How I Created a Marketing Plan for my Upcoming Novel with Gemini 1.5 (Part II)
In case you think you’re in the wrong place, here is a visual reminder of the content we went over in Part I of the Nadiri series and this blog series:
5. Expanding out Comparable Works with Gemini knowledge:
Part of writing a book marketing and publishing proposal is including comparable works to the book you have written, focusing on content relevance between your work and theirs, as well as prominence of those works. I already had a few books in mind, but did zero-shot prompting to see what level of creativity I could get out of the model with it just thinking for itself:
Considering the manuscript below, recommend 5-6 books and novels that have been written that are comparable in genre, content, target audience, and narration style. For each book, format it in numbered bullet points, giving the book name and author, any prominent prizes won by the book, estimated number of copies sold, any additional languages the book was translated to:Considering the manuscript's focus on a young woman navigating cultural identity, coming-of-age experiences, and challenges within the U.S. military, here are 5-6 comparable books:
Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie:
Prizes: National Book Critics Circle Award for Fiction
Estimated Copies Sold: Over 500,000
Translations: Over 30 languages
Similarities: Explores themes of cultural identity, immigration, and navigating different societies as a young woman.
The Yellow Birds by Kevin Powers:
Prizes: Hemingway Foundation/PEN Award, Guardian First Book Award
Estimated Copies Sold: Over 200,000
Translations: Over 20 languages
Similarities: Offers a poignant and realistic portrayal of the psychological impact of war and the challenges faced by soldiers, particularly young men.
The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini:
Estimated Copies Sold: Over 10 million
Translations: Over 40 languages
Similarities: Delves into themes of guilt, redemption, and cultural identity, with a focus on the complex relationship between two young men from different social backgrounds in Afghanistan.
Purple Hibiscus by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie:
Prizes: Commonwealth Writers' Prize for Best First Book, Hurston/Wright Legacy Award
Estimated Copies Sold: Over 1 million
Translations: Over 20 languages
Similarities: Explores themes of family, religion, and coming-of-age in a postcolonial setting, with a focus on a young woman's journey of self-discovery amidst societal constraints.
The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah:
Estimated Copies Sold: Over 4.5 million
Translations: Over 45 languages
Similarities: Depicts the experiences of two sisters during World War II, highlighting the resilience and courage of women in times of conflict. While not directly related to the military, it shares the themes of female strength and perseverance.
The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath:
Estimated Copies Sold: Over 3 million
Translations: Over 15 languages
Similarities: Explores themes of mental health, societal pressures, and a young woman's struggle to find her place in the world. While not directly related to the themes of the military or cultural identity, it shares the narrative style of introspection and delving into the protagonist's inner thoughts and struggles.I ended up eliminating The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath- the parallels seemed too nebulous for me to stomach. I also eliminated The Yellow Birds, as this seemed to only reflect the male experience of war, which then led me to wonder about the model first, then possibly my manuscript. I found it interesting that Gemini8 produced a lot of male related experiences in the military, but also produced one (albeit weak) example of female experiences of war. But that is not since WW2, and I know for a fact there is literature out there outlining women’s modern experience of war. The dataset of that representation, however, is likely so small that it didn’t even make the proverbial “cut” when it came to a transformer trying to predict the most likely output given the input- which was my manuscript! So on one hand, I am left wondering if my experience mirrors more of that of a male in the Army- on the other hand, I wonder if my genre is even represented at all in the general literary community and therefore the LLM’s training corpus data.
Generating Comparable Movie, TV, and Documentary adaptations to Nadiri:
Although screen adaptations are loosely mentioned above, I wanted to generate even more ideas based off of the manuscript itself on what types of screen adaptations would be comparable to the actual content of my writing. More metaprompting here, along with some instructions on format and data points of interest to include that I know must be present:
Considering the manuscript below, recommend 5-6 screen adaptations (movies, TV shows, documentaries, and even plays) of prominence that are comparable in genre, style of narration and writing, content, and themes. List them in numbered bullet format, and include any important details such as awards won, dollars earned at the box office, and translated adaptations for the TV screen:Comparable Screen Adaptations:
Given the manuscript's themes of cultural identity, coming-of-age, and navigating complex social environments, here are 5-6 screen adaptations that share similar elements:
Ramy (TV Show, 2019-present): This award-winning comedy-drama series follows a first-generation Egyptian-American Muslim on his spiritual journey, exploring themes of identity, faith, and belonging in a modern world. Ramy's experiences with family expectations, cultural clashes, and navigating his faith resonate with Hagar's story.
