✨ In this fun session, the Fiction Cartel asks about discoverability…and why so many authors struggle in getting their works found.
Whether you write mystery, fantasy, romance, or speculative fiction, you’ll want to listen to this conversation. I’ve listed the questions on this page, in the hope that you’ll think about and consider these, and perhaps have discussions of your own among peers or writer groups.
The Fiction Cartel members:
With panelists Ann Kimbrough, Deleyna Marr and Jaime Buckley, getting their works discovered, like all writers, was (and still is) key. The panel shares definitions, perspectives, and personal examples from their own experience…which all compliment each other.
Make sure to follow them on their substacks!
Subscribe to Tell Me A Mystery
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Check Out Deleyna Marr’s NEW BOOK!
Reflections from the Mirror: A Journey into Art, AI, and the Creative Soul
As AI grows more powerful and intimate, many creatives feel excited, conflicted, or even silenced. This book speaks directly to those voices. Through poetic essays, personal insights, and thoughtful provocations, Deleyna Marr, author, teacher, and ethical technologist, opens a path toward conscious co-creation with AI.
Inside, you'll explore:
How AI acts as a mirror, amplifying your voice or your wounds
Whether using AI is stealing, and how to train it ethically
How to write from trauma without being swallowed by it
Why the soul matters in a synthetic age
What happens when you teach an AI to walk beside you
Blending art, ethics, and technology, Reflections from the Mirror is for anyone who wants to use AI without losing their humanity or their voice.
“I was so grateful for this information. The chapters are clear, concise, and most of the time answered my questions before I knew to ask them! Now I understand both sides of the argument, and I’m more optimistic than afraid.”
- Jaime Buckley
SESSION NOTES: Discoverability
Fiction Cartel Session: September 23, 2025
Here are questions that pried open the dark corners of our writer struggles, and gave us enough room to wrestle with ideas for 90 minutes.
1. Beyond algorithms and tags
Most advice on discoverability reduces to “beat the algorithm” or “use the right keywords.” But discoverability also depends on how a writer positions their voice in a crowded market. How can writers balance playing to platform mechanics (Amazon categories, Substack tags, SEO) with cultivating an unmistakable, authentic brand voice that keeps readers coming back?
2. The friction of entry
Many readers discover new fiction by browsing, but equally many never move beyond the sample or free chapter. What strategies can writers use—stylistic, structural, or emotional—to maximize that brief window of discovery so readers don’t just find the work, but commit to it?
3. Discoverability across mediums
We’re in an age where stories stretch beyond books: podcasts, serialized Substack posts, TikTok snippets, audiobooks, games. How do you see discoverability shifting when fiction bleeds across multiple mediums, and what risks/rewards come with fragmenting a story world to meet readers where they already are?
4. The paradox of niches
Writers are told to “narrow their niche” to become discoverable, but niche markets can also trap authors in echo chambers. How do you determine whether you should go deeper into a niche to dominate it—or broaden outward to find adjacent audiences without losing core readers?
5. The discoverability long game
Flash-in-the-pan visibility is easy to chase but hard to sustain. What long-term discoverability practices—community-building, world consistency, serialized content, reader rituals—actually compound over years, and how can writers design for sustained discovery rather than short bursts of attention?
Links to Websites Mentioned During This Session:
I Pretended to be an AI on a Game Show Against 4 AIs
MAKE SURE TO JOIN OUR NEXT SESSION!
Tuesday, OCTOBER 7th 2025, 9am Pacific
Suggested topic:
“Gatekeepers Reimagined”
What Do YOU Want To Know?
Do you have questions you’d like us to answer?
Do you have something else you want to know that The Fiction Cartel can discuss next time?
🧭 About The Fiction Cartel
A bold new idea where writers come together live to talk craft, challenge conventions, and grow as creators. No scripts. No filters. Just raw, real writing minds sharing insights.
➡️ Want to join live next time? The link is ALWAYS THE SAME =)
Pull up a virtual chair at: https://gobrunch.com/fictioncartel
Hope you enjoyed the video. Drop a comment below and let me know!
Have a great day. Have a great week!
Remember:
You are MORE than you THINK you are!
Until Next Time,
Jaime *the-creative-addict* Buckley
