For the Week Ending March 20, 2026:
A major publisher has pulled a bestselling novel over AI authorship accusations, and the ripple effects are just beginning.
In this week’s Author Update news digest, we break down the controversy surrounding Shy Girl and what it could mean for both indie and traditionally published authors. We also examine the increase of new books hitting Amazon in 2025, which is reshaping discoverability and competition.
In traditional publishing, we’ll look at Scholastic’s declining revenue and what it may signal about the health of traditional publishing, as well as a surprising rise in Bible reading led by millennial men.
We’ll also discuss how authors can protect themselves from increasingly aggressive copyright troll claims. And finally, we dig into new data from K-lytics, where techno thrillers are up 49% while assassination thrillers are falling fast, offering a clear window into shifting reader tastes.
From AI tools and ebook pricing to genre trends and legal risks, this is the publishing intelligence authors need to stay ahead in 2026.
Hachette Cancels Horror Novel Shy Girl Over Suspected A.I. Use
Thomas: First, we need to explain the headline of this episode: “The Anti AI Jihad Has Begun.” When we say “jihad,” we are referring to the Butlerian Jihad in Frank Herbert’s Dune universe. It is an anti-AI movement that leads to the creation of the Orange Catholic Bible and its central commandment, “Thou shalt not make a machine in the likeness of a human mind.”
We do not have a name for this movement in the real world yet, but we do have what appears to be its first casualty.
Jonathan: Hachette Book Group has canceled the horror novel Shy Girl and removed it from sale. The New York Times reported evidence of heavy artificial intelligence use in the manuscript.
The book was written by Mia Ballard and self-published on Amazon in February 2025. Readers responded positively. The story follows a young woman held hostage and forced to live as a pet before exacting revenge.
Hachette UK later acquired the book through its Wildfire imprint, with Orbit handling the U.S. side. The publisher scheduled it for a May 19 release and positioned it as a major 2026 title.
Concerns began circulating in late January. Horror fans on Reddit and Goodreads pointed to repetitive phrasing, odd metaphors, and gaps in logic. Max Sparrow ran the full text through Pangram, an AI detection tool, and reported a 78% likelihood of AI generation. The New York Times conducted its own analysis of sample passages and found similar patterns.
Hachette remained silent during the growing scrutiny. Then, on Thursday, the company announced it would not publish the novel and would remove it from listings in the UK and elsewhere. The publisher cited a commitment to original creative expression and said it had conducted a thorough review before making its decision.
Ballard responded later that evening in an email to The New York Times. She denied using AI to write the book. She said an editor she hired for the self-published version introduced AI into the manuscript. She also stated that the controversy has harmed her mental health and damaged her reputation for something she did not personally do. She is pursuing legal action and declined to share further details.
This appears to be the first time a major publisher has pulled a commercial novel over suspected AI use.
Thomas: One key detail is that this was a bestselling book. It is rare for an indie title to be picked up by a traditional publisher without significant sales, but this book was already profitable.
This is another example of why indie authors should think carefully before partnering with traditional publishers. Traditional publishers can damage an author’s reputation, and this is not a new phenomenon.
Here, the author was earning strong income, received an offer, and signed a contract after the publisher reviewed the book. Now the situation has escalated into public controversy. If this becomes a legal matter, the outcome may hinge on a difficult question. How do you prove someone used AI, and what does “using AI” even mean?
The definition is unclear. Accusation is not proof.
Another key point is reader behavior. At no point did readers stop engaging with the book. It continued to be read, recommended, and reviewed positively. The audience was not reacting to the controversy.
Even if AI had been used, which remains disputed, tools exist to revise text and remove common markers associated with AI-generated content. There are systems designed to scan for those patterns and edit them out.
This creates a circular problem. The same technology used to detect AI is often powered by AI itself. The process becomes recursive. Detection tools rely on the very systems they are trying to identify.
It raises a broader issue. These judgments are being made using tools that are not clearly defined, measuring something that is not clearly defined.
That is like accusing someone of having their eyes open during prayer. The only way to know is if you were looking yourself. The accusation exposes the same behavior it is attempting to condemn.
