Are there better websites than Amazon for discovering indie authors who use self publishing platforms like Lulu or Smashwords?
Download run
Fan-out diagram
The searches the AI actually ran for this prompt.
SEED QUERY
Are there better websites than Amazon for discovering indie authors who use self publishing platforms like Lulu or Smashwords?
3 real searches · 1 real-search pass
best websites discover indie self-published authors outside Amazon Lulu Smashwords indie bookstores discovery platforms 2026Google ↗
OBSERVEDComparison
best websites discover independently published self-published authors books directories indie books Reedsy Discovery IndieReader BookBub 2026Google ↗
OBSERVEDOther / navigational
Lulu bookstore discover self published books Smashwords store discovery indie authors alternatives AmazonGoogle ↗
OBSERVEDComparison
Badge and edge weight = share of passes that produced the query. Hover a query for its intent and routing format.
Query classes
Google's semantic query class for every sub-query: what kind of answer each search is after, simulated vs real.
ChatGPT real searches (3)
Classes come from the query-classifier (a local Laya model). 3 of 3 calls are low-confidence (under 50%) — hover a query in the table to see its confidence.
Searches and sources
ChatGPT3 real searches · gpt-6
best websites discover indie self-published authors outside Amazon Lulu Smashwords indie bookstores discovery platforms 2026 Google ↗
best websites discover independently published self-published authors books directories indie books Reedsy Discovery IndieReader BookBub 2026 Google ↗
Lulu bookstore discover self published books Smashwords store discovery indie authors alternatives Amazon Google ↗
- Explore the bookstore · bookstore.allianceindependentauthors.org
- Explore Indie Reads · indiereads.org
- Explore the Indie Book Index · indiebookindex.com
- Explore Spotlight on Indie · spotlightonindie.com
- Visit Lulu · lulu.com
- featured indie creators · lulu.com
- Explore The Book List · thebooklist.co
- Website · goodreads.com
- Website · app.thestorygraph.com
- Website · bookbub.com
- Website · reedsy.com
- Website · librarything.com
- Resources for Self-Publishing · centralialibrary.org
- Smashwords alternatives — independently scored · benchmarkgrid.com
- Draft2Digital · draft2digital.com
- Direct2Author · direct2author.com
- Professional Services to Format, Publish & Sell Books · lulu.com
Queries
3 queries · click a column to sort
| Query / type | Search | Intent | Query class | Routing format | Cluster | Freq ↓ | Weight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
best websites discover indie self-published authors outside Amazon Lulu Smashwords indie bookstores discovery platforms 2026 OBSERVED | Google ↗ AI Mode ↗ | — | Comparison | — | — | 1x of 1 | |
best websites discover independently published self-published authors books directories indie books Reedsy Discovery IndieReader BookBub 2026 OBSERVED | Google ↗ AI Mode ↗ | — | Other / navigational | — | — | 1x of 1 | |
Lulu bookstore discover self published books Smashwords store discovery indie authors alternatives Amazon OBSERVED | Google ↗ AI Mode ↗ | — | Comparison | — | — | 1x of 1 |