Chris Wallace of WrittenWell - Cracking Amazon's Algorithm: From Poker Player to Self-Publishing Expert

The Publishing Performance Show

Chris Wallace is a professional poker player, author, and co-founder of WrittenWell.com. With a background in guitar building before developing an allergy to exotic hardwoods, Chris transitioned to professional poker, which led to writing opportunities during the poker boom. He began writing for poker magazines and blogs, eventually publishing several poker books including a strategy guide and "Short Stacked Ninja." After helping famous poker players increase their book sales through his understanding of Amazon's algorithms, Chris expanded into consulting with authors across all genres before co-founding WrittenWell.com with Adam Stempel and other publishing experts.

In this episode:

• Journey from poker player to poker writer to author consultant
• How analyzing Amazon's search algorithm led to book marketing success
• Comprehensive self-publishing resources on WrittenWell.com
• Genre-specific guides with tropes, clichés, and market trends
• Keyword optimization strategies beyond basic search terms
• Importance of avoiding keywords that hurt conversion rates
• Audiobook trends and AI narration developments
• WrittenWell.com's critique groups and writing sprints
• The future of self-publishing vs. traditional publishing

Resources mentioned:

• WrittenWell.com - https://writtenwell.com/
• Publisher Rocket - https://publisherrocket.com/
• Kindle Trends - https://kindletrends.com/
• ProWritingAid - https://prowritingaid.com/
• AutoCrit - https://www.autocrit.com
• Spoken.press - https://www.spoken.press/
• ElevenLabs - https://elevenlabs.io/

Book Recommendations:

• Thomas Harris novels (including "Dragon" and "Silence of the Lambs") - https://www.amazon.com/stores/Thomas-Harris/author/B000AQ28TK?ref=ap_rdr&isDramIntegrated=true&shoppingPortalEnabled=true
• Cormac McCarthy's works
• "Characters and Viewpoint" - https://www.amazon.com/dp/1599632128?&linkCode=ll1&tag=pubperf-20&linkId=400c65572fa1761b41f901ed6233057c&language=en_US&ref_=as_li_ss_tl

Connect with Chris Wallace:

• WrittenWell.com - Use code "publishingperformance" for a discount

Connect with Teddy Smith:

• @teddyagsmith
• Website: https://publishingperformance.com/?ref=ywm3mtc
• Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/publishingperformance/
• Pinterest - https://nz.pinterest.com/publishingperformance/
• Instagram - https://instagram.com/publishingperformanceinsta
• Youtube -https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCHV6ltaUB4SULkU6JEMhFSw
• Linkedin - https://www.linkedin.com/company/publishing-performance/

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