There is also a larger industry context. While this single case has drawn attention, millions of books are being published, and many authors are using AI tools in some capacity while continuing to sell successfully.
That leads to a more practical concern. What is the risk of working with a traditional publisher if you are already succeeding independently?
Consider the case of David Barton. In the 1990s, he was one of the most successful independent publishers. At that time, being indie meant building your own publishing company, and he did. Through his company, WallBuilders, he sold hundreds of thousands of books annually and spoke extensively across the country.
He also became a serious collector of Revolutionary War–era documents, including original letters from figures like Thomas Jefferson.
Eventually, he was approached by Thomas Nelson with a traditional publishing offer. Without deep experience in that system, he accepted. The publisher edited his manuscript and removed several pages that supported one of his central claims.
When the book was released, critics pointed out the lack of supporting evidence. A public controversy followed. The publisher, facing pressure, withdrew the book.
The result was significant. Barton’s credibility suffered. His income declined. His platform was weakened. The key detail is that the missing evidence had been removed during the publishing process.
This illustrates a broader risk. When a publisher distances itself from a book, the public rarely investigates the underlying facts. The signal alone can damage an author’s reputation.
Now, add AI accusations into that environment. The problem becomes even more complex.
How does an author prove they did not use AI? What qualifies as AI use? Spell check could be considered a form of AI. Grammar tools operate in similar ways. Modern writing relies on digital systems that blur the line between assistance and authorship.
There is no clear legal definition. That makes enforcement inconsistent and difficult to challenge.
At its core, the accusation becomes vague. It is no longer about a specific action. It becomes a general claim that a computer was involved in the writing process.
Jonathan: Which is true for almost every author.
Thomas: Exactly. That is what makes this situation so difficult.
There is also a human cost. Situations like this can have a real impact on an author’s mental health. Signing with a major publisher is often seen as a milestone. Instead, it can expose an author to intense scrutiny and public judgment.
The dynamic can resemble a public trial, where the burden shifts onto the author to defend themselves against an unclear standard.
Even stepping back from the controversy, there is a fundamental question. If the book was successful and readers enjoyed it, does the tool used to create it invalidate that experience?
That question remains unresolved, and it is likely to shape future conversations in publishing.
How should authors respond to AI accusations?
Jonathan: How do you respond when someone accuses you of something that cannot be disproven?
You might just embrace it. During the Vietnam era, Marines were often called “baby killers.” That was the accusation and they were treated terribly. The response of the Marines was to embrace it. There was even a saying among them, “kill babies,” which meant push forward and do not worry about what the enemy thinks.
Thomas: That strategy, embracing the accusation, can be very effective. It rejects the moral framework behind the claim.
If someone says, “You used AI,” and you respond, “No, I did not,” you are accepting the premise that using AI is wrong. But if you respond, “I used the best AI available. I used Claude with advanced tools. No one uses AI better than I do,” you shift the dynamic entirely.
The burden then moves back to the accuser. They must explain why using AI is inherently wrong. In many cases, they are not prepared to do that.
There is also a contradiction in how these accusations are made. Platforms like Reddit rely heavily on AI. Their algorithms are powered by it. Their systems are trained on it.
That creates a recursive problem. The same ecosystems criticizing AI are built on AI. It becomes difficult to define where acceptable use ends and unacceptable use begins.
At that point, the accusation loses clarity. Unless people abandon modern tools entirely and returns to using a typewriters, the line is not clearly defined.
Sources:
Hachette Cancels ‘Shy Girl’ For Being AI Generated
Horror Novel ‘Shy Girl’ Canceled Over Suspected A.I. Use
A.I. Is Writing Fiction. Publishers Are Unprepared.
Could be fixed by a Claude skill. https://github.com/hardikpandya/stop-slop
Four Million New Titles Flooded Amazon in 2025
Thomas: The number of books on Amazon has exploded. I used to say in my webinars that one million books are published each year. That statistic helped explain why authors need strong marketing to stand out.
That number is now outdated. It is no longer one million books per year. It is one million books per quarter. That means roughly four million books annually.
