Write Bestselling Pitches by Avoiding These 10 Copywriting Mistakes
If you want to write bestselling pitches for your book, be sure to avoid these 10 copywriting mistakes!
The US Copyright Office Is Flagging Human-Written Books as AI
The U.S. Copyright Office is flagging human-written books as AI, plus Spotify’s free indie audiobooks, publishers’ new AI promotion agents, the open Anthropic settlement window, and Apple’s foldable iPhone.
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...
Adapting a Podcast to YouTube
Discover the keys to adapting a podcast to YouTube. Understand what works best to grow your channel effectively.
The Cultural Zeitgeist Shift That’s Making Indie Authors Rich
Discover the cultural shift in zeitgeist that reflects the changing preferences of American readers.
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...
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.
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.
How to Boost Sales With Permafree Books
Discover how giving a book away might actually boost sales. Learn to use a permafree book to drive sales, grow your list, or book events.
Fauci’s Diary, Joe Rogan, and the Magic Boom in Fiction
AALA’s new pay-to-play agent rules, Substack’s faulty AI detector, publishing’s low AI adoption, and the supernatural fiction surge.
Networking for Authors: How to Build Relationships Without Being Awkward
Many authors feel stuck. They’re toiling away in obscurity, and none of their promotion efforts seem to go anywhere. Success in publishing is as much about who you know as what you know. And sometimes, the lack of knowing the right people keeps you from finding...
Kindle Unlimited Pays Indie Authors Record-Breaking Royalties
Amazon smashes the Kindle Unlimited record, Gavin Newsom buys his way onto the NYT bestseller list, the US government kills the most powerful AI model available, MailerLite slashes free accounts, and a suppressed UK report hits 32 million views.
Facebook Advertising Changes Forever… Again
Meta killed the setting that kept ads off Audience Network. Amazon hiked Kindle prices $40 overnight. 63% of religious books may be AI-written.
Amazon Caught Stealing Authors’ Ad Dollars
Amazon sued for overcharging advertisers, AI’s custom romance novels, Mr. Beast and James Patterson’s book bomb, and the anti-AI movement may have its leader.
Audible Forces Every Title Into New Royalty Model
Audible set a hard deadline for its new royalty model. The FTC fined a self-publishing guru $1.5M for fake promises. AI screeners favor AI-polished proposals over human ones. Independent bookstores are booming with 422 new openings. And science confirmed your TikTok breaks are wrecking your writing focus.