The Kite Runner (Movie, 2007): This critically acclaimed film, based on the novel by Khaled Hosseini, depicts the complex relationship between two Afghan boys against the backdrop of political turmoil and cultural displacement. Similar to the manuscript, it explores themes of guilt, redemption, and the search for identity.
Moonlight (Movie, 2016): This Oscar-winning drama follows a young black man's journey through childhood, adolescence, and adulthood as he grapples with his sexuality and identity. Like the manuscript, it delves into themes of self-discovery, societal expectations, and the struggle for acceptance.
Boyhood (Movie, 2014): This unique coming-of-age film, shot over 12 years with the same cast, chronicles the life of a boy from childhood to adulthood. Its focus on personal growth, family dynamics, and the passage of time aligns with the manuscript's coming-of-age elements.
Generation Kill (Miniseries, 2008): This HBO miniseries, based on the non-fiction book by Evan Wright, offers a raw and realistic portrayal of U.S. Marines during the 2003 invasion of Iraq. Similar to the manuscript, it explores the complexities of military life, camaraderie, and the psychological impact of war.
Disgraced (Play, 2012): This Pulitzer Prize-winning play tells the story of a successful Pakistani-American lawyer who confronts his cultural identity and the prejudices he faces. The play's exploration of faith, assimilation, and Islamophobia resonates with the manuscript's themes.Some surprising results here (I LOVE RAMY!) but also some not so surprising ones of yet again the rising theme of male experience of war coming into play here. I ended up eliminating Generation Kill (wtf?????) and Boyhood (Okay Okay but still) from my final list.
Also notice the first two sentences. Without needing to prompt with any “of thought” techniques, the model on its own decided to show its work by revealing the themes found in the manuscript that was used as a baseline for the follow on recommendations. Models are becoming more adept and in tune with prompting techniques like Chain of Thought and Trees of Thought when large hyperscalers instruction tune on many prompt examples that contain “of thought” thinking to provide it by default out of the box.
Generating a Genre Sales Pitch:
Next is generating a sales pitch. I decided to use my previous sales pitch as an example including the manuscript as a whole:
Considering the manuscript below, generate a Genre Sales pitch that is no more than one paragraph similar to the example below:
<example> Genre Sales:
Nadiri can cater to almost all of the top selling genres and themes found in the consumer market today, but is primarily categorized as Young Adult Women’s Fiction. Romance remains the top selling genre, and Nadiri contains themes of romance throughout the three novels, as this second novel introduces the protagonists’ coming out as queer. Religious-related books hold steady at third most popular (a strong theme explored in the Nadiri novels throughout). Books for young readers are the fourth most popular genre, of which the Nadiri mostly caters to (young adult fiction/ young adult). Books with strong female leads are said to be in the top selling books, of which Nadiri centers around (Hagar Khalifa). Nadiri also contains other themes that are currently popular on the market, such as, multicultural fiction, women’s fiction, fiction written about/by BIPOC authors, and LGBTQ+ issues, and military fiction. Issues of living as a mixed raced woman, a lesbian soldier, and military fiction are themes of later books in the core trilogy series.
</example>This manuscript transcends easy categorization, weaving together several powerful and popular themes to create a unique and captivating story. While primarily falling under the umbrella of New Adult/Coming-of-Age fiction, it delves into multicultural experiences, explores women's fiction and LGBTQ+ issues, and offers a glimpse into military fiction. The protagonist, Hagar Khalifa, a young woman navigating her identity as a mixed-race Egyptian-American and a lesbian soldier, provides a strong and relatable central figure. The narrative tackles timely and relevant topics like cultural identity, discrimination, family conflict, and the challenges of military life, resonating with readers interested in diverse stories with strong female leads. The backdrop of the Arab Spring adds a layer of political intrigue and historical context, further enriching the reading experience and appealing to those seeking more than just a coming-of-age tale.Using the “Summarize” feature in Google docs, I finally synthesized my originally written Genre Sales Pitch with the new AI generated one:
Original:
This manuscript transcends easy categorization, weaving together several powerful and popular themes to create a unique and captivating story. While primarily falling under the umbrella of New Adult/Coming-of-Age fiction, it delves into multicultural experiences, explores women’s fiction and LGBTQ+ issues, and offers a glimpse into military fiction. The protagonist, Hagar Khalifa, a young woman navigating her identity as a mixed-race Egyptian-American and a lesbian soldier, provides a strong and relatable central figure. The narrative tackles timely and relevant topics like cultural identity, discrimination, family conflict, and the challenges of military life, resonating with readers interested in diverse stories with strong female leads. The backdrop of the Arab Spring adds a layer of political intrigue and historical context, further enriching the reading experience and appealing to those seeking more than just a coming-of-age tale.
