Author Presence Audit — Rico Sharp | Brooks Craft Publishing

The verdict

Author Presence Score

Brooks Craft scores ten areas that decide whether a reader, event planner or school finds, trusts and buys from a speaker-author. Each is rated from what is live today on Google, Amazon and the web.

out of 100

Rico Sharp — Bringing Out the Best in You

Critical gaps found

out of 100

Eric Thomas — You Owe You

Category leader

Rico SharpEric Thomas

Google Knowledge Panel

0 / 10

Google book visibility

5 / 10

Author website

3 / 10

Amazon author presence

4 / 10

A+ Content

0 / 10

Categories & rank

1 / 9

Reviews & ratings

0 / 10

Formats (incl. audio)

5 / 10

Wide distribution

2 / 10

Speaking & earned media

6 / 10

Scores are Brooks Craft Publishing's assessment. Every figure on this page comes from live pages captured on November 7, 2026.

Part 1

Author branding: 1:1 comparison

Each pair was captured the same day, at the same size. Rico is on the left, Eric Thomas on the right.

Google search: the author's name

Critical gap

Rico's search results are solid — LinkedIn (3.7K+), his website, a Sessionize speaker profile and Amazon — but there is no Knowledge Panel. Eric Thomas's name opens a full panel labelled "American motivational speaker and author", with videos, photos and his book and podcast buttons.

Rico Sharp Google

LinkedIn, website, Sessionize and Amazon on page one
No Knowledge Panel — no photo, label or books beside the results
Instagram has 180+ followers

Eric Thomas Google

Full panel: "American motivational speaker and author"
Video results with key moments, and Wikipedia overview
Site links: Coaching, Book, Podcast

Google search: the book title

Gap

Rico's workbook already triggers an AI Overview that explains his 5 D's framework — a good base. You Owe You gets a full book panel with ratings from Audible (4.8/5) and Barnes & Noble (5/5), "Read now" buttons and a library search.

Bringing Out the Best in You Google

Google results for Bringing Out the Best in You

AI Overview explains the 5 D's framework
No book panel, ratings or "Read now" buttons
Cites Instagram and Sessionize, not a book page on his site

You Owe You Google

Book panel: "New York Times bestselling self-help book"
Ratings from Audible and Barnes & Noble
Kindle, Audible and WorldCat library buttons

Website

High gap

ricosharp.org has a lot of content — academies, Student Lives Matter, a speaker agency — but the menu runs to twelve items over two lines, and the home page opens on a dark video rather than Rico or his book. Eric Thomas's site leads with his photo, one big quote and two buttons: "Book ET to Speak" and "Watch the Film".

ricosharp.org Website

12 menu items across two lines
No book cover or "Book Rico" button above the fold
Page URLs like /blank-5 and /blank-3 (default page names)

etinspires.com Website

Author photo and signature quote fill the hero
"Book ET to Speak" as the main button
New-book pre-order banner across the top

Amazon author presence

Gap

Rico's Author Store has a bio and three titles, but its profile photo is a book promo graphic ("Available now on Amazon"), not Rico's face. An Amazon search for Eric Thomas shows his books with 2.1K and 1.4K ratings in every format.

Rico Sharp Author Store

Bio, Follow button and 3 titles
Profile photo is a promo graphic, not a headshot
Main book has 3 ratings; workbook has 2

Eric Thomas Amazon

You Owe You: 2.1K ratings
The Secret to Success: 1.4K ratings
Audiobook, hardcover, Kindle and paperback

Part 2

Book presence on Amazon

Motivational readers buy on Amazon and listen on Audible. This is where the gap costs Rico the most.

Product listing, above the fold

High gap

You Owe You opens with "NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER" and quotes from Deion Sanders and Ed Mylett. Rico's workbook opens with a strong line — "Your past doesn't define your potential" — but no proof, and a competitor's journal ad runs across the top of the page.

