Welcome to SageChimp. Let's Get Started.

Hi everyone. I'm Ryan, and I built this place. I figured the first post in the forum should be from me, and it should do two things: tell you a little about what SageChimp is and why it exists, and then give you a clear path to actually getting started. I'll try to keep it short. I will almost certainly fail at that. --- ## What Is SageChimp? SageChimp is a book platform. It's designed for readers who want better recommendations and a community worth being part of, and for authors who are tired of shouting into the void and hoping the right readers hear them. I'm an author myself. I know exactly how frustrating it is to write a book you're proud of and then watch it disappear into the noise. Most platforms treat authors as an afterthought, or worse, as a revenue source to be milked for ad spend. SageChimp is built around the idea that connecting authors and readers well is the whole point, not a feature. For readers, that means AI-powered recommendations that actually explain themselves, a full library import from Goodreads or StoryGraph, reading tracking, forums, blogs, fan fiction, book clubs, and free advance copies of books matched to your specific taste. For authors, that means a dashboard, newsletter tools, ARC distribution with smart reader matching, free eBook campaigns, a blog, cross-promotion tools, and a spotlight section for debut and emerging voices. More on all of that below. --- ## Getting Started: Readers Here are the four things worth doing in your first session. **1. Take the survey.** After you sign up, you'll be asked a handful of questions about what you like to read. Genres, themes, pacing, mood, a few books you've loved. This is not a chore. It takes about three minutes and it's what makes every recommendation on this platform actually useful. The AI builds a profile from your answers and uses it to match you against books in the catalog. The more honest you are, the better it works. **2. Import your library.** If you've been tracking your reading on Goodreads, StoryGraph, or LibraryThing, you don't have to start from scratch. Go to Settings, find the Import section, export a CSV from wherever you've been, and upload it here. SageChimp will bring over your shelves, ratings, and read dates. Years of reading history, preserved. **3. Explore the ARC section.** ARC stands for Advance Reader Copy. Authors use this section to distribute early copies of upcoming books to readers who are likely to enjoy them. The matching is done by AI, so if an ARC shows up in your feed, it's there because it fits your taste profile. It's free. You're encouraged to leave a review but it's not required. **4. Jump into the forums.** You're already here, so you're ahead. Browse the categories, find a thread that interests you, and say something. This community is only as good as the people in it, and we're just getting started. --- ## Getting Started: Authors Here are the four things worth doing first. **1. Set up your author profile.** After you sign up, choose the Author account type. You'll get a dedicated author dashboard alongside full reader functionality. Fill in your bio, add your genre tags, link your website and social accounts if you have them, and upload a profile photo and banner. This is your home base on the platform. **2. Claim your books.** Search for your existing books in the catalog and claim them. If they're not in the catalog yet, add them manually with full metadata. Once claimed, your books link to your author profile and appear on your dashboard. **3. Create your first campaign.** This is where SageChimp earns its keep. You can create an ARC campaign (upload an early copy of a book, set how many copies to distribute, and let the platform match it against reader profiles) or a free eBook campaign (same idea, no review expectation, great for giving away the first book in a series). Every distributed copy is automatically watermarked with the reader's username. The readers who receive notifications are the ones whose taste profiles actually match your book. **4. Set up your blog or newsletter.** SageChimp has a built-in blog with a full rich-text editor. Write a post, publish it, and it shows up in your followers' feeds and gets indexed by search engines. If you already have a blog elsewhere, you can link your RSS feed and your posts will surface here automatically. The newsletter tool lets you email your subscribers directly from the dashboard without needing a separate Mailchimp account. --- ## One More Thing This platform is new. There will be rough edges. If you find something broken, confusing, or missing, say so here in the forum. The Feedback category exists for exactly that. I read everything. Thanks for being here early. It means a lot. Ryan