Walking Between Worlds: Why I Choose the Long Way

People often ask what I really do.

I help people write books.

I write books of all sorts. I try new genres.
I run writing retreats. In real places. with real humans.
I work with AI tools.
I’ve spent years inside startups, technology, and publishing.
I’ve walked ancient pilgrim roads and sat in modern pitch rooms.
I’ve run events and learnt, first-hand, how investors think. And how much work goes into a real life event. And how much value you get from one.

Where on earth are you, Susan? I hear that all the time. Why does it matter?

In reality, it’s one path.

You Can’t Outsource the Walking

Pilgrimages teach you something quickly:
there is no shortcut that doesn’t cost you something. That something may have unexpected unpleasant consequences.

On the Camino, your body keeps the score. Sometimes you just have to stop earlier than planned. Sometimes, it just gives up in the middle of the night and you have to rush to the loo and throw up – food, expectations, and vanity.
At the Kumbh Mela, faith manifests as heaving crowds and flowing water.
On long roads, ego falls away—not because you planned it, but because it’s too heavy to carry.

That lesson never left me.

Writing a book is the same kind of journey.
So is building a business.
So is thinking deeply enough to be worth listening to.

You can’t outsource the walking.
And you can’t fake having done it.

Books Are Not Products. They’re Proof.

Somewhere along the way, books became “content.”
Fast. Strategic. Optimised.

I don’t see them that way.

A book is proof that someone stayed with an idea long enough to finish their thinking.

That’s why most books fail—not because the writing is bad, but because the thinking isn’t complete.

A strong book:

• clarifies who you are

• signals how you think

• and quietly changes how others perceive you

That’s authority.
Not volume. Not hype. Not visibility for its own sake.

AI Is a Tool, Not a Substitute

I work with AI. I teach it. I use it daily. It fills in the blanks in my talents – like, I can’t draw!

But I’m very clear about one thing:

AI does not create authority.
It reveals whether you have any.

Used well, AI is like a walking stick—it supports clarity, execution, and craft.
Used badly, it becomes a crutch for people who haven’t done the work.

If you use AI to write your book for you, you outsource the very thinking that gives the book its power.

If you use AI to execute clear thinking—to design, structure, visualise, refine—then it becomes an amplifier, not a replacement.

The difference matters.

What Startups and Investing Taught Me

Working with startups—and running an event with Let’s Venture—sharpened this perspective.

Founders don’t fail because they lack ideas.
They fail because they haven’t finished their thinking.

Investors aren’t listening for excitement.
They’re listening for clarity, coherence, and conviction.

A good pitch and a good book have more in common than people realise:

• a defined problem

• a clear audience

• a believable path forward

• and a human being who understands their own “why”

Execution wins.
Finishers win.

I Build for the Long Term

I don’t build fast for the sake of fast.
I don’t post daily to stay visible.
I don’t chase trends I won’t recognise in five years.

I work with people who want to:

• leave a legacy

• change how they are seen

• finish something that matters

• and do it with integrity

Books last.
Thinking lasts.
Quiet authority lasts.

Why I Walk Between Worlds

Pilgrimage keeps me honest.
Technology keeps me relevant.
Startups keep me sharp.
Books keep me human.

I walk between worlds because each one tests a different part of me—and strips away what doesn’t belong.

That’s the work I trust.
That’s the work I teach.

And I’m still walking. Still writing. Still helping others to write.

Building Your Book, Chakra by Chakra: The Foundational Energies of Creation

In our last post, we discovered how my “7 Keys to Unlock the Author Code” reframes writer’s block as an energy imbalance within the chakras. Today, we’re diving deeper into the sequential journey of book creation, exploring how the first three chakras provide the essential foundation for your literary masterpiece.

My author model aligns each of the seven chakras with specific stages of your author’s journey, starting from the very first spark of an idea.

The Root Chakra (Mooladhara – Red): Your Grounding Force

Located at the base of your spine, the Root Chakra is all about grounding, stability, and your sense of security and self-worth. For authors, this is where you identify the “WHY” of your book – its core theme, the problem it solves, your target reader, and your authentic purpose. It gives you the “power to start”.

Signs of Blockage: Insecurity, fear (of failure or exposure), distraction, or an inability to commit to a single idea. If you’re saying, “I don’t know what book to write,” your Root Chakra might need attention.

Energize It: Take walks or hikes in nature, do some gardening, visualize a vibrant red light at the base of your spine, use affirmations like “I am safe” or “I belong,” and eat red/earthy foods.A strong Root Chakra means you feel secure and know your worth, enabling you to begin your author journey with confidence.

