Thomas: Welcome to Author Update. We have a massive episode packed with breaking news that could put real money in your pocket, especially if you have older books. We will also expose a dangerous book club and review scam that you may have already encountered. And we will explore how Novel November is stepping up to replace the defunct NaNoWriMo.
I’m Thomas Umstattd Jr.
Jonathan: I’m Jonathan Shuerger. Our first story of the day is the Anthropic copyright settlement getting the green light.
Anthropic Copyright Settlement: Preliminary Approval
Jonathan: If you haven’t been following this, Anthropic has faced a class-action lawsuit for using authors’ works to train its AI. Authors want to get paid for the content Anthropic used in its database.
U.S. District Judge William Alsup has granted preliminary approval to the 1.5 billion dollar class-action settlement. This equates to about 3,000 dollars per published work in the class.
If your works were used, there will be a list you can check to see if you are included. Thomas, you have more details.
Thomas: There will be an official list. Right now, several organizations have posted unofficial lists that are their best guesses. The court or the class administrator will release the official list.
There is usually a website for class-action settlements. Once that site is live, we will cover it here. Not being on an unofficial list does not mean you are excluded, and being on one does not guarantee inclusion. Wait for the final list before celebrating or making big purchases.
Jonathan: One of my favorite parts of this story is Alsup’s comment. He is known for strong rulings in tech cases. He deemed the revised terms sufficient at 3,000 dollars per work but noted the payout is far below the maximum statutory damages. That is a warning shot to other AI companies. He is saying, I could punish you more next time.
Thomas: A few notes. There are roughly half a million books in the class. If you were published up until two or three years ago, and your book was in the top half-million most popular, there is a decent chance you are in.
If you are traditionally published, you are likely to get only half the money, so about 1,500 dollars per book minus fees, depending on your contract. You could get nothing, depending on your contract.
If you are independently published, you are likely to get the full 3,000 dollars per book minus fees. There are a lot of piglets at the trough who get to eat before you do, but the starting amount is 3,000 dollars per book. If you have 10 indie books in the class, that is 30,000 dollars. That is significant money.
If you are traditionally published and have a rights reversion letter, you may be able to get the full 3,000 dollars. Some publishers issued rights reversion letters, which could allow you to receive both halves. I suspect it will get harder to get rights reversions now because this is a windfall for publishers.
Traditional publishers are struggling. Indie author revenue has been climbing for years. This is a 1.5 billion dollar pot. Publishers will claim half of all traditionally published books in that pot. Most books likely to be in the training set were traditionally published and had registered copyrights.
Many indie authors do not register their copyrights, so they may not be eligible. That will likely change now. Registering a copyright costs about 35 dollars per book. You get legal protections, and it now functions like a lottery ticket for class actions.
This settlement covers Anthropic and the alleged book piracy for training. It does not cover OpenAI’s ChatGPT, Google’s Gemini, xAI, Qwen, DeepSeek, or Chinese models. Good luck getting money out of the Chinese models.
Jonathan: In some cases, this could be the only money a publisher ever made off a book. If a lot of traditionally published books barely sold, but suddenly a publisher can make 3,000 dollars on a dead backlist title, rights reversions will be much harder to get.
Thomas: True, although obscure books are less likely to be included than bestsellers. J. K. Rowling will get paid for every Harry Potter book. Obscure Author Number Five, maybe not.
I believe this could be tax-free income, because certain court awards can be non-taxable. I am not a lawyer. Talk to your CPA. But this could be very good money. When the database comes out, we will cover it.
Last Chance: Novel Marketing Conference Early-Bird Pricing
Thomas: Speaking of money, this is your last chance to save on the Novel Marketing Conference. It is a conference I host for authors who want to sell more books. It focuses on marketing, promotion, podcast guesting, branding, and articulating the appeal of your book so readers want it.
We will have sessions on Amazon page optimization and book covers. Many conferences skip covers, which is crazy because covers are crucial for selling a book. We will have a whole session on it, and much more.
Early-bird pricing ends at the end of September, in three or four days. Tickets are limited. The Super Ticket is sold out, but Gallery and Standard tickets are still available.
One cool feature is we place authors into writer groups for the whole conference. This has received our best feedback. Authors love the groups and often stay in touch long after.
We put a lot of effort into matching similar authors. We call it the magic sorting hat, but it is me and my team doing it by hand. If you write nonfiction, we will place you with nonfiction authors. If you write romance, we will place you with romance and women’s fiction authors. You can also request to be in a group with a friend. Or not with a specific person. We survey you and accommodate preferences discreetly.
We also assign each group a coach, a more senior author who serves as a mentor.
You can learn more and get tickets at novelmarketingconference.com.
Jonathan: Thomas does the sorting all the way up to the last minute. Last year I was almost the coach for the romance group, and then Thomas took it away. I don’t believe in love anymore.
Thomas: Before all the romance authors panic, Jonathan worked for a publisher that released hundreds of romance books. He knows the romance market very well and does developmental editing on romance. He may not look like Fabio, but he can make a romance sell. I probably will not put him over the romance group this year, because we have actual romance authors coaching. Learn more at novelmarketingconference.com.
