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.
Zeitgeist: Romance Dominates Kindle But Shows Signs of Maturing
Highlights of the romance genre based on the new k-lytics report.
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.
Zeitgeist: AI as Metaphor: Corporations, Pagan Gods & the Managerial State
For the past 40 years, AI villains in fiction have been metaphors for the soulless managerial state that stripped human agency throughout the 20th century.
How to Become a Professional Writer With Joanna Penn
Learn the mindset and approach to create a sustainable professional author business that appeals to readers and builds your career.
Zeitgeist: Conservative Art
Why do conservative and Christian authors struggle with creative fiction while Tolkien and C.S. Lewis created timeless classics? This video explores the critical difference between identity-based storytelling and character-driven narratives that resonate with readers.
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.
Why Your Book Isn’t Selling: Metadata with Dave Chesson
Discover how metadata for books can significantly improve your book sales and visibility in online stores like Amazon.
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.
Zeitgeist: Two Halftime Shows, One Nation: What the Super Bowl Split Says About American Readers
The 2026 Super Bowl featured two competing halftime shows—the NFL’s official Bad Bunny performance and Turning Point USA’s alternative show with Kid Rock—and the streaming data reveals a seismic cultural shift that every author must understand about audience and platform.
How to Get a Professional Email Address
Your email address might be the first thing an agent or editor sees. Learn how to make a good first impression with your email address.
Zeitgeist: K-lytics Cozy Fantasy
Cozy Fantasy is surging with unprecedented demand that far exceeds supply, creating a massive opportunity for authors who understand this genre shift.
How to Format a Book With Vellum
Learn how Vellum can save you money, time, and headache when formatting your next book or reader magnet.
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