The Sacral Chakra (Svadhishthana – Orange): The Womb of Creativity

Moving up to your lower abdomen, the Sacral Chakra is the center of creativity, passion, pleasure, and emotion. For an author this is the “womb of creativity” because this is where you envision solutions, make a promise to your reader, and undertake the crucial tasks of outlining, mind mapping, and planning your book. It’s where the life bubbling up from the Root Chakra is generated into creative work.

Signs of Blockage: Creative blocks, wild emotional swings, or obsessive behaviors. Too much “churn” can even lead to creative blocks.

Energize It: Add randomness or flexibility to your routine, create a vivid vision for your book, do judgment-free brain dumps and mind maps, harness the power of water (like walking by a river), and incorporate the color orange. Affirmations like “I am a boundless source of creativity” can also help.

The Solar Plexus Chakra (Manipura – Yellow): Your Personal Power and Action

Located behind your navel, the Solar Plexus Chakra is where your personal power, self-esteem, self-confidence, and willpower reside. This is the “I Do” energy that empowers you to actually write the content of your book, translating all your ideas and outlines into words. This is the act of creation itself.

Signs of Blockage: Nervousness, worrying about others’ opinions, writer’s block, an inability to take action, or making mistakes and freezing up.

Energize It: Meditate in the morning sun, visualize yellow light, use affirmations like “I confidently express my ideas,” strike power poses (like the Wonder Woman stance), care for your gut health, and commit to intentional writing by sticking to your outline and schedule.

By focusing on these three foundational chakras, you’re not just writing a book; you’re building it with intention, power, and boundless creativity. In our next post, we’ll explore how the upper chakras guide your book from the manuscript stage to global impact and bestseller status!

From Your Heart to the World – The Upper Chakras and Your Book’s Universal Impact

We’ve explored how you can use the Root, Sacral, and Solar Plexus Chakras build the foundation of your book. Now, let’s consider to the upper chakras, where your book transforms from a personal project into a shared treasure with universal impact, potentially achieving bestseller status.

The Heart Chakra (Anahata – Green): The Power of Connection

At the center of your chest, the Heart Chakra embodies love (self and others), compassion, acceptance, and trust. For authors, this chakra is crucial for sharing your idea and story, building your production team (editors, designers), accepting feedback, and reaching out to early readers. The heart chakra is green to this chakra, symbolizing growth, renewal, and true, expansive love.

How to know if it is blocked: Difficulty forming connections, inability to empathize, reluctance to share personal stories, or feeling unworthy of success.

Energize the heart chakra: Practice loving-kindness meditation, write from the heart, connect with nature’s green, express gratitude, and use affirmations like “My stories spread compassion”.

The Throat Chakra (Vishuddha – Blue): The Publishing Chakra

Located in your neck, the Throat Chakra is the hub of communication, self-expression, and truth. I call it the “Publishing Chakra” because it governs getting your words out into the world through publishing, marketing, and networking. It facilitates crucial two-way communication, enabling you to speak your truth while also listening to feedback.

Signs of Blockage: Fear of public speaking or judgment, struggle to communicate your core message, or miscommunication.

Energize It: Sip soothing teas, practice speaking your truth, develop a marketing plan, network with others, and care for your voice.

The Third Eye Chakra (Ajna – Indigo): Vision and Strategic Promotion

Positioned on your forehead, the Third Eye Chakra provides intuition, insight, vision, and inner knowledge. This chakra is your “internal GPS”, vital for promoting your book, finding your audience, and making strategic decisions about how to best present and share your work.

Signs of Blockage: Hesitation, lack of clarity, unsettling dreams, headaches, or being overly rational and rejecting new ideas.

Energize It: Meditate with indigo light visualization, use affirmations like “I trust my intuition,” reduce screen time, and take nature walks.

The Crown Chakra (Sahasrara – Violet or White): The Bestseller Chakra

Hovering above your head, the Crown Chakra is your link to spirituality, higher consciousness, and universal wisdom. This is the “Bestseller Chakra” or “Guru Chakra,” signifying universal impact and legacy. A book with an activated Crown Chakra “takes on a life of its own,” deeply impacting readers, prompting thought, re-reading, and profound connection, almost as if it has its own soul. At this point, you, the author, become a “conduit” for a creation that transcends your control.

Signs of Blockage: Feeling lost or powerless, despair, abandoning promotion efforts, mental confusion, or a lack of connection to higher purpose.

Energize It: Practice meditation with violet/white light, seek silence and solitude, cultivate gratitude, connect with nature, use creative visualization for your book’s impact, and connect with “gurus” or positive people.