New Scam Alert: Fake Book Clubs and Review Rings
Thomas: There is a new scam blowing up. People in our community have emailed examples. Jonathan, you have been hit too.
Jonathan: I have several in my inbox right now.
The Nigerians have returned. The major barrier they had was language. AI has removed that barrier. Now AI can write fluent, customized emails that flatter you about your specific book. They will say they loved it. They will promise to get it in front of book clubs and make it big on social media. It is a lie.
They will invite you to a fake book club where you pay a “spot fee” or “participation cost.” Watch for those buzzwords. Fees range from 55 to 350 dollars. They will use cute made-up group names or steal the name of a real group. They will push for PayPal Friends and Family to block refunds.
If for some reason you still consider it, insist on PayPal’s business side so you have buyer protection. They will balk. But really, do not pay them.
There are also phony review groups. They pitch access to private communities with thousands of avid readers who will “eat up” your book. They offer 750 reviews at 20 dollars each if you act today. They ask for a PDF of your book. They are getting your money, your data, and your manuscript for IP theft.
Intel rule: if the hot Russian girl is into you, she is not into you. She is into your clearance. Loose lips sink ships.
Thomas: A rule of thumb that will protect you from almost all these scams: if they contacted you first, it is a scam. Real professionals do not cold email strangers with paid offers.
Jonathan offers developmental editing. He does not cold email authors saying, “I loved your book, pay me and I will fix your violence scenes.” That is not how reputable pros work.
The big exception is a podcaster or journalist inviting you on a show. They never ask for money. I have never charged a guest to come on any of my podcasts.
If someone invites you to speak to a book club and says, “We can’t pay you, but we’d love to feature your book,” that can be legit. If someone asks you for money after cold contacting you, be very suspicious.
Writer Beware has a great breakdown of this scam on the Writer Beware Blog.
If you are ever in doubt, Author Media Social is a great place to ask, “Has anyone used XYZ service?” You will get real feedback. Often the answer is “beware,” but sometimes you will hear about genuine results.
We made Author Media Social a paid community to keep scammers and bots out. It is a one-time 10 dollar fee to join. If you are a Patreon, it is free via the Patreon link, and some of my courses include access. Charging works shockingly well to keep scammers away.
Jonathan: Another tell: at the end of the email they say, “Email me back and let’s see if we can work together.” They want you to feel like a team. They have already flattered you and referenced your book details. I got one for my novella Blood of Antic. It was on point. I knew it came from my Kickstarter metadata. It felt great, then I found the line: “Let’s work together.” That is the hook.
New Patron Toolbox Tool: Influencer Finder
Jonathan: We have a new tool in the Patron Toolbox. I am excited about this because I have done this as a paid service for people. Thomas, what is it?
Thomas: It is the Influencer Finder. I have spent longer building this than any other tool. I tried in March, April, and August. I finally got it working at the end of September. It now works 80 to 90 percent of the time.
You describe your book and target reader. You pick the social network you want to target. It finds relevant BookTubers, BookTokers, podcasters, and more.
This is how I recommend doing social media. Do not try to become a BookToker from scratch. Pay a BookToker 100 dollars to share your book with their 5,000 followers. That video could go viral and bring in massive traffic. Someone with an existing audience is far more likely to succeed than you figuring out TikTok from zero.
The hardest problem was hallucination. If it could not find real people, it would invent perfect influencers. You would get excited, click, and find they did not exist. That still happens sometimes, but far less now.
Give it a shot at patrontoolbox.com. If you are a Patron at 10 dollars or more, you get unlimited access to 50-plus tools, including AI Thomas, which searches all past episodes of my podcasts, and many more.
Jonathan: We joked about making AI Jonathan. It will not be an AI. It will be a database of my sayings. You will type your question and get, “Maybe you should whine less.” First of all, I am a Marine.
Novel November Replaces NaNoWriMo
Jonathan: A big one. We covered a couple of months ago that NaNoWriMo shut down. Now Novel November has been launched by ProWritingAid with partners like Kickstarter, Wattpad, 11 Reader, and Scrivener.
It mirrors the format: 50,000 words in 30 days. You get progress tracking, milestone badges, habit building, and mentorship.
If Novel November does not fit you, there are other options: Novel 90 by AutoCrit and Novel Quest.
Thomas: What broke NaNoWriMo was drama around AI. The organization was struggling and likely to crash anyway, but the AI drama set it on fire.
Looking at Novel November’s sponsors, half are AI companies. Canceling NaNoWriMo to stick it to AI companies backfired. ProWritingAid, the host, is an AI company that helps authors write.
They do not own novelnovember.com. They should buy it. The site is prowritingaid.com/novel-november. It is free for one month.
Jonathan: NaNoWriMo did not go down because writing 50,000 words in 30 days is a bad idea. It went down over legal issues with access to minors through mentorship, and the AI controversy eroded goodwill.
Thomas: ProWritingAid will run it better. They are a for-profit company with incentives to make it work.
Like, comment, and subscribe if you enjoy Author Update. It helps people find the show.