Jonathan: These figures come from Bowker, the ISBN provider. Their latest data shows that more than four million books were published in the United States in 2025. Self-published authors drove nearly all of that growth.
This represents a major increase. Output rose 38.7% from about 2.5 million titles in 2024. One of Bowker’s marketing managers attributed the surge to new tools that make publishing easier and faster.
These tools now cover every stage of the process, including writing, formatting, distribution, and marketing. What once required a traditional publisher can now be done independently at a comparable quality level.
Thomas: Better tools increase both speed and quality. Authors can publish faster, but they can also reinvest time and money into improving their books.
As production costs drop, authors can allocate more resources toward editing, design, and marketing. The result is higher-quality books produced at scale.
I am currently building a tool that converts a Bowker ISBN into a properly formatted barcode using best practices. The goal is to simplify a process many authors get wrong and make it accessible, potentially as a free tool.
Are multiple formats inflating the numbers?
Jonathan: There is an important nuance in the data. Authors often release the same book in multiple formats. Hardcover, paperback, and ebook editions each require a separate ISBN.
That raises the question of whether the four million figure represents unique titles or multiple versions of the same book.
Thomas: My understanding is that these are distinct titles in the dataset, not just duplicate formats. Bowker collects metadata alongside ISBNs. However, the interpretation of the data depends on how those records are categorized.
Jonathan: One clear takeaway is that authors are getting better at publishing. More writers are correctly assigning BISAC categories and improving their metadata.
That signals a shift. Authors are no longer relying on traditional publishers for expertise. They are learning the system and using professional-grade tools to compete at a high level.
Thomas: The barrier to entry is lower than ever, but the competition is higher than ever. Four million books a year changes the landscape.
Authors who want to succeed must focus on both quality and marketing. The tools are available. The challenge is learning how to use them effectively and standing out in an increasingly crowded market.
Sources:
Book Output Topped Four Million in 2025 Publishers Weekly, March 17, 2026
Scholastic Sales Slip Further While Core Profitability Weakens
Thomas: Scholastic is the latest traditional publisher facing financial pressure. This has become a recurring pattern. The companies still reporting growth are often doing so through acquisitions, not organic performance. They are buying up smaller publishers to maintain the appearance of stability.
Jonathan: Scholastic reported third-quarter revenue of $329.1 million, a 2% decline from the same period last year. The company cited the timing of major releases as a contributing factor. Operating losses increased to $26.9 million, up from $23.9 million a year earlier. Even after adjustments, losses remain elevated at $24.3 million.
Revenue from its education solutions segment also declined by 2%.
Jonathan: One major factor is shifting education patterns. Public school funding pressures, combined with growth in homeschooling since the COVID era, are changing how education dollars are spent.
As more families move away from traditional school systems, publishers that rely heavily on institutional buyers face new challenges.
Thomas: Homeschooling changes who controls purchasing decisions. Instead of centralized institutions, individual families are choosing curricula and materials.
This shift creates both risk and opportunity. Publishers that align with institutional education may struggle to connect with this new audience. At the same time, there is a clear opening for companies willing to develop products specifically for homeschool families.
Scholastic has an opportunity to expand into the homeschool market, but it would require a shift in their worldview and product strategy. That includes developing curriculum offerings that appeal to homeschooling parents rather than institutions.
As control over education spending moves from systems to individuals, publishers must adapt. Those that fail to adjust risk continued financial decline.
Sources:
Scholastic Reports Fiscal 2026 Third Quarter Results
Scholastic Reports Fiscal 2026 Third Quarter Results (PR Newswire)
Publishers Weekly Coverage of Scholastic Q2 and Outlook Trends
New Scam Spotters Board Launches on AuthorMedia.Social
Thomas: One of the most common posts on Author Media Social, the human-only network I run, is authors sharing suspicious emails.
I have taken those posts and organized them into a dedicated section called Scam Spotters. You do not have to be a member to read the list. I encourage you to check it out. It is a fast way to educate yourself on the latest scams targeting authors.
New scam tactics surface often. For example, a common one involves someone posing as an acquisitions editor from Netflix. They send a flattering message about your book, often several paragraphs long, and suggest it would make a great show. They do not ask for money right away, but eventually they do. It is the classic scam model, adapted for authors.