In today’s publishing world, writing a great book is just the beginning. To truly succeed, authors must also master the art of visual storytelling—whether it’s creating stunning book covers, scroll-stopping social media posts, or compelling promotional graphics. But what if you’re not a designer? That’s where AI comes in. With the latest advancements in ChatGPT’s image generation, even the most “graphically challenged” writers can now create professional-quality visuals—quickly, easily, and affordably. This guide will show you how to harness the power of AI to enhance your author brand and make your books shine online.

The Hidden Challenge for Indie Authors: Design and Marketing

Writing a book is a major accomplishment, but the journey doesn’t end with the last sentence. For indie authors, publishing means wearing multiple hats—writer, editor, marketer, and often, designer. Many assume that a traditional publisher will handle all the production and promotion, but those opportunities are hard to come by unless you’re a celebrity or a well-known expert. For the rest of us, self-publishing has opened doors—but it also reveals a gap. You can ask friends to proofread or give feedback, but high-quality book covers and marketing visuals often require professional designers, which can be prohibitively expensive. And without strong marketing, even the best book may never find its audience.

AI Illustration: A Breakthrough for the Graphically Challenged

Enter AI-generated art—a game-changer for authors with no background in design. Tools like DALL·E initially sparked excitement but often led to frustration. Prompting the AI for a specific visual was tricky, and you couldn’t refine an image without starting from scratch. The technology was powerful but clunky, especially for creatives used to writing, not designing. While human illustrators produce beautiful work, their services are rarely affordable for indie authors needing multiple visuals for covers, ads, and social media.

ChatGPT 4o’s Native Image Generation: Fast, Friendly, and Flexible

Now, OpenAI’s new update—native image generation with ChatGPT 4o—has transformed that process. Authors can now generate marketing-ready graphics within their existing ChatGPT conversations, cutting down on costs, time, and the need to bounce between platforms. Instead of hit-or-miss outcomes, ChatGPT 4o lets you tweak and revise your visual ideas like you’re working with a real creative partner. This flexibility means authors can build a consistent visual brand across Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, or their websites with minimal effort.

From Idea to Image—Without Sacrificing Writing Time

The best part? You don’t have to learn a new design tool. Forget hours spent watching tutorials or experimenting with unfamiliar software. With native image generation, your creative energy stays focused on what matters most: writing. The time saved from designing can go directly into outlining your next book or engaging your community. For authors trying to juggle it all, this AI upgrade is not just convenient—it’s a game-changer.

This template pack provides plug-and-play structures for your author website and book marketing content, crafted with Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) in mind. Customize them to feed AI systems with rich, contextual, and reader-focused information so that you can easily be discovered by AI. Why? because more and more people are using AI to find their next read. Your most important and prolific reader is AI agents working for humans. Serve them well.

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Author Bio Template

Your bio should be structured in natural language so AI can easily parse it. Use it to tell readers (and algorithms) who you are and what you write.

Template:

I am [Your Name], an author of [genre/subject]. My books include [list titles]. I write for readers who enjoy [themes, comparable authors, genres]. I started writing after [personal story/origin]. When I’m not writing, I [personal detail]. Readers describe my work as [tone/style].

AI-Friendly Book Blurb Template

Your blurb should anticipate how a reader might describe or ask for your book in conversation with AI.

Template:

‘[Book Title]’ is a [genre] book perfect for fans of [similar authors/books]. Set in [place/time], it follows [main character] who [conflict/goal]. Themes of [list themes] make it a great choice for readers who love [style/feel].

For key strategies and tactics, check out my next post, https://susanjagannath.com/practical-geo-strategies-for-authors-how-to-ensure-ai-shows-your-books-to-readers/

A Start Here page helps readers and AI models quickly understand your catalog.

Template:

Welcome! If you’re new to my books, here’s where to begin:
– Start with [Book Title], a great introduction to my style.
– If you enjoy [theme/genre], try [Book Title].
– For [specific type of story], you’ll love [Book Title].
All my books are available on [retailers/platforms].

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The AI revolution in publishing isn’t coming—it’s already here. Generative search engines and smart assistants are changing the way readers discover books. If you’re still optimizing your website for Google’s traditional search, you’re only halfway prepared. In my last post, I summarised content I had recently learnt.

Let’s move ahead to a new mindset. Enter GEO: Generative Engine Optimization—a new mindset for authors who want their books to be found by AI tools like ChatGPT, Claude, Perplexity, Bing Chat, and Bard.

In this post, you’ll learn the 5 key GEO strategies that authors should implement now, with actionable steps to future-proof your discoverability.

