much more clarity in what to do now. Happy New Year to you and here's to a 2026 full of discovery!

    Reply