Frequently Asked Questions
Everything authors ask before working with Bookters.
Straight answers on the Blueprint, the Visibility Engine, library placement, AI discoverability and how we work.
Book Insight Blueprint
What is the Book Insight Blueprint?+
A written diagnostic that examines reader psychology, positioning, metadata, discoverability and long-term visibility, and returns a prioritised report on where the book is strong and where it is leaking.
Who is the Blueprint for?+
Authors preparing to launch, relaunch or reposition a book who want a clear, unbiased read on discoverability before investing in promotion.
How long does the Blueprint take?+
Between two and three weeks from intake to delivery, depending on scope and materials provided.
Do I need a finished book to order a Blueprint?+
No. The earlier the diagnostic is done, the more upstream fixes are still cheap. A near-final manuscript is ideal.
Book Visibility Engine
What is the Book Visibility Engine?+
An implementation engagement that builds visibility infrastructure across metadata, retail, library, editorial, structured data and AI surfaces. It is the execution layer that follows the Blueprint.
Is it a monthly retainer or a project?+
Both are available. Most authors begin with a defined implementation project and continue with a lighter quarterly retainer for maintenance and expansion.
Do you guarantee sales?+
No serious consultancy guarantees sales, because sales depend on the book, the market and factors outside any advisor's control. We commit to the discoverability outcomes we can measurably influence.
Library Placement
Do independent authors qualify for library placement?+
Yes. Most major networks accept independent and hybrid titles that meet quality and metadata standards.
Which libraries do you submit to?+
A tailored mix of national deposit libraries, academic and research libraries, public consortia and international networks matched to the book's subject and audience.
How long does placement take?+
Initial catalogue entries typically appear within weeks. The compounding discoverability effect builds over months and years.
Is placement guaranteed?+
Placement decisions belong to the receiving institutions. We do not sell placements. We prepare and submit books to the highest professional standard, and we report every outcome.
Author Marketing
Do you run advertising campaigns?+
Advertising is not our specialty. We build the discoverability infrastructure that makes advertising, when it is used, dramatically more efficient.
Can you help with a book launch?+
Yes, always as part of a longer visibility strategy. Launch is a moment. Discoverability is the system that keeps working after the launch.
AI Discoverability
How do AI assistants recommend books?+
They synthesise recommendations from training data and, where available, live retrieval, weighting authors and titles described consistently across authoritative sources.
What is AI Discoverability Mapping?+
The Bookters process for building a stable, structured, authoritative entity picture of an author and their books so that AI systems can recommend them accurately.
Is this the same as SEO?+
It overlaps, but it is not the same. AI discoverability rewards entity consistency, structured data and citation credibility more than keyword optimisation.
Reader Psychology
What is reader psychology in publishing?+
The study of the cognitive, emotional and contextual factors that determine which books a reader notices and chooses, applied to positioning, metadata and cover design.
Why does the three-second rule matter?+
Most book decisions on retail platforms are made in under three seconds. If a book cannot signal reader relevance in that window, it is dismissed regardless of quality.
Publishing
Do you help traditionally published authors?+
Yes. Traditional publishing rarely invests in discoverability infrastructure beyond launch. We often work with traditionally published authors on long-term visibility.
Do you take equity or royalties?+
No. Bookters is a straightforward consulting engagement. We do not hold rights in your work.
Consulting
How do I start?+
Book a consultation. We review the book, the goals and the fit, and only then recommend an engagement. Nothing is sold on a first call.
Do you take every author who applies?+
No. Flagship engagements are selective. Where we cannot help meaningfully, we say so and often refer authors to a more suitable option.
Payments
How are engagements priced?+
Diagnostic engagements are fixed-fee. Implementation engagements are quoted individually based on scope. All pricing is presented in writing before any commitment.
What payment methods do you accept?+
Bank transfer and secure card payment via our payment processor. Invoices are issued in USD.
Timelines
How quickly can we start?+
Diagnostic work typically begins within one to two weeks of confirmation. Implementation engagements are scheduled based on the current roster.
How long is a typical engagement?+
Diagnostics run two to three weeks. Implementation engagements typically run three to six months with an optional quarterly maintenance phase.
Deliverables
What do I actually receive?+
Written diagnostic reports, structured implementation plans, cataloguing-grade metadata, submission dossiers, structured-data implementations and quarterly review documents, depending on engagement.
Do you provide ongoing reporting?+
Yes. Every implementation engagement includes structured reporting on submissions, placements and visibility signals across the surfaces we work on.