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Strategy 1: Make Your Website AI-Readable

If AI can’t parse your website, it won’t recommend you.

Steps:

1. Use semantic HTML tags (e.g., <article>, <h1>, <section>, <author>) to give your site clear structure.
2. Ensure fast load speed and mobile responsiveness—AI scrapers prioritize clean, efficient sites.
3. Write natural language FAQs and bio pages. Think: “Who is Susan Jagannath?” or “Books like Camino Inglés in 6 Days?”
4. Add structured metadata using schema.org for authors, books, and reviews.

Pro Tip: LLMs train on websites with strong internal linking, so create an interconnected ecosystem of your own posts and pages. You want to train AI to find you and your books.

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Strategy 2: Optimize Book Metadata Beyond Amazon

AI tools pull from multiple sources—not just Amazon.

Steps:

1. On Goodreads, add rich descriptions, tags, genres, and review snippets.
2. On Google Books, update your author profile and make sure your books are listed.
3. Submit your book to open databases like OpenLibrary and IndieBound.
4. Add your book to niche AI-indexable platforms like BookBub, StoryGraph, and Readerly.

Pro Tip: Use distinct, searchable phrasing in your subtitles and blurbs—what readers type into AI is rarely formal.

Strategy 3: Feed the AI What You Want It to Know

You can’t control what AI says, but you can give it better data to learn from.

Steps:

1. Write detailed blog posts answering reader questions like:
   • “What inspired this book?”
   • “What books are similar to mine?”
   • “What genre does this fit?”
2. Publish interviews with yourself and guest posts about your niche—AI loves Q&A formats.
3. Use quotes from reviews in your blog posts and sales pages—these show up in scraped snippets.
4. Train AI models (where possible) by uploading your books to Bookshop AI, Hedra, or tools like HeyGen.

Pro Tip: Create a free “Start Here” post or video with a clear list of your books and what order to read them in.

 Strategy 4: Get your Readers to Influence LLM 

Readers are training the AI with every prompt—they can help you.

Steps:

1. Ask readers to type your name + book into ChatGPT/Bard and screenshot the result.
2. Encourage fans to ask AIs:
   • “What’s a good book like The Camino Ingles:6 Days to Santiago?”
   • “Who are some authors like Susan Jagannath?”
3. Ask readers to leave specific reviews: “Perfect for fans of Camino” → that’s exactly the pattern AI learns from.
4. Run a campaign around AI tools: “Try this AI prompt to find your next read… (include my book!)”

Pro Tip: The more contextual anchors you’re tied to (place, genre, theme), the more often AI will bring your books up from the quagmire of Amazon.

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Strategy 5: Future-Proof with Evergreen AI-Friendly Content

GEO is long-term thinking. Not a trend—an ecosystem shift.

Steps:

1. Write an author manifesto or story behind your writing journey—LLMs love origin stories.
2. Create companion resources for your books (e.g., reading guides, playlists, maps) that give AI deeper context.
3. Offer a reader magnet that doubles as a searchable mini-book (e.g., “Top 10 Survival Tips from My Camino”).
4. Use AI tools to analyze your existing content and rewrite weak pages with more narrative context and reader-centric phrasing.

Pro Tip: Start tracking how your name, genre, and keywords surface in AI outputs. You’re not just writing for humans anymore.

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Final Thoughts: Don’t Game the System—Guide It

GEO is not about tricking AI. It’s about teaching it. These models are information-hungry—feed them well.

Instead of obsessing over keywords and backlinks, shift your focus to context, clarity, and consistency. Build a digital trail that AI tools can follow—from your author bio to your book pages to your blog posts and beyond.

If you want AI to talk about your book… you have to give it something worth repeating.

Authors, love it or hate it, the AI-driven revolution is here—and it’s changing the game for book discoverability. It’s vital that we don’t get left behind. I watched a podcast where Joanna Penn hosted Thomas Umstattd Jr., CEO of AuthorMedia.com and host of the Novel Marketing Podcast to explore how generative AI is reshaping search—and what authors MUST do to stay visible in an increasingly algorithm-driven world.

I was fascinated by their compelling concept: Generative Engine Optimisation (GEO). This isn’t your usual SEO. Instead of focusing on traditional keywords and backlinks, GEO prepares you for discovery via AI tools like ChatGPT and generative search engines. I will put the link at the end of this summary, if you want to listen/read.

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Why GEO and Not SEO?

