When it comes to AI and the author community, it’s time for people to put down the pitchforks, have a reality check moment, and come together instead of tearing each other down!

AI has officially become one of the most divisive topics in the publishing industry, and emotions are running HIGH. After the internet exploded over the largely misrepresented comments made by Barnes & Noble CEO James Daunt regarding AI-generated books, this conversation dives headfirst into the growing fear, outrage, cancel culture, and confusion surrounding AI in the author world.

From the ethical line between using AI to generate entire books versus using it as a modern business tool for things like marketing and productivity, to why refusing to acknowledge this technology at all may leave authors behind long-term, this is an honest, nuanced, no-BS discussion about where publishing is headed, what actually threatens authentic storytelling, and why authors should stop attacking each other and start focusing on protecting the value of human-created books before fear and mob mentality do more damage than the technology itself.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode

· What Barnes & Noble CEO James Daunt actually said

· Where authors should really draw the line with AI

· What most authors are totally ignoring about AI and books

· What should really be the focus of our attention with AI

· Why it’s ridiculous to get so angry about AI in the first place

RESOURCES & LINKS

Learn More About Me: https://christinakaye.com/

My Etsy Shop (The Bookish Swag Shop): https://thebookishswagshop.etsy.com

Find Me, Follow Me, DM Me on These Platforms:

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@christinakayeofficial

Substack: https://substack.com/@christinakayeofficial

Facebook: https://facebook.com/christinakayeofficial

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ChristinaKayeOfficial

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christinakayeofficial/

SUBSCRIBE & FOLLOW THIS SHOW

If you enjoyed this episode, follow and/or subscribe to Write! Grow! Launch! wherever you listen to podcasts, so you don’t miss future episodes on successfully self-publishing, profitably launching your book, and building a sustainable indie author career…without burnout or BS.

If you haven’t spent time building a full, cohesive, and effective author brand, you’re not just missing out on potential readers for your book…you’re likely repelling them!

Most indie authors think branding starts and ends with a logo, a pretty website, or a matching Instagram feed. Meanwhile, readers are scrolling right past authors who feel disconnected, forgettable, inconsistent, or impossible to relate to online. In today’s publishing industry, readers don’t just buy books anymore — they buy connection, personality, trust, and familiarity. And if your online presence feels random, faceless, or visually all over the place, you could be losing potential readers every single day without even realizing it.

But this is totally fixable.

This episode kicks off Part 1 of a brand-new 3-part series where I’ll walk you through the three crucial elements of building an author brand that stands out in today’s crowded online world.

This week, we’re diving into the visual side of branding…your aesthetics. I’m breaking down how to create a recognizable online presence that instantly feels professional, relatable, and aligned with your genre and audience. So, sit back, relax, and maybe even take notes, and let me teach you how to attract the right readers and build deeper audience trust when your brand finally feels intentional.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode

· Why readers connect with relatable and visible authors more than faceless

· The biggest visual branding mistakes indie authors make online

· How to choose an aesthetic that fits your genre, personality, and target audience

· The core visual elements every indie author brand MUST have

· Why cohesive branding increases trust, recognition, and reader connection

RESOURCES & LINKS

Learn More About Me: https://christinakaye.com/

Free Resource: https://bit.ly/3PoGgsM

Helpful Links:

https://pixabay.com/

https://www.creativefabrica.com/

https://www.dreamstime.com/

https://redketchup.io/color-picker

My Etsy Shop (The Bookish Swag Shop): https://thebookishswagshop.etsy.com

Find Me, Follow Me, DM Me on These Platforms:

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@christinakayeofficial

Substack: https://substack.com/@christinakayeofficial

Facebook: https://facebook.com/christinakayeofficial

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ChristinaKayeOfficial

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christinakayeofficial/

SUBSCRIBE & FOLLOW THIS SHOW

If you enjoyed this episode, follow and/or subscribe to Write! Grow! Launch! wherever you listen to podcasts, so you don’t miss future episodes on successfully self-publishing, profitably launching your book, and building a sustainable indie author career…without burnout or BS.

81% of consumers must trust a brand first before they ever consider buying from it, and readers are consumers, just like authors are brands.

“People buy from people they know, like, and trust” may sound cliché at this point, but there’s a reason marketers have repeated it for decades: it works. Most indie authors don’t struggle because their books are bad. They struggle because they launch to an audience of strangers. In this week’s episode, we’re talking about one of the biggest mistakes authors make before publishing — waiting until launch week to start trying to get readers’ attention. By then, the Amazon algorithm is already watching, readers are overwhelmed with content, and shouting “my book is out now!” into the void rarely creates the momentum authors hoped for.

The good news? There’s a far better way to approach book marketing, and it doesn’t require going viral, becoming an influencer, or constantly selling to people online. In this episode, you’ll learn why building genuine relationships with readers long before your launch can completely change your publishing career, how loyal reader communities are created, and why showing up to launch day with an existing fanbase can dramatically impact your visibility, sales, reviews, and long-term success as an indie author.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode

· Why you must become friends with your readers first

· How to connect with your ideal readers organically

· What to do once you connect with them to build relationships

· How to nurture the relationships you’ve started and build a fandom

· When you need to start this strategy and how to do it

RESOURCES & LINKS

Learn More About Me: https://christinakaye.com/

Free Resource: https://bit.ly/430ToqZ

Book a FREE Session: https://hello.dubsado.com/public/form/view/69634d3f7a5de72a93761652

My Etsy Shop (The Bookish Swag Shop): https://thebookishswagshop.etsy.com

Find Me, Follow Me, DM Me on These Platforms:

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@christinakayeofficial

Substack: https://substack.com/@christinakayeofficial

Facebook: https://facebook.com/christinakayeofficial

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ChristinaKayeOfficial

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christinakayeofficial/

SUBSCRIBE & FOLLOW THIS SHOW

If you enjoyed this episode, follow and/or subscribe to Write! Grow! Launch! wherever you listen to podcasts, so you don’t miss future episodes on successfully self-publishing, profitably launching your book, and building a sustainable indie author career…without burnout or BS.