The Scam Spotters board is helpful both for learning and for contributing. If you receive a suspicious email, you can post it or describe it to warn others.
I recently heard from an author who was convinced HarperCollins had reached out about her book. She was excited and thought she needed an agent. Unfortunately, it was a scam. I had to tell her it was not HarperCollins. I shared resources with her so she could better understand what was happening.
It is difficult because these messages can feel very real. That is why it is important to identify them early. Otherwise, scammers will continue extracting money.
Many of these operations present themselves as hybrid publishers. They start with a publishing package, then move on to marketing packages. The cycle continues without producing meaningful results.
They continue selling services until the author runs out of money.
I encourage you to use the Scam Spotters board as a resource.
Sources:
Scam Spotters | AuthorMedia.social
How to Spot a Publishing Scam – Author Media
Writer Beware Blog
A New Social Network for Authors – Author Media
Millennial Males Lead Bible Reading Surge as US Sales Hit 21-Year Record
Thomas: We have discussed rising Bible sales on this show before, along with broader growth in religious publishing. Much of that growth is concentrated in Bible sales rather than other Christian books.
Now we have more detailed data, broken down by generation and gender, and the results are striking. Millennial men are about twice as likely to read the Bible as boomer men.
There is a common assumption that older generations are more religious. The data suggests otherwise. Boomer men are reading less than Gen X men and less than Gen Z men. Boomer men are the least likely group to be reading the Bible regularly. The gap is not as extreme for women, but the same general pattern holds.
Jonathan: Barna released these findings in its State of the Church 2025 report. Weekly Bible reading among U.S. adults rose to 42%, up from a 15-year low of 30% in 2024. Millennials reached 50% weekly readership, Gen Z climbed to 49%, and boomers remained lowest at about 31%.
This reflects a clear generational shift. Some of that may be cultural. Many boomers grew up in a church environment where attendance was routine, more of a weekly habit than a practice centered on studying Scripture.
Thomas: I have a different interpretation of what is driving the spike. When you look at the chart, every group increased in 2025.
Gen Z women went from 27% reading at least once a week to 46%. Gen Z men rose from 34% to 54%. Millennial men increased from 36% to 57%. Even boomer men went from 20% to 28%, and boomer women from 24% to 33%.
That kind of across-the-board jump points to a major cultural moment. I think this is a Charlie Kirk story.
I was already reading my Bible regularly, but I increased my reading after Charlie Kirk died. It prompted a lot of reflection and life changes for me. I have lost 50 pounds since then. It was a moment where I felt the need to become a better man, to love my family better, to work harder, and to be more disciplined in reading Scripture.
When I look at the data, millennial men are at the center of this increase, and I am a millennial man. As you move farther away from that group, the impact becomes smaller. By the time you reach boomer women, the increase is the lowest. That fits with the idea that not every group experienced that same moment in the same way.
For many older people, Charlie Kirk was not a significant figure. They may not have known who he was before he died. For others, it was a defining moment. I remember exactly where I was when I heard the news. It had a lasting impact.
The key question is whether this is a temporary spike or the beginning of a longer-term trend. The 2026 data will tell us more.
Jonathan: It is not entirely a Charlie Kirk story. There are multiple cultural forces at work.
Millennials were the first generation to grow up largely online, and for years they were described as disengaged. Now we are seeing renewed engagement.
There is also broader cultural tension. Conflicts abroad, debates over immigration, and questions about national identity are prompting people to reconsider what kind of culture and community they want.
There is growing discussion about rebuilding local communities, including ideas like buying land and creating multigenerational family networks.
Thomas: That idea is gaining traction online, but it runs against long-standing cultural patterns in the United States. The dominant model has been the nuclear family, not extended clan-based living.
Many people like the idea of building a family compound for their children, but fewer are interested in living that closely with their parents. It is trending as a concept, but it is not yet clear that it reflects a lasting shift.
Even so, the broader takeaway remains. Bible engagement is rising, especially among younger men. Whether that continues will depend on whether this moment represents a lasting change or a short-term response.