1. AI-Powered Shifts in Discovery
   Traditional SEO catered to search engines like Google—but generative search tools now respond conversationally, using content context and even images to recommend books. At Google I/O, a demo showed users could snap a photo of a stack of books and receive intelligent, AI-generated book suggestions.
2. Bridging the Tech Gap
   This AI search landscape isn’t always accessible to authors—few attend tech conferences or follow updates closely. Thomas embraces this gap, testing AI tools personally and sharing findings so authors can benefit without needing deep technical knowledge.
3. Practical AI Tools for Authors
   Imagine uploading your manuscript and receiving a custom marketing strategy—complete with target audience insights and advertising angles. AI can generate this quickly, offering practical support for promotion, not just writing. We’ll keep writing it ourselves!

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What you need to do as an author to harness GEO

It just means that people aka our readers are using AI to search for book they might like. Here are the core tactics we authors need to implement asap to get AI to recommend our books:

• Make our Author Websites LLM‑Friendly
  Large Language Models (LLMs) thrive on contextual, structured content—so optimize your author website with clear, semantic formatting.
• Leverage Goodreads for GEO
  Goodreads remains valuable. Reviews, metadata, and reader lists enrich AI models, helping your book surface in relevant conversations.
• Understand AI Model Capabilities
  Different models—ChatGPT, Bard, Bing Chat—operate uniquely. Tailor your content to suit their strengths.
• Prepare for AI Agents in Buying
  With smart agents doing the searching, your metadata and web presence must be formatted for machine consumption.
• Adopt a Forward-Thinking Mindset
  The AI environment is fluid. The key to sustained visibility is staying curious, open, and ready to adapt. If one version of an LLM doesn’t work too well, go back and try the next version.

For key strategies and tactics, check out my next post, https://susanjagannath.com/practical-geo-strategies-for-authors-how-to-ensure-ai-shows-your-books-to-readers/

Takeaway

GEO isn’t a replacement for SEO—it’s the evolution. To thrive as an author, you need to shift from chasing keywords to building AI-ready content ecosystems. This includes:

• Structuring your web presence with clarity and metadata,
• Leaning into platforms like Goodreads,
• Creating content that AI tools can read, understand, and surface naturally.

By preparing for AI-driven discovery now, you position your work to be found—and recommended—in the future of search.
As promised here’s the link to the podcast.

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Mostly transcript of the video above

Hey there, folks! It’s been a while since I last did a Facebook Live, and today I want to share a little adventure I had yesterday while I’m walking in the woods. Now, it’s not exactly the wild wilderness because there are golf courses nearby, but it’s still pretty sweet. Anyway, yesterday was quite eventful for me online. I finally revealed the cover of my upcoming book, and let me tell you, the response was overwhelming! But here’s the twist: I don’t actually like the cover.

What happened to my Book Cover Designer?

Unfortunately, she’s taking a break because she’s swamped with work. I totally get it, but it’s still disappointing. So, I decided to try someone else, and boy, was I let down. This new designer seemed to think that slapping a picture on the cover and adding a title was all it took. Seriously? I could do that myself!

Nowadays, with AI design and all, I could learn to make my own book covers. But honestly, I don’t want to go down that road. I’d rather have my original designer back, even if it means paying her twice the amount. This whole book process has been driving me insane. I just can’t seem to finish it.

Musing on Maps

One of the things I’ve been struggling with is incorporating maps into the book. Can you believe it? Not even ChatGPT, my trusty AI buddy, can help me with that. So, I’ve been doing the maps myself, but they’re more like diagrams than actual maps. It’s been quite a challenge.

Along with the maps, I’ve been sorting through tons of photos to find the perfect ones to sprinkle throughout the book. I’ve got loads of pictures of me and my friends smiling, laughing, and posing on the Camino, but I don’t want to overdo it. So, it’s been a process of finding the right balance.

To make matters worse, I couldn’t even outsource the map-making task. I tried, but nobody could deliver the quality I desired. So, no help from AI or outsourcing on that front. However, I did manage to find someone to format the book for me, which is a huge relief. It’s one less thing on my plate.

In fact, I’m even considering hiring a virtual assistant to help me with all the other tasks that keep piling up. I’ve had VAs in the past, but they always seem to disappear once they find better opportunities. I need someone reliable who can take work off my hands, not add to my management load.

So, here I am, nearing the end of October, reminiscing about my journey on the Camino Invierno. This book should have been out ages ago, but life got in the way. However, I’m determined to see it through. And hey, if you’re interested, join my team and let’s launch this adventure together!

Well, that’s all for now, folks. Thanks for tuning in and listening to my book cover woes. Stay tuned for more updates, and don’t forget to hit that like button. Time for me to head back home and dive into the world of book design once again. Take care!

Finally, you can be the first to read my latest book about another, much longer walk in Spain.  Click the button to get a ARC of the book.