Zeitgeist: Cozy Fantasy and LitRPG SURGE as Hottest Niches in 2026
A summer 2026 K-lytics report reveals fantasy titles are outselling science fiction by nearly four to one, driven largely by romantasy and the rapidly growing LitRPG subgenre.
Zeitgeist: Mystery Thriller Suspense K-Lytics Report
Kindle trends show that techno thrillers are up 49%. Find out what this says about current readers and publishers.
Zeitgeist: Globalists vs. Nationalists: What the UK and Japanese Elections Tell Us About the Changing Culture
Reform UK, Japan’s landslide, and the AfD surge reveal a global culture war. Here’s what the nationalist realignment means for your books and marketing.
Everything Authors Need to Know About K-Lytics
Find out how k-lytics can help you discover what readers are currently buying so you can increase your chances of success.
Zeitgeist, Dystopian Fatigue, and the Rise of Ruthless & Noble Heroes
Explore the cultural vibe shift reshaping reader preferences and learn what sells now and where fiction is headed next.
AI Read Aristotle That’s Why It Writes Better Than You
Amazon is destroying rare books to train AI, an AI-writing tool beats detectors, author AI controversies grow, and Anthropic checks are delayed.
Author Update: Skype Dies, Romantasy Surges, and Mr. Beast Writes a Book
Introduction Thomas: Skype dies, Romantasy surges, and Mr. Beast starts writing the bestest, best-selling book ever. Or does he? Find out in this episode of Author Update. I’m Thomas Umstead, Jr. with Jonathan Sugar, and we have a lot of really surprisingly good...
The Week That Changed Indie Publishing: KDP Royalties, Book Pirates, and AI Audio Theft
Amazon expands KDP’s 70% royalty to $12.99, authors battle book piracy, AI audiobooks spark controversy, and new K-lytics data reveals Fantasy’s booming market. Plus: Spotify, Xbox layoffs, EU surveillance, and more publishing news.
Draft2Digital Confirms: Amazon Sales Reports Are Off by 50%
KDP dashboard errors, Chrome’s secret AI install, a Harvard prompting hack, the AI book flood, and how global nationalism is changing what readers want.
The Anti AI Jihad Has Begun: Major Publisher Yanks Novel Over Proven AI Use
Hachette just pulled a bestselling horror novel over AI writing accusations — and it’s sending shockwaves through the publishing world. In this episode of Author Update, we break down the “Shy Girl” controversy and what it means for every indie and traditional author, the explosive 4 million books flooding Amazon in 2025 (a 39% surge in self-publishing), Scholastic’s declining revenue and what it signals about the future of traditional publishing, the Bible reading boom led by millennial men, how to protect yourself from copyright troll shakedowns, and a deep dive into the K-Lytics Mystery/Thriller/Suspense report revealing techno thrillers are up 49% while assassination thrillers are crashing. Whether you’re self-publishing on Amazon, navigating AI tools like Sudowrite and ChatGPT, pricing your ebook for maximum profit, or trying to spot the next hot genre trend, this is the publishing news, book marketing strategy, and cultural zeitgeist analysis authors need to stay ahead in 2026.
Amazon Algorithm Secrets That Separate Bestsellers from the Slush Pile
Explore the Amazon Book Recommendation Algorithm and learn how it impacts your book sales and visibility in the market.
Do 45% of Authors *Already* Use AI?! | Author Update
Thomas: Welcome to Author Update. I’m Thomas Umstead, Jr. And sometimes on this show, we don’t talk about AI even a little bit. And today is not one of those days. What’s our first story, Jonathan? Jonathan: And I’m Jonathan Scherger. This is...
COVID-19 Kindle Stats: Genre Winners and Losers
How has COVID-19 impacted the Kindle ebook market? Alex Newton answers based on the data.
State of the Kindle 2020
Learn about Kindle ebook trends in 2020 with Alex Newton of K-lytics.
How to Find Your Readers
Follow these five steps to find out what your readers like and want in a book. Their preferences might surprise you and lead you to success.