Nadiri can cater to almost all of the top selling genres and themes found in the consumer market today. Romance remains the top selling genre, and Nadiri contains themes of romance throughout the three novels, as this second novel introduces the protagonists’ coming out as queer. Religious-related books hold steady at third most popular (a strong theme explored in the Nadiri novels throughout). Books with strong female leads are said to be in the top selling books, of which Nadiri centers around (Hagar Khalifa). Nadiri also contains other themes that are currently popular on the market, such as, multicultural fiction, women’s fiction, fiction written about/by BIPOC authors, and LGBTQ+ issues, and military fiction. Issues of living as a mixed raced woman, a lesbian soldier, and military fiction are themes of later books in the core trilogy series.
Rewritten by Google Docs Summarize feature:
The manuscript is a captivating story that transcends easy categorization, weaving together themes such as multicultural experiences, women’s fiction, LGBTQ+ issues, and military fiction. The protagonist, Hagar Khalifa, a mixed-race Egyptian-American lesbian soldier, provides a strong and relatable central figure. The narrative tackles timely topics like cultural identity, discrimination, and the challenges of military life. The backdrop of the Arab Spring adds political intrigue and historical context. Nadiri, the publisher, can cater to top-selling genres and themes found in the consumer market today, including romance, religious-related books, and books with strong female leads. Nadiri also contains other popular themes such as multicultural fiction, women’s fiction, fiction written by BIPOC authors, LGBTQ+ issues, and military fiction.
Generating ideas for Book Tours:
Due to the heavy themes of military narratives in the book, I wanted to generate not only a list of the top U.S. Military bases in the country, but also popular indie bookstores nearby that would likely attract that crowd and more. Pitching a book tour is new to me, but I knew who my target audience would likely be, and figured that wherever there is a military base, there would also be a diverse metropolitan city nearby.
List the top ten US military bases in the continental United States, and some local independent bookstores that are the most popular in nearby metropolitan areas.The output was a small hallucination adventure in of itself:
Local Independent Bookstores near Major Military Bases:
Fort Hood:
The Bookworm (INCORRECT!): Located in Temple, Texas, The Bookworm offers a wide selection of new and used books, with a focus on local authors and Texas history.
Barnes & Noble - Killeen: While not strictly independent, Barnes & Noble offers a curated selection of books and hosts author events.**Notice the non-indie add there the model included, like a nagging mum who didn’t hear you the first time you said you didn’t want eggs for breakfast. No thank you, but B&N is out!** Interesting hallucination here, despite Gemini 1.5 being grounded in Google Search results. There is no such store called the Bookworm- the only bookstore in Temple is called The Book Cellar. This is why we check our work! Turns out you have to turn grounding on in Vertex AI Studio, and when you do that… well, it becomes impossible to prompt for much of anything (more on this later).
Fort Bragg:
Quicksilver Books: An independent bookstore in Fayetteville, North Carolina, with a focus on new and used books, comics, and graphic novels.**Another one, Quicksilver Books doesn’t exist… what’s going on here?
The Country Bookshop: Located in Southern Pines, The Country Bookshop offers a charming atmosphere and a curated selection of fiction and non-fiction.I dislike Southern Pines, but I disklike Fayetteville more. Country Bookshop it is!
Fort Campbell:Hastings Books Music & More - Clarksville: A family-owned bookstore with a large selection of books, music, and gifts.* Permanently closed… per Google Search results!
The Brass Monkey: An independent bookstore in Clarksville known for its eclectic selection of used books and friendly atmosphere.*In fact a somewhat urbanwear/record store that is not a bookstore. Fort Campbell is out!
Fort Benning:The Book Nook: Located in Columbus, Georgia, The Book Nook offers a wide selection of new and used books, with a focus on children's literature.\Does in fact exist in many forms, however nowhere near Columbus, GA where Fort Benning is located.
