Scientists Prove AI Is Rewriting Your Book When You’re Not Looking

Is your freelance editor secretly using AI? This week on Author Update, we break down Mia Ballard’s lawsuit against Hachette Book Group after they canceled her horror novel Shy Girl over AI allegations—she claims her editor introduced AI without permission. We analyze the Supreme Court’s 9-0 decision that just made it harder for authors to fight book piracy, examine two groundbreaking studies proving AI tools rewrite your voice even during simple grammar checks, and explain why OpenAI shut down Sora and what Google’s TurboQuant breakthrough means for the future of AI.

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.

Zeitgeist: Davy Crockett King of the First Turning 

I’ve been pondering a lot about the return of King Arthur in the new zeitgeist. I am starting to wonder if Arthur will return, and specifically, if he will return to America. America has had two kings and neither of them were Arthur. Our kings were Davy Crockett, King...

The Mary Poppins Zeitgeist: From Grimbright to Nobledark

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6W0VEjeVm7w This conversation unpacks how stories reflect cultural “turnings” in the zeitgeist, using Mary Poppins, Winnie the Pooh, Marines in wartime, and superhero tales as case studies. The Thomas Umstattd Jr. and Jonathan Shuerger...

How I Fight Off Copyright Trolls Targeting My Blogs

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LrM68ayZhSk This article walks through several real-world encounters with copyright trolls targeting my blogs, how their schemes work, and the practical defenses I used to fight them off without paying. It also shows how DMCA...

Iranian Drones Destroy Amazon Data Centers, Amazon.com Goes Down

Week Ending March 6, 2026 In this week’s Author Update, we unpack how world events are impacting your author business, Audible’s aggressive response to Spotify, why Substack may be quietly hurting your Google rankings, and whether Apple’s new $600 laptop could be a...

Your Author Toolbox: Part 2

Discover the best tools for writers to streamline your author business, or turn podcasts into optimized blog content with the powerful Novel Marketing Patron Toolbox suite.

The Indie Whale Reader: How to Reach Readers Who Devour 100 Books a Year

Traditional publishing posts a December surge in the latest AAP StatShot, even as the broader market stays flat. We unpack new 2026 reader data, major AI-driven layoffs at Block, Spotify’s audiobook charts, Julia Quinn’s Kickstarter success, podcast growth, and key AI updates from Google and Cloudflare.

Indies Win! Harlequin to Close Historical Romance Line

Supreme Court tariffs ruling, Harlequin exits historical romance, BookFunnel adds digital signings, and major AI shifts from ElevenLabs, Perplexity Pro, and Google’s new Web MCP reshaping audiobook production and SEO.

Substack Breach: Author Information Compromised

TikTok is back, but its algorithm retrain may disrupt BookTok, the author-targeted data breach, Amazon’s new DRM download option, soaring Bible sales, ChatGPT ads, Sanderson’s “we are the art” speech, and what the Super Bowl halftime shows reveal about today’s book buyers.

Will OpenAI Claim Ownership of Your Royalties?

AI shocks publishing and tech: Claude 4.6 vs GPT-5.3 spark a $285B selloff, layoffs hit a 2009 high, Amazon cuts 30,000 jobs, Spotify expands into ebooks and print with Bookshop.org, indie ebooks arrive, a massive Substack breach, new KDP download options, and OpenAI’s controversial IP revenue-sharing idea.

Ingram Goes to War With AI

This week’s Author Update breaks down Ingram’s AI opt-out, Tor’s new imprint, a £50k Hachette prize, Amazon AI features, and why indie publishing is outpacing trad

Copyright Termination and the Feds: What Just Happened to Authors

OpenAI’s announcement of ads coming to ChatGPT for free users (and what authors should do about it), a landmark federal court ruling that copyright termination rights now apply globally (potentially returning your foreign rights), record-breaking Bible sales that mask a crisis in Christian publishing, Julia Quinn’s new romance subscription box strategy, and the surprising political battle over fonts that affects book design.

What Authors Can Expect in 2026

Stay ahead of the author news and trends of 2026. Learn how new public-domain characters, AI in publishing, audiobooks, direct sales, and market shifts will impact your writing career.

Christmas Book Marketing Guide

Jonathan: Listen up. We’re starting with a situation report. An outfit called Claims Hero is telling authors to opt out of the 1.5 billion dollar Anthropic settlement. They promise a shot at a bigger payday, up to 150,000 dollars per title, but it means giving up...

Traditional Publishing in Crisis: Sales Down 9.4%

Instead of a transcript, here are some rough notes. Let us know if you prefer this format or want to switch back to the longer fuller posts. Welcome to Author Update—your weekly dose of publishing news that actually matters to YOUR career.  This week we talk...

