SPS-437: Author Events - Discoverability in the Age of AI with James Blatch & Cissy Mecca

James and Cissy reflect on conversations from a recent indie author mastermind in Savannah, Georgia, where the biggest topic on everyone's mind was discoverability in the age of AI. With thousands of new titles flooding platforms like Amazon KDP every day, the hosts explore how authors can adapt - from optimising metadata for AI search to expanding audiobook distribution and experimenting with platforms like YouTube. The episode culminates in a bold proposal: introducing a publishing fee on KDP uploads to discourage low-quality AI-generated content and improve the reader experience.

Key Talking Points

• The growing discoverability crisis on Amazon as AI enables massive volumes of low-quality books to be uploaded daily.
• Practical strategies authors can use to improve AI discoverability, including consistent blurbs, Google Books previews, and optimised author websites.
• Why expanding audiobook distribution beyond exclusivity, including platforms like Spotify and YouTube - may become an important discovery tool.
• The importance of deep Amazon categories and metadata optimisation to help books surface in searches.
• James' controversial proposal: a refundable publishing fee for KDP uploads to reduce AI-generated "content farms" and improve reader experience.

Links & Resources Mentioned

• ProWritingAid (Sponsor – code IWC15 for 15% off annual subscriptions): https://prowritingaid.com
• Reedsy (research on AI discoverability mentioned): https://reedsy.com
• Draft2Digital (library distribution discussed): https://draft2digital.com
• AI Translations Course: https://learnselfpublishing.com/aitranslations
• Self-Publishing Show Live: https://learnselfpublishing.com/spslive