Sources:
- Gen Z and Millennials Fuel a Bible Reading Comeback
- Bible Sales Break Records in U.S. and U.K.
- Rock Wall Bibles X Post on Millennial Males Bible Reading
Bestselling Covers in 2026 – Author Media Webinar
Effective Book Cover Design isn’t art. It’s applied psychology. Your cover might look gorgeous at full size, but on Amazon it’s a tiny thumbnail. A beautiful book cover that fails to get clicks is a bad cover.
In this fascinating webinar, you’ll learn how readers actually process cover imagery, the role of color, typography, and composition in triggering a purchase decision, and how to work with a designer to create a cover that actually helps sell your book.
Professional covers don’t have to cost thousands of dollars. In this webinar, you’ll also learn insider strategies smart authors use to get premium results without premium prices.
Details:
- What: Webinar: The Science of Bestselling Book Cover Design
- When: March 24th, 2026 4:00 PM Central
- Registration Link
- Cost: Free
- Replay? Yes, for those who register
AI
Attack of the Trolls Part 4
Jonathan: Thomas was targeted again, this time by the German company Copytrack. They reached out with the usual approach, trying to pressure you into paying for an image they claimed you didn’t have the right to use.
Thomas: I made the mistake once of responding to them. They claimed I was using a stock photo without a license and asked for proof. I provided it. Within a week, they came back with another claim on a different image.
At that point, I realized I could spend all my time trying to prove I had properly licensed every image on my site, and that is not a productive use of my time.
These messages are designed to intimidate and they are abusive. In my most recent case, they flagged a photo I had licensed 10 years ago. The emails are aggressive and threatening. The strategy is simple. They imply massive legal risk, then offer a quick settlement for a few hundred dollars.
If you pay, it does not end there. Once you are identified as someone who pays, they will continue targeting you. This is not a one-time interaction.
I do not pay them. I do not reward that behavior. Instead, I built a tool called the Copyright Troll Defender for the Patron Toolbox.
The goal of the tool is twofold. First, it helps authors stay calm. These messages rely on fear and urgency. They push you to act quickly before you have time to think.
Second, it helps you craft a response that signals you are not an easy target. These companies are looking for quick wins. If you demonstrate that you understand the situation and are prepared to push back, they often move on.
I trained the tool using real emails I have received from copyright trolls, including firms in Canada and Europe. Most of these companies are not based in the United States. One of the few U.S.-based firms in this space is Higbee and Associates.
I tested the tool against increasingly aggressive claims, including one tied to a major organization with a registered copyright. That is rare. In most cases, the claims are weak. Either the copyright is not registered, or the company does not represent the rights holder.
In many cases, they shift the burden onto you without demonstrating that they have standing to enforce the claim.
Jonathan: You should rename the tool something more colorful. Maybe “AI Guido,” like calling in someone to handle the problem for you.
Thomas: The idea is the same. You want a response that immediately communicates you are not an easy mark.
Sudowrite Adds Mobile App
Thomas: Sudowrite has added several major updates. The platform now includes a mobile app, a Scrivener import feature, and integration with Claude Opus 4.6. It is also beta testing a new feature called Story Chat, which allows you to interact directly with your novel.
For authors using Sudowrite as an AI writing assistant, these updates significantly expand its capabilities. Claude Opus 4.6 is currently one of the leading models for writing tasks.
There is also a broader point here. When authors criticize others for using AI, they often lose sight of the goal. We are not in the business of impressing other authors. We are in the business of serving readers.
Readers are the customers. Authors create products for them. Maintaining that perspective matters. A more grounded, service-oriented approach tends to lead to better outcomes.
Revenue ultimately comes from readers. Publishers only have money because readers have purchased books over time. They then reinvest those funds into new titles, many of which do not succeed. That is the structure of the business.
Sources:
- Import from Scrivener – Sudowrite Changelog
- Improvements, Fixes, and Claude Opus 4.6 – Sudowrite Changelog
- Mobile App Overview – Sudowrite Documentation
- Can AI Chatbots Write Emotionally Rich Romance Books? – The New York Times
- Importing Files – Sudowrite Documentation
OpenAI Merges ChatGPT, Codex, and Browser into Desktop Superapp
Thomas: In AI news, OpenAI, the company behind Chat GPT, is making a significant shift. Instead of maintaining separate tools, such as the Codex app, the Chat GPT app, and browser-based interfaces, the company is moving toward a more unified experience.
