Can you help my zombies?
For the first time in forever, I am not talking about the new book release.
Halle-effing-lujah!
I'm glad Undead Impact is out, I'm glad the reception has been good, and I'm glad I can shut the fuck up about it.
Besides, I have other things to beg of you besides “review my new book” and “remember my book is releasing.”
Although I really would love it if you reviewed it. Hint, hint.
But today, the #1 thing that would rock my world right now is if you would vote for my zombie books on this Goodreads list.
I am not even joking.
If you're willing, a laptop or desktop browser is easiest. Well, I thought the laptop was easier because mobile has these confusing tabs that are tiny; Drew didn’t agree.
Anyway…
Scroll through the list at the link below because all of my zombie books are on it, then click Vote For This Book on each one.
Right now the list is three pages long, so if you don’t see my books, go to the next page (tiny little number links are at the bottom). They’re all there, so if you can go through and vote for them all, that would be really helpful.
Here’s the list to Vote for Anne's Books!
And now, back to why I'm asking…
Increasingly, people are using AI—ChatGPT, Google Gemini, Claude, and others—to find their next book instead of starting with Google or Amazon.
So I started experimenting.
Guess what happens when I search for:
“zombie books featuring strong female characters in California”
“zombie books featuring strong female characters in California with urban farms”
“zombie books featuring strong female characters in California with Jesuit priests”
My books—including Love in an Undead Age—do not come up.
And that last one… You'd think for sure it would surface.
You'd be wrong.
I've gotten even more ridiculously specific, adding things like “ten years after zombies appear” and still—nothing.
But let's be real: nobody is out there searching for “zombies with Jesuit priests” or “ten years after zombies appear.” You must already know my book to get that specific.
So I started pestering ChatGPT and Claude about where their book recommendations come from.
What I learned is that the sources they draw from tend to favor traditionally published books.
Strike One!
And when it comes to finding indie books, recommendation lists—like Goodreads Listopia lists—matter.
Until recently, my books weren't on these lists at all. Nobody could vote for them because they weren't there. And those votes matter more than I realized.
Strike Two!
One book that surfaced in my searches had seven Amazon reviews, while Love in an Undead Age has 261 Amazon reviews at 4.3 stars.
But that book was on a relevant Goodreads list, and mine wasn't.
That was my light bulb moment.
I need to raise the visibility of my books in the places AI systems are looking for recommendations.
And, as the old Uncle Sam poster goes… I want you.
Every once in a while I'm going to post a link to a list, sometimes Goodreads and sometimes others, and ask you to vote for my books.
I promise I won't be obnoxious about it or harp on it constantly.
And if YOU find a list on Goodreads or elsewhere that you think my books should be on, please add it! That helps tremendously!!!!
Being an indie author means I don't have a giant publishing machine behind me making sure my books show up everywhere readers might go looking for them.
Mostly, I have word of mouth.
And I have you.
The really nice thing about this particular favor is that it doesn't cost anything. You don't have to buy a book. You don't have to leave a review. Clicking a little button on a Goodreads or other list genuinely helps.
So if you've got a minute, I'd be ridiculously grateful if you'd vote.
And then I promise to shut up about AI search and book discoverability.
For a while.
Probably… 😉