The Book Lady: A used bookstore in Columbus with a friendly atmosphere and a wide variety of genres.In fact located in Savannah, but I love Savannah so I’ll take it.
Joint Base Lewis-McChord:
Eagle Harbor Book Company: Located in Bainbridge Island, Washington, Eagle Harbor Book Company offers a curated selection of new and used books, with a focus on local authors and environmental themes.While the location is correct… it’s not remotely close to JBLM. Strike from the list- possibly.
The Novel Tree: An independent bookstore in Tacoma, Washington, with a focus on contemporary fiction and literary works.* Is in fact a pot shop/ dispensary, and absolutely not located in Tacoma whatsoever.
Fort Stewart:
E. Shaver, Bookseller: Located in Savannah, Georgia, E. Shaver is a renowned independent bookstore with a vast selection of new and used books, antiquarian books, and rare finds.
Books on the Bay: An independent bookstore in Tybee Island, Georgia, with a focus on coastal literature and children's books.I had to include a photo, because, in fact, Books on the Bay looks bomb:
Fort Drum:
Rivera's Books & More: Located in Watertown, New York, Rivera's offers a wide selection of new and used books, with a focus on local authors and regional history.Sadly, never existed.
Barnes & Noble - Watertown: While not strictly independent, Barnes & Noble offers a curated selection of books and hosts author events.Mum, must I tell you again…
Vandenberg Space Force Base:
Cody's Books: Located in Santa Barbara, California: Cody's is a renowned independent bookstore with a large selection of new and used books, author events, and a cafe.Sadly, does not exist but possibly did in Berkeley in 2008?
The Book Den: An independent bookstore in Lompoc, California, with a focus on fiction and non-fiction, including military history.Is in fact in Santa Barbara, CA.
Fort Carson:
The Bookworm of Manitou Springs: Located in Manitou Springs, Colorado, The Bookworm offers a charming atmosphere and a curated selection of new and used books.Does not in fact exist.
Barnes & Noble - Colorado Springs: While not strictly independent, Barnes & Noble offers a curated selection of books and hosts author events.Jesus Christ, mum…
Camp Pendleton:
Blue Door Bookshop: Located in La Jolla, California, Blue Door Bookshop is a charming independent bookstore with a focus on contemporary fiction and literary works.Unsure if this bookstore ever existed or not.
Warwick's: A renowned independent bookstore in La Jolla, with a large selection of new and used books, author events, and a cafe.So obviously this was not wildly successful. I thought I would get REALLY creative by turning “Grounding with Google Search” on (a brand new feature of Gemini 1.5 announced at Google NEXT 2024) however this failed miserably. The Google team is clearly passing context and instructions to the model with this grounding feature turned on that doesn’t allow it to do things like… list the largest military bases in the United States. Because that could be dangerous? Unsure, but I think the responsible AI team went a bit far here. The rigidness in responses is reminiscent of text-bison-001 days. Bottom line? At this point, don’t expect anything productive to come of grounding with Google Search until the semantic fuzziness required to make this feature really work comes out in later iterations.
Considering how intricate this whole flow was- I wanted to make sure I preserved the flow. In both Google AI Studio (which I think shows it best, but it is free, so remember, YOU are the product AKA don’t enter any of your creative work unless you want the Googs to train on it!) and in Google Cloud Console’s Vertex AI Studio, you can preserve and organize prompts into flows in prompt galleries that are really useful to have, especially if you need to go back (as I will) to make further edits when inevitably my agent comes back with more.
When we think about prompts, we must think of them as being equivalent to modules of code. They will require their own CI/CD pipeline, versioning, and security to name the few of the motions we will have to go through even as a novice end user to make this truly buildable and repeatable and manageable down the road.
If you want to know more about my writing and receive regular witty small essays, as well as buy my first book directly from me (helps me immensely!) visit my website and blog here. In my upcoming newsletter, I will be sending out snippets of my marketing plan showing my after-generation edits. GenAI (I firmly believe) cannot stand on its own, so all of the outputs you have seen thus far are just a starting point. Remember to sign up for my newsletter here in the next week to receive the final edited copy of the sections above plus a little more about the second book in my series!
Nadiri, A Novel Part I is available on all popular platforms to order, but please consider supporting your local independent bookstore by ordering a copy through them!
Stay tuned… for book two and more overlap between Generative AI and creative writing.
