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.
Reports Say 62% of New Paranormal Romance Titles Are AI Junk Books
Why audiobooks now outsell eBooks, how AI is reshaping publishing, Barnes & Noble’s comeback, and the genre trends and tools authors need for 2026.
Amazon Quietly Changed Kindle Forever
In this episode of Author Update: Book bans, AI in your Kindle, audiobooks outselling everything, and Amazon quietly rewriting the rules.
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...
Zeitgeist: Davy Crockett King of the First Turning
America has had two kings and neither of them were Arthur. Our kings were Davy Crockett, King of the Wild Frontier and Elvis Presley the king of Rock ‘n’ Roll.
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...
US Copyright Office Closes | Book Piracy Drama | Anthropic Settlement Website Goes Live
Jonathan Shuerger: We’ve got a packed episode that could impact your writing career in ways you may not have considered. The Anthropic settlement website is live, and authors are finally getting answers about whether they are in this class action. Here is the...
Author Update: Judge Approves Anthropic $3K Author Payments, NaNoWriMo Replacement, & Scam Warning
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....
Amazon KU Books Allowed in Public Libraries, TikTok Deal, and Cancel Culture
Thomas: Welcome to Author Update! We have a major policy shift. Amazon KDP has confirmed that Kindle Unlimited books can be offered to public libraries. We covered this earlier, and now we have confirmation. We will also discuss what the TikTok deal from this morning...
Christian Author Assassinated, MailerLite Limits Free Plan, & Kit Raise Prices
Thomas: Welcome back to Author Update, everybody. Today we’re going to talk about Charlie Kirk, a Christian author who was shot while giving a speech to his audience. We also have publishing news. MailerLite is reducing its free plan, Kit is raising prices, and...
Anthropic to Pay Authors $3000 Per Book, Zeitgeist, and Author Arrested for Tweets
Breaking News: Anthropic Settlement Thomas: Welcome to Author Update! We have some breaking news for you, but first, I’m Thomas Umstattd Jr. And I’m Jonathan Shuerger. And what’s our breaking news? Jonathan: Today we’re gonna be talking about,...
New International Shipping Rules Hit Authors and Libraries Acquire KU Books?
Thomas: This is Author Update and we’ve got a jam packed episode for you today. We have some breaking news. The White House is changing the international shipping rules and they will go into effect today and they may affect you as an author. We’ll break...
Spotify Revolutionizes Audiobooks & George R.R. Martin Told To Step Down
Thomas: Spotify revolutionizes audiobooks, George R. R. Martin is told to step down and hand his books to somebody else, and are we in an AI bubble? Find out all of this and a lot more in today’s episode of Author Update. I’m Thomas Umstattd Jr. Jonathan:...