This reflects a broader industry trend toward agent-based AI tools that can act on a user’s behalf within a computer environment. These systems are designed to integrate more deeply into workflows rather than function as isolated applications.
Part of this shift appears to be competitive. Claude currently offers one of the strongest desktop app experiences. While its model excels in writing and certain tasks, other models may outperform it in specific areas. However, the Claude app itself stands out in terms of usability.
By comparison, other platforms lag behind in application design. Grok offers a strong mobile experience but lacks a robust desktop app. Its web interface is functional but limited. Google’s Gemini platform, by contrast, has a weaker web experience and no meaningful desktop application presence.
The direction is clear. AI companies are moving toward integrated, agent-style tools that operate seamlessly across devices and environments.
Sources:
- OpenAI Plans Launch of Desktop ‘Superapp’ to Refocus, Simplify User Experience
- OpenAI plans desktop ‘superapp’ to streamline user experience – WSJ reports
- OpenAI’s desktop superapp: The end of ChatGPT as we know it?
Zeitgeist
Zeitgeist: Mystery Thriller Suspense K-Lytics Report (Technothrillers Jumped 49%)
Thomas: In this segment, we step away from breaking news and look at culture, politics, and how they shift over time. It can be difficult to recognize larger trends if you focus only on individual moments. A single wave may look large, but when you step back, you can see whether the tide is rising or falling.
This is where we discuss broader, more timeless patterns.
Occasionally, we also do a deep dive into a K-lytics report. K-lytics.com (Affiliate Link), run by Alex Newton, analyzes Kindle sales, which are highly responsive to cultural trends. Because indie authors dominate Kindle publishing and can move quickly, these sales often reflect shifts in reader interest before they appear elsewhere.
That is why we look closely at these reports. Today, we are covering the mystery, thriller, and suspense (MTS) category.
Jonathan: The biggest headline is that techno thrillers are up 49%.
In 2025, the Kindle Select Global Fund paid out $740.5 million to Kindle Unlimited authors, a 9.4% increase. Activity in mystery, thriller, and suspense remains strong. I will refer to it as MTS for simplicity.
MTS is the third-largest category on Amazon, behind romance and science fiction and fantasy. It spans a wide audience. You have legacy authors like Clive Cussler and Janet Evanovich, along with cozy mysteries that appeal to younger readers. It is a broad and active category.
According to the report, MTS accounts for 33% of the top 100 Kindle titles. Romance leads with 55%, and women’s fiction sits at 9%.
Thomas: It is important to note that these figures reflect titles, not total sales. The distribution follows a Pareto pattern. A small number of top books generate a disproportionate share of revenue, while the rest form a long tail of lower-selling titles.
Jonathan: There is also a seasonal pattern. Sales tend to rise in September and dip in March. Over the last six months, the category has shown a modest upward trend.
Within MTS, suspense leads with an average top 20 sales rank of 34, moving about 1,011 copies per day. Thrillers follow at rank 41 with roughly 922 daily sales. Mystery trails at rank 146 with about 458 daily sales.
The standout trend is growth in specific subgenres. Techno thrillers are up 49% over the past year. Political thrillers and police procedurals are also gaining traction, along with private investigator stories, which are up 43%.
If you are targeting one of these subgenres, you are likely to see stronger launch momentum right now.
My view is that the rise in techno thrillers is tied to AI. Earlier stories, like The Matrix or I, Robot, asked whether we should build AI. Now AI exists, and the question has shifted. Readers want stories about how AI changes conflict and society.
Thomas: People use fiction to make emotional sense of the world. News helps them understand events intellectually, but stories help them process what those events mean.
AI is creating uncertainty. Some readers respond by escaping into genres that avoid it. Others want to confront it directly. That is where techno thrillers come in. They allow readers to explore the implications of emerging technology in a narrative form.