Massive Amazon Algorithm Changes

Thomas: Welcome to Author Update, your weekly dose of publishing news that actually matters to your career. This week we are breaking down Amazon’s massive algorithm changes. Some authors are panicked, some are excited. We will cover what changed, why your books...

When to Ignore Your Editor

Discover 7 issues authors must beware of when getting editorial suggestions from humans or AI and when to ignore or accept the feedback.

The End of Rapid Release?

Thomas: Is rapid release coming to an end? Will authors end all of AI in an epic class action battle? Is ChatGPT really worse than ChatGPT 4? Is ChatGPT 5 really worse than ChatGPT 4? Find out all of this and more in Author Update. I'm Thomas Sumpstat Jr. Jonathan:...

TikTok, Iran, and AI: What Authors Need to Know Now

Welcome to the Summer Solstice edition of Author Update, where co-hosts Thomas Umstattd, Jr. and Jonathan Shuerger unpack the headlines that matter to authors—from global conflicts to algorithm updates. In this jam-packed episode, they dig into the TikTok ban, the war...

Amazon, AI, and Author Strategy Shifts: What You Need to Know Now

Welcome to this week’s Author Update, where we break down what’s happening in the world of publishing, AI, and tech—so you can write better, market smarter, and keep ahead of the curve. In this episode, we covered sweeping changes at Amazon, unexpected shifts in how...

How to Publish a Novel in 2025

Learn how to successfully publish a novel with my six-step roadmap. Avoid common mistakes and start at the right place for strong sales.

Author Update: Is This the END of Google (for Authors)???

Major Shifts in Search and SEO for Authors Google's Market Share Slips Below 90% For the first time since 2015, Google's search market share has fallen below 90%, marking a potentially historic shift in how people find information online. This decline signals what...

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 not one of those shows....

AI Optimization for Authors

Transform your approach to book marketing with AI optimization for authors. Find out how AI can help readers discover your book.

KDP Royalty Changes & Invasion of the AI Audiobooks

https://youtube.com/live/GysHpqdThoQ Introduction (00:01.851) Thomas: KDP royalty changes and invasion of the AI audiobooks. This is Author Update. I'm Thomas Umstatt, Jr. Jonathan: I'm Jonathan Shuerger, and we're just gonna jump right into it today. Spotify and...

Genius Link: A Guide for Authors

Explore the benefits of universal book links for authors. Drive sales by linking to your book across multiple platforms worldwide.

Introducing Author Update

Learn about our new podcast and YouTube show called Author Update, where you can stay up-to-date on all the latest publishing headlines.

Tariffs Up & NaNoWiMo Closing Down | Author Update

Discover how rising tariffs and NaNoWriMo's closure impact authors in this Author Media update. Get insights and strategies to navigate these challenges and thrive as a writer. https://youtube.com/live/g2ip3Dm3vMY Thomas: Welcome to Author Update! I'm Thomas Umstattd...

Invasion of the AI Images | Author Update

Explore the rise of AI-generated images and their impact on authors in this Author Update. Learn strategies to adapt and leverage AI tools for your writing success. https://youtube.com/live/BlyEOTCl0-I Outline Amazon Ads Expansion Amazon has recently expanded its...

Did Meta Steal Your Book? | Author Update

Did Meta steal your book? This Author Media update investigates claims of content misuse, offering authors insights and steps to protect their work in the digital age. https://www.youtube.com/live/2HJYldahSqU?si=hf_NhVsMpBI-l9Kl Links: Novel Marketing Patreon How to...

Stop Writing Book Series!

Uncover the truth about writing a book series. Learn why it can be a risky endeavor for new authors.

How to Sell Books From a Table

Maximize your book sales at in-person events with these expert tips. Learn to effectively sell books and avoid common mistakes.

Project Management for Authors

Discover how project management techniques can help authors tackle the overwhelming task of writing, publishing, and marketing their books.

Cyber Monday Deals for Authors

Every Cyber Weekend (Cyber Monday, Small Business Saturday, Black Friday), I do my best to find the best deals for authors. Part of that means putting my own courses on sale. This post has a list of the top deals. You can find even more deals at...

How to Run a Local Book Festival

If you’ve wished for an in-person venue to sell books and connect with readers and authors, find out how starting a book festival can help.

How to Write Stories Readers Will Love by Knowing the Zeitgeist 

If it takes you two years to write a book, you owe it to yourself to ask the question, "What kinds of books will be popular in two years?" Reader preferences change over time, but sometimes they change rapidly. If you don't keep up, you can get stuck writing a book...