Bringing Out the Best in You Listing

No endorsement or credential line
Hardcover and paperback only — no audiobook on this edition
Sponsored gratitude-journal banner above the book

You Owe You Listing

"NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER" first
Quotes from Deion Sanders and Ed Mylett
Kindle, Audiobook, Hardcover, Paperback + Audible sample

A+ Content

Critical gap

You Owe You's A+ section uses a bold "Take ownership" banner and three quote cards from Michael B. Jordan, Deion Sanders and Ed Mylett. Rico's page has no A+ Content — below the details there is only the Amazon author block.

Bringing Out the Best in You Below the fold

No A+ Content
2 ratings, no written reviews
His powerful comeback story is hidden behind "Read more"

You Owe You From the Publisher

Full-width brand banner in the cover's colours
Quote cards from Michael B. Jordan, Deion Sanders, Ed Mylett

Categories & Best Sellers Rank

Critical gap

You Owe You ranks in the top 63 of three categories. Rico's workbook is filed under Journal Writing — a shelf for blank journals, not leadership workbooks — where it ranks #21,305.

Bringing Out the Best in You Product details

#3,913,383 in Books
#21,305 Journal Writing Self-Help (wrong shelf)

You Owe You Product details

#12,338 in Books
#16 Black & African American Biographies · #62 Business Motivation · #63 Motivational Leadership

Amazon factor	Bringing Out the Best in You	You Owe You	Gap
Best Sellers Rank	#3,913,383	#12,338	Critical
Best category rank	#21,305	#16	Critical
Ratings	5.0★ · 2 ratings	4.8★ · 2,129 ratings	Critical
A+ Content	None	Banner + 3 celebrity quote cards	Critical
Audiobook	None	Narrated by the author	High
Author photo on Amazon	Promo graphic	Professional headshot	Medium

Platform	Bringing Out the Best in You	You Owe You
Amazon print	Hardcover, paperback	Hardcover, paperback
Kindle	Main book only	Yes
Audible	Not available	Author-narrated, 7h 57m
Barnes & Noble	Not found	Yes (5/5 rating shown in Google)
Porchlight / bulk corporate	Not found	Yes
Libraries (WorldCat)	Not found	Yes

Part 4

Marketing presence

Rico already has what most authors lack: 35 years on stage, programs for schools and leaders, and a powerful story of recovery from addiction, incarceration and homelessness. None of it is packaged where book buyers look.

Channel	Rico Sharp	Eric Thomas
Bestseller lists	None	New York Times bestseller
Endorsements	None on Amazon	Michael B. Jordan, Deion Sanders, Ed Mylett, Chris Paul (foreword)
Speaking	International speaker; Sessionize profile; Leadership & Speaking Academies	"#1 motivational speaker in the world" positioning; Book ET button
Video	Monthly featured video on his site	YouTube channel with viral speeches
Podcast	None found	Own podcast
Social	LinkedIn 3.7K+; Instagram 180+	Very large audiences
Causes	Student Lives Matter; Teachers Lives Matter	ET Foundation

The Brooks Craft plan

How we close the gap in 90 days

Ordered by speed of impact: fix what Amazon and Google show today, then turn Rico's stage presence into book sales.

Weeks 1–3

Fix Amazon

Move both books out of Journal Writing into Motivational, Leadership and Personal Transformation
Description rewrite: comeback story and credentials first
A+ Content: 5 D's framework visual, stage photos, quote cards
Professional headshot on the Author Store
Link the book and workbook as a set

Weeks 3–8

Build the brand

Google Knowledge Panel for "Rico Sharp, motivational speaker and author"
Website: Rico and the book in the hero, "Book Rico" button, menu cut to 6 items
Author-narrated audiobook
B&N, libraries and bulk ordering for schools and companies

Weeks 6–12

Grow readers

Collect endorsements from event hosts and leaders he has trained
Review campaign to 50+ ratings at speaking events
Amazon Ads aimed at Eric Thomas, Les Brown and Ed Mylett readers
Podcast tour on recovery, leadership and education shows

Built

Google Knowledge Panel

Live

A+ Content

Top 500

in a motivation category

50+

Amazon ratings

Started

Audiobook

A comeback story that deserves Eric Thomas-level reach.

Rico Sharp

Eric Thomas, Ph.D.

Author Presence Score