A strong techno thriller looks slightly ahead of reality. It takes current developments and asks what happens next.
For example, imagine small autonomous drones capable of targeting individuals. One device may not seem significant, but a coordinated swarm changes the equation entirely. That kind of scenario feels close enough to reality to be compelling, while still offering room for storytelling.
Jonathan: That is where these stories gain traction. If you can anticipate the next phase of a technology or cultural shift, even by a year or two, you can capture reader interest.
The same applies to political thrillers. A timely example would be a story set inside Iran, exploring internal tensions as external pressure increases. What happens beneath the surface as power structures shift? What are the competing factions, and how do they respond?
Thomas: There is also an opportunity for a different kind of political story. Right now, most portrayals focus on flawed or corrupt leaders. There is space for a narrative centered on a principled statesman operating in a difficult environment.
As cultural cycles shift, readers often look for virtuous figures navigating complex systems. A story about a leader trying to achieve meaningful change while maintaining integrity could resonate.
Political thrillers are already on the rise. Combining that with elements of techno thrillers could create a powerful narrative. It would require a strong understanding of both technology and politics, but the opportunity is clear.
Thomas: Someone should write a political thriller centered on a Rand Paul–type figure, a character who is actually trying to win and pass legislation. For the story to work, the protagonist needs a clear mission.
Here is the novel I want to see. A senator is trying to save the republic by eliminating the filibuster. The argument is that the filibuster weakens the system of checks and balances. There are three branches of government meant to check one another, yet only one branch requires a 60% threshold to act. That creates gridlock and removes accountability.
The story follows a single, principled senator attempting to change that system. What does it take to succeed in that environment?
Jonathan: At its core, that kind of story is about deal-making. There was a film a few years ago called Draft Day, starring Kevin Costner. It focused on the NFL draft and the negotiations behind the scenes.
It worked because of the complexity. Every decision involved trade-offs, misdirection, and strategic thinking. No one trusted anyone else. Deals looked bad on the surface but made sense later. That is the foundation of a political thriller.
It is about what you trade, what you conceal, and how you manage competing interests. Sometimes it even looks like you are helping the wrong side when you are not.
Thomas: I am looking for the inverse of Mr. Smith Goes to Washington. The modern version of the filibuster no longer requires continuous speech, which changes the dynamic. I am not opposed to the traditional, talking filibuster.
Jonathan: The key point is that audiences enjoy solving problems. They want to understand what is happening beneath the surface.
I am working on a story myself on Royal Road called Devil Dog. It follows a Marine who is a Christian but wakes up in hell inside a game-like system. He begins leveling up, but the system cannot control him. It breaks its own rules.
The central mystery is simple. Why is he there? Readers stay engaged because they want to uncover the answer. You reveal information gradually, and that keeps them hooked.
Thomas: I did not realize it was already available to read.
Jonathan: It is. I am eight chapters in.
Thomas: We should keep moving, but I want to highlight what is declining in the market. While techno thrillers, political thrillers, and police procedurals are rising, assassination thrillers are falling.
There was a temporary spike in interest when an attempted assassination dominated the news cycle. It made the concept feel dramatic and distant. That has changed. Real-world events have shifted the tone. Assassination no longer feels abstract or exciting. It feels unsettling.
The perception of assassins has also changed. They are no longer seen as polished, cinematic figures. They are viewed as ideologically driven individuals operating in less controlled environments.
Jonathan: That shift removes the appeal. It is no longer aspirational or intriguing in the same way.
Thomas: This aligns with broader cultural cycles. In earlier phases, stories often centered on antiheroes and morally gray protagonists. Organized crime narratives performed well because audiences were interested in flawed characters operating in broken systems.
Now there is a shift toward stories with clearer moral direction. Readers are more interested in protagonists who pursue justice rather than embody corruption.
We are seeing that reflected in both fiction and real-world attitudes. Law enforcement and order are becoming more central themes again. That shift is gradual, and different audiences are moving at different speeds, but the direction is becoming clearer.
Jonathan: Multiple cultural perspectives can exist at the same time. Some audiences still favor older narratives, while others are moving toward new ones. Understanding your audience is critical.
