I wrote two satirical books about algorithmic manipulation (GPT-5 drafts + Claude editing, fully transparent about it). Zero Amazon sales for months.
Posted free PDFs on Reddit's r/nosurf Friday:
- 5,300 views in 3 days
- #12 post of the day
- Main criticism: "AI slop instantly detectable"
- Best response: detailed breakdown of everything I did wrong
The feedback boiled down to: I skipped community building, went straight to Amazon, no beta readers, no early supporters. Published first, looked for audience second. Classic backwards approach.
One commenter said: "Find a community, become respected member FIRST, share progress during writing, collaborate with peers at your level, THEN launch when 50-100 people are waiting."
I did the opposite of every point.
For those who've successfully launched indie content/products (especially critical of tech systems): what's the actual path in 2024?
Substack + email list first? Reddit/forum engagement for months before launch? Something else?
Not looking for promotion—genuinely trying to understand if this is salvageable or expensive education for the next project.
Posted free PDFs on Reddit's r/nosurf Friday: - 5,300 views in 3 days - #12 post of the day - Main criticism: "AI slop instantly detectable" - Best response: detailed breakdown of everything I did wrong
The feedback boiled down to: I skipped community building, went straight to Amazon, no beta readers, no early supporters. Published first, looked for audience second. Classic backwards approach.
One commenter said: "Find a community, become respected member FIRST, share progress during writing, collaborate with peers at your level, THEN launch when 50-100 people are waiting."
I did the opposite of every point.
For those who've successfully launched indie content/products (especially critical of tech systems): what's the actual path in 2024?
Substack + email list first? Reddit/forum engagement for months before launch? Something else?
Not looking for promotion—genuinely trying to understand if this is salvageable or expensive education for the next project.