Fiction and First Aid: Write It Right
Thomas: A few weeks ago there was a famous stabbing on a subway. A young woman was bleeding out while people watched and did nothing at first. It was tragic.
Two problems were at play. The bystander effect. And not knowing how to help. Authors can help both, especially in fiction.
Write characters with a guardian mindset: I help. Do a good turn daily. When there is a crash, stop and render aid if no ambulance is present.
Then write first aid correctly. Bad TV and books teach bad first aid. Real people imitate it. Let’s debunk some myths and lay out basics.
If the heart stops, that is top priority. Next is breathing. Next is keeping blood inside. Then broken bones. Bullets are not on this list.
The Hollywood myth is racing to remove the bullet. Do not. Even in surgery, removing a bullet rarely helps. There are Vietnam veterans still alive with bullets in them. The bullet is not the problem.
Same with arrows. Think of a sealed bag of water stabbed with a pencil. The pencil plugs the hole. Pull it out and you get a gush. If a character is shot with an arrow, break the shaft and leave it in until proper care.
You can create urgency without bad medicine.
Jonathan: And do not do it unsanitarily. You will make it septic. With arrows or blades, you are plugging the hole.
Thomas: Battlefield cautery is historical for severed limbs because of major vessels. In fiction set before modern EMS, cauterizing vessels and using tourniquets to stop massive bleeding makes sense. In modern settings, use a tourniquet and wait for EMS. Tourniquets save lives. You will not lose a limb with prompt EMS.
Jonathan: People default to what they have seen. Fiction trains them. In boot camp we had lifesaver drills with four drill instructors screaming to simulate combat stress. One recruit tied a tourniquet around a headless mannequin’s neck. Not ideal. He got to try again.
Thomas: More quick myths:
- CPR rarely works quickly. In real life it is hard, often breaks ribs, and can take a long time. TV compressions are often staged and too gentle for safety. I get why films do it, but do not write it as an instant miracle.
- Oil on fresh burns is wrong. Oil traps heat. Cool the burn first. Oil as later treatment can make sense, but immediate cooling is key.
- Sucking out snakebite venom does not work. Do not do it. Lower the limb, keep the victim calm, and slow the spread. People can build resistance to venoms over time. The Poison King, Mithridates, famously micro-dosed poisons. Fun history, still do not suck venom.
- Nosebleeds: do not tilt the head back. You will swallow blood and cough it into your lungs. Lean forward and apply pressure.
I am squeamish, but first aid training matters. I am considering building a medical fact-checker tool like my historical fact-checker to help authors.
Jonathan: Sometimes the best help is a safe perimeter. I once responded to a drive-by scene where a civilian blocked the alley with his car and sprinted toward a burning vehicle. I moved him back. If someone was inside and not screaming, they were sadly gone. My concern was fuel rupture and spray. Stay back and clear access for emergency vehicles.
Thomas: Fuel tanks do not explode like movies, but leaking fuel is still dangerous. I was in a car crash with an 18-wheeler. Well-meaning people dragged me across a field because the car was leaking gas. If there is possible spinal injury, movement can cause permanent damage. In my case, I recovered, but the point stands: good intentions need good knowledge.
If your book includes violence, first aid training would be a tax-deductible professional expense. I would love to host a writer retreat with subject-matter experts on firearms safety, first aid, and realism.
Jonathan: Different communities have different responses to violence. A D.C. police officer yelled “Cover me,” which for police means “watch my back.” For Marines it means “I am moving; suppress everything.” The Marines emptied their mags into the house. The situation ended, but it illustrates the gap.
In combat, Marines increase fire when a Marine is hit. The Corpsman (Doc) moves to save lives. Do not wing a Marine. Things get worse.
Thomas: This is why the U.S. does not use the Marines for domestic policing. The National Guard and police have different rules and training. Police can use deadly force only under self-defense standards similar to civilians, at least in Texas. Different worldviews, different doctrine.
Should We Add a Weekly Zeitgeist Segment?
Thomas: We are thinking about having a Zeitgeist segment at the end of every episode. That would keep the hard news up front. If you like craft-and-culture conversations, stick around for the Zeitgeist at the end. We also clip every segment on the Author Update channel.
Jonathan: Zeitgeist is subjective. You are getting our take. We are conservative Christians. If you want different angles, collect several sources so you understand the broader atmosphere. It helps you market to readers living in that atmosphere. I include a zeitgeist analysis in my dev edits to help you tune your manuscript for your audience.
Thomas: Zeitgeist segments get the most negative comments, but also a lot of engagement. If you like them, like and subscribe. And push back thoughtfully. Good arguments make better books.
Closing and Links
Thomas: If you are a Patron, I am doing a Patrons-only Q&A in 15 minutes. You can still join at novelmarketing.com/patrons.
Remember, early-bird pricing for the Novel Marketing Conference ends at the end of September. Tickets at novelmarketingconference.com.
Jonathan: My Kickstarter, Shades of Black: Origins Anthology, ends in a few days. Link is in the notes. Thank you to everyone backing at the 5-dollar “no reward” level. I hope you also read the book.