If your readers lean one way, you can write directly to that perspective or challenge it thoughtfully. Either way, you need to know where they stand.
Thomas: Exactly. These shifts do not happen overnight. Different viewpoints coexist and compete. Over time, one tends to become dominant.
For authors, the key is to recognize where the momentum is building and write accordingly.
Thomas: The average price of a mystery, thriller, or suspense ebook has gone up. That reflects a broader trend across publishing, especially in ebooks. All of the reports we are discussing here focus on Kindle ebooks.
The average price is now $7.05. I wish the report included the median price rather than just the average, although in this case the two may be fairly close because Amazon’s pricing structure limits the kind of extreme outliers that can distort the data.
I suspect two factors are driving this increase. The first is inflation. The second is that more authors are building advertising costs into their pricing model.
For many authors, this is the key to unlocking profitability. They are charging too little and not making enough per book. If you make an extra dollar on each sale, that gives you another dollar to acquire your next reader. If your profit rises from $1 to $2 per book, and it costs $1.50 to acquire a reader, you suddenly have a scalable system. Each sale helps fund the next one, while still leaving a margin.
That is good for Amazon as well. The company gets paid when a book sells, and it gets paid again when authors buy ads. In a crowded marketplace, advertising is one of the main ways to stand out, and higher prices help make that possible.
Jonathan: The $4.99 price point still appears to perform best in terms of royalties. That may be closer to the median price point, even if it is not the average.
Thomas: I suspect $4.99 is actually the mode, the most common price. That matters because readers are likely seeing that number more than any other as they browse.
Average, median, and mode each tell a different story. The average can be distorted by high-priced books that are barely selling. The median shows the middle point in the data set and is often more useful. The mode tells you the price readers encounter most often.
All three numbers matter. If the average and median are around $7, but the most common visible price is $4.99, that tells you something important about market expectations.
Jonathan: It also raises another question. Are people actually buying those $19.99 mystery or thriller ebooks, or are those titles simply pulling the average upward?
Thomas: Exactly. A listed price does not necessarily reflect a meaningful sales volume.
I have done many episodes on pricing because there is so much strategy involved, and there is no one perfect price. There is no perfect price for books in general, and there is no permanent perfect price for your book.
Pricing changes over time. A book may launch high and later go lower. It may begin low and increase later. It may stay high and occasionally drop for a promotional pulse. The right strategy depends on your readers, your genre, your competition, and your goals.
We are not going to get into the green zones here, because those are one of the most valuable parts of the report. The green zones show where demand is high and supply is low, and that is worth paying for.
Jonathan: One other major takeaway is that series continue to dominate. They make up 49% of the top 100, with a sweet spot around 300 to 350 pages.
Thomas: My takeaway is slightly different. If series account for 49% of the top 100, that means 51% are not series. And within that 49%, you may have multiple books from the same successful series taking up several spots.
I still believe authors should start with a standalone book that has a satisfying ending. Only write a sequel if the first book creates demand for one. Too many authors promise a series before they are ready to deliver it. That hurts readers, damages reputations, and can trap writers into continuing a concept that may not be their strongest work.
For many authors, the first book they write is their weakest. If every reader has to start there, that becomes a problem.
Jonathan: That is partly a craft issue. These numbers do not tell us whether the series began with a strong first book or whether the author built momentum over time. Still, series can offer stronger economics because one reader can turn into multiple sales.
Some long-running books are technically part of a series but still function like standalones. Clive Cussler is a good example. Readers return for the familiar characters, even when the books are loosely connected.
Thomas: I am not against writing series. I am against promising a series before you can deliver it.
I also want to mention one green-zone example because it is especially relevant to our audience. Christian mystery, thriller, and suspense appears to be a promising opportunity. A lot of young Christian writers gravitate toward fantasy or science fiction, often inspired by C.S. Lewis or Tolkien. But economically, mystery, thriller, and suspense may be a much smarter lane.
There is high demand, and relatively few young writers are entering that space. By contrast, Christian fantasy and sci-fi are crowded with aspiring authors and have a smaller readership. I know this firsