AI, Chatbot Search, and More

How will all the new tech affect our children's publishing programs?

I’m fascinated with all the recent advances in technology, and I’m thinking about how it will affect us, the self-publishers of children’s books. This is a look at futuristic thinking (because who can really look at the future?). I’ll be looking at the problem of future-proofing the fixed format ebook format, how to prepare for AI-assisted advertising, and how to structure my Shopify store’s products for maximum return on investment (ROI).

Joanna Penn of the Creative Penn Podcast recently did an episode entitled, “How Generative AI Search Will Impact Book Discoverability In The Next Decade.” You can and show go over and read/listen to it. But the question, as always, is how does that affect the children’s book market for indie publishers? I think our answers will differ from hers in some key areas. Some problems are amplified for us!

One of Joanna’s conclusions is that Chatbot search will replace the need for nonfiction books on publishing topics, as the Chatbot search will return more specific, personalized answers. Even her podcasts and blog posts will change. In other words, we’ll move from Search Engine Optimization to Chatbot Search Optimization.

For me, that means this blog is at the right place at the right time. I’m giving you my personal thoughts and experiences about a specific area of publishing - indie children’s book publishing. Please support this blog for more about the here-and-now, as well as the coming-future. I appreciate all of you who opt for a paid subscription - it helps keep me motivated to think harder about what we do.

This discussion of the future of indie children’s book publishing is only for paid subscribers. Join us now!