How to Use Reverse Coupons 

Discover how you can do a kindness for your readers, help them take action, and sell more books at a higher price with a reverse coupon.

101 Book Marketing Ideas That Will Change Your Life

We’ve compiled a list of book marketing ideas that will connect you to readers, build your brand, and sell your book. If you feel stuck with your book, this guide has the idea that will get you unstuck. The goal of this guide is to help get your creative juices...

How to Write Novels Men Want to Read

Explore the reasons why men may not be reading novels published by big publishers. Find out how this product-market mismatch affects male readership.

How to Deliver Your Book Baby

What to expect when you’re publishing a book and what your “book baby” needs for a healthy gestation, birth, and life.

How to Create an Online Course

Learn how to transform your book into an engaging online course. Discover what types of content work best and how to maximize your course’s success.

Web Hosting for Frugal Authors

To build an author website, you first need web hosting. Discover which type of web hosting is best for your author website and which to avoid.

Are Pen Names Going Away?

There are several great reasons (and several bad ones) to use an author pen name. Find out which reasons still make sense in the age of AI authors and bots.

Pros and Cons of Pre-Orders

Find out whether you should set up a preorder for your book (some authors shouldn’t), and discover tips to maximize preorder sales.

Marketing 101: Place 

Selling your book in the right place is important for maximizing sales. Consider these three case studies and learn 12 online places and 24 offline places where you can sell your book.

Book Launch Secrets 

Registration for the final cohort of the Book Launch Blueprint course is now open. Check out these book launch secrets and register for the course while you still can.

When to Quit Writing

Since few writers die at the keyboard, nearly all writers quit at some point, but how do you know when to quit writing? Answer these 5 questions to gain clarity.

Time-Saving Tools for Authors

If you’re losing time or simply want to fine-tune your writing systems, check out these time-saving tools for authors.

Book Marketing 101: Price  

Learn how book pricing impacts sales and discover 14 strategies for finding the optimum price for your new or backlist books.

Book Marketing 101: Product

If your book isn’t a good product, marketing gets harder. Find out whose opinion counts and learn to create a good book readers want to buy and read.

Good Brands Vs. Big Brands 

Find out if it’s better to create an author brand that is good or big. Discover the difference between the two and which should come first.

How to Get Good Website Stats

Two important tools will help you see your website’s stats clearly. Find out which tools you need and what they tell you.

How to Find Your Timothy  

One person’s opinion about your book is more important than anyone else’s. Discover who it is and how to find them before you publish.

The 2023 Book Launch Blueprint

Registration for our annual course is now open. Find out what you’ll learn, what’s been updated, and if it’s the right course for you.

AI Book Covers & ChatGPT

Find out how authors use ChatGPT, Midjourney, and other AI tools to create book covers, characters, and plot ideas for their books.

Whisper and the World Whispers Back

When readers can’t hear about your book, they can’t read it, even if it’s really good. Learn three reasons your book promotion may fall flat.

How to Save Money as an Author

There's an old saying that the way to make a small fortune in publishing is to start with a large fortune. While the early days of publishing favored independently wealthy authors, things have changed. Publishing may be cheaper than it once was, but it’s not free....

How to Hire a Good Editor

Every successful author needs a professional editor. Learn three simple steps for finding a good editor who will improve your book.

How to Supercharge Ebook Sales

If your ebook sales are lagging, these 7 strategies will teach you how to market your ebook effectively with tactics specific to ebooks.

Affiliate Marketing for Authors

Find out how authors who take advantage of affiliate marketing opportunities can earn income even before their books are published.

How to Become an Amazon Affiliate

A step-by-step guide for setting up your Amazon Associate account so you can earn money through affiliate links on your author website.

AI Tools for Authors

When you use artificial intelligence tools for writing, you can improve your craft and create books faster. Find out which AI tools will benefit you most.

How to Crowdfund Your Book

Learn how to solve your cash flow problem with these tips for crowdfunding your book before it’s published.

Hybrid Publishing

Is working with a hybrid publisher the right decision for you? Learn the pros and cons of hybrid publishing and how to explore your options.

How to Record Your Own Audiobook Using Hindenburg Narrator

According to The NPD Group, ebook sales for traditionally published books went down in the first half of 2021. Meanwhile, the most recent data for audiobooks states that sales are up by 12%.   Do I need an audio version of my book? The data is clear. You...

Innovative Indie Marketing with S.D. Smith

Independent authors need marketing tools and skills to be successful. Learn how one indie author reduced his reliance on gatekeepers and sold books directly to his readers.

10 Reasons to Delay Your Book Launch

Find out why you should delay your book launch, how long you should wait, and what to do in the meantime to improve your book’s chances of success.

Effective Book Cover Design

A bad book cover can ruin all your marketing efforts. Learn what makes a good book cover in this interview with a top cover designer.

Facebook Advertising for Authors

Facebook can be useful for authors if you use it in the right way. Find out how you can use Facebook to help you sell more books.

How to Launch Your Book on a Budget

Is your book launch budget filled with expenses or investments? Learn how and where to spend your time and money to get the greatest return.

How to Launch Your Book in 2022

Your book deserves a well-planned, effective book launch. Learn how to maximize sales in those all-important first 30 days after release.

How to Write More Productively

If you need a plan and process for writing books, learn the secret to writing multiple books every year in this interview with author Angela Hunt.

Tools To Make Publishing Easier

We are in the process of replacing the dirt and rocks in our backyard with grass for the children to play in. At first, things went well using the shovel but then when we got to the final rocks, the shovel just did not work well. Then we tried a rake, and boom!...

How Author Websites Irritate Readers (and what to do about it)

Have you ever been irritated by a website? Did you know that readers may be having that exact same experience when they visit your website? Ticking off your website visitors is a bad way to get more readers. Here are seven ways author websites annoy visitors and what to do about it.

The Author’s Guide to LLCs

Learn when and why you should form an LLC for your author business. Discover who can help you get it done and how much it will cost.

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.

7 Kinds of Indie Authors

Find out which kind of indie author you are and which sales strategies and promotional tools will work best for you.

How to Pitch Your Novel

Learn how and when to craft a compelling pitch that make agents, readers, and publishers curious about your novel.

A New Social Network for Authors

Learn how to avoid social media distractions, connect with qualified authors, and write better books with our new social network for authors.

Amazon Advertising

Amazon continually tests and changes their ads platform, and authors must stay up to date. Bryan Cohen reports on what’s changed this year.

How to Pick a Strong Book Title

Your book’s title should accomplish four goals with only a few words. Learn how to create a memorable title that is easy to find and recommend.

How to Advertise Your Book on Podcasts

Podcast advertising is one of the most effective advertising venues for authors with audiobooks. Heather Osgood offers seven steps to great podcast advertising.

How to Market Your Audiobook

These seven strategies will help you form a close connection with your audience, create a high-quality audio experience, and sell more audiobooks.

Software Guide for Authors

Authors and writers can work smarter, not harder, with these hardware and software tools that will increase your productivity and lead you to success.

Lessons from Blogging a Book

For years I’ve had Thomas Umstattd’s voice in my head telling me to blog my book. “Test out your ideas,” he said. “Start building your audience,” he said. “It’ll be easy,” he said. Well, maybe he didn’t say it would be easy. Blogging my book was, in fact, one of...

How to Build an Author Website in a Day

You don’t need to hire a company to build you a website, you can do it yourself and it is easier than you think. You can learn how to build your very own professional author website.

How to Start an Author Podcast

Podcasting is one of the hottest marketing techniques for authors right now and for good reason. In this episode you will learn how to start your own podcast.

7 Blogs Every Author Should Follow

One of the best way to improve your writing is to learn from the best. Here are seven blogs that not only are good examples of excellent blogging but will also help you hone your craft and sell your books.

The Enclave Files

Get a behind-the-scenes look at what a traditional publisher’s marketing director does. Find out which strategies work and which don’t.

90% of Top USA Today Bestselling Authors Have a Podcast Presence

Literary Agent Steve Laube recently released a blog post showing that 100% of ECPA Bestselling authors had a podcast presence as either hosts or guests. 60% were both hosts and guests! We were curious to see how many authors on the USA Today Bestseller List had a...

How to Create a Landing Page

Eight tips and tools for creating effective landing pages that will build your email list and your connection to your readers.

Bonus Book Launch Q&A

In this special bonus episode of Novel Marketing, we answer YOUR book launch and book marketing questions. You can watch a video version of the Q&A below. 

How to Use Facebook To Promote Your Book

In this episode we are going to talk about the right way to use Facebook to sell more books! Last week we talked about why Facebook is overrated for book marketing, but we didn’t say it’s completely useless, so today we’re going to talk about the ways Facebook CAN...

How to Sound Great As a Podcast Guest

Are you scheduled to come on a podcast as a guest? If you want to be invited back, or appear on any other podcast interviews for that matter, you need to have good audio. Many authors make the mistake of using their laptop's microphone and speakers. This will...

