About this episode

James Blatch and Cissy Mecca discuss AI developments, TikTok marketing, and strategies for launching a new book series.

This week on The Self-Publishing Show, James Blatch and Cissy Mecca dive into the latest AI developments, including changes to Claude's subscription tiers and what they mean for authors using AI in their daily workflows. They also discuss TikTok marketing, the risks of AI-generated recommendations being manipulated, and why authors need to think critically about discoverability in an AI-driven world. Cissy shares an update on her upcoming fantasy romance launch, including cover design, budgeting, and building a comprehensive launch strategy, while James reflects on book formatting mishaps, marketing lessons, and England's World Cup campaign. Key Talking Points Claude's new subscription limits and what they mean for authors Comparing Claude, Gemini, and other AI tools for writing and business tasks How AI-generated recommendations can potentially be manipulated Why authors should stay informed as AI changes search and discoverability TikTok marketing tips and understanding how the algorithm works Cissy's upcoming Black Sails of the Border fantasy romance series Cover design investment and the cost of illustrated covers Building a launch strategy using AI alongside proven marketing…

People in this episode

Host: James Blatch

Guest: Cissy Mecca

Topics covered

• AI developments
• TikTok marketing
• book launch strategy
• discoverability
• AI-generated recommendations
• formatting mishaps

Keywords

• AI tools
• Claude
• Gemini
• marketing lessons
• book formatting
• launch strategy
• discoverability
• fantasy romance

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: ProWritingAid

Books & works: Black Sails of the Border

More episodes of The Self Publishing Show

• SPS-456: The Robot Read My Backlist · July 16, 2026 · 43 min
• SPS-455: Lessons From Rock 'n' Roll · July 9, 2026 · 57 min
• SPS-453: Three Questions Every Author Should Ask · June 25, 2026 · 51 min
• SPS-452: Lessons from London · June 18, 2026 · 39 min
• SPS-451: Live at The Self Publishing Show · June 12, 2026 · 27 min
• SPS-450: How to Work a Conference (Not Just Attend One) with James Blatch & Cissy Mecca · June 4, 2026 · 57 min

Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the The Self Publishing Show podcast page.