The Launch Your Book Blueprint

Your book is finished. Polished. Ready for the world to read. But then the questions enter your mind, yes, those questions … how do I launch my novel in the most impactful way possible?  How do I do it without feeling overwhelmed? And where do I find the time? We get...

What We Can Learn from The Greatest Book on Marketing Ever Written

Announcements: We’re $4 away from hitting our next Patreon goal. With this level we will start providing full transcripts for each episode. We just need one person to back at the $5 level to push us over the edge. Just as a reminder, $5 Patrons receive: Warm feelings,...

How to Spot a Publishing Scam

In this Novel Marketing Podcast episode, we are going to talk about publishing scams and how to avoid them. Don’t get bamboozled by a charlatan!

How to Create a Reader (Lead) Magnet

A reader magnet is a prize your readers get in exchange for giving you their email. They can dramatically improve how fast your email list grows.

144 – How to Build an Amazing Author Website for $459.20

You know you need a website, but you don't have one yet.  We received an email from Mary Hamilton, a listener of the Novel Marketing podcast, who said dealing with her website was her writing pet peeve.  "My biggest peeve is my website. I'm not techy enough to...

Why American Authors Don’t Need to Worry About GDPR

Learn what GDPR is, why Americans don’t need to worry about it, and why you may want to follow it anyway. TL;DR: The EU is not the government of the world and it can’t force Americans to do anything. But you should follow some of the regulations anyway.

136 – How to Use K-lytics To Sell More Kindle eBooks

The more you understand how readers find,  and how and why they buy books on Amazon, the more books you’re going to sell. And to help us dive deep into the subject is today’s guest, Alex Newton, the CEO and Founder of K-Lytics.com

New Podcast: Creative Funding Show

We are launching a new podcast! The Creative Funding Show is a podcast where Author Media CEO, Thomas Umstattd interview Authors, YouTubers, and Podcasters who are funding their creativity using platforms like Patreon and Kickstarter. You will also...

130 – Myths Authors Believe  

In this episode, we are going to talk about a few of the myths and lies writers are prone to believe which can derail us or send us in wrong directions or keep us from going in the direction we should be headed.  

How to Blog Your Book

Learn how to blog your nonfiction book and what traps and pitfalls to avoid. Here’s what you need to turn your posts into an amazing book.

128 – Taking Novel Marketing to the Next Level

Show Outline Introduction: Episode 1 was on Oct 7, 2013 A lot has happened over the last four and a half years. Jim has won half a dozen book awards Thomas spent time as the marketing director for a publishing company. We went a couple of years only posting every...

What’s New in MyBookTable 3.1

MyBookTable, the most popular bookstore plugin on WordPress, just got better. MyBookTable 3.1 comes with several new features, including some that were previously available only in the paid Pro and Dev versions. Here's what's new. Added Universal Buy Button to...

How to Connect with Anyone in the World  

In this episode, we talk about connecting with anyone in the world that you want to. In the last two episodes, we talked about why Word of Mouth is not working and How to Make Word of Mouth Work for You by connecting with Mavens, Connectors, and Salespeople. But HOW do you meet these people?

How to Make Word of Mouth Work for You

In this episode, we talk about how you can make Word of Mouth work for you. Spoiler Alert: some people are more important to spreading your idea than others. Find out who those people are and how to reach them.

125 – Why Word of Mouth Isn’t Working for Your Book

v In this episode of the Novel Marketing podcast, we’re going to talk about what has been consistently cited as the number one way to sell books … Word of Mouth.   You’ve heard that, yes? Studies have shown that Word of Mouth sells more books than any other marketing...

122 – How the 2018 Tax Changes Affect Authors

In this episode, we talk with an author-friendly CPA about the impact of the new 2018 tax plan on authors. This is the biggest change to the tax code since the 1980s. Come April 15 you will be glad you listened to this episode!

How to Get to Know Your Readers

Knowing your readers allows you to connect with them through your writing and marketing. These 5 tools will help you understand your readers.

116 Important Changes GoodReads Giveaways

GoodReads giveaways, one of the most cost-effective book promotion tactics, are changing. Here’s everything you need to know about giving away books on GoodReads.

Five Kinds of Author Homepages

Different kinds of authors need different things from their home pages. Make sure you have the right kind of homepage for your author website. 

How to Write Bestselling Back Cover Copy

Your book’s front cover may get someone’s attention, but the back cover copy gets their money. That copy can make or break your marketing efforts. Learn how to write amazing copy.

10 Things Every Book Cover Needs

Your book cover is your biggest marketing asset. It can make or break your book. In this episode, we discuss the necessary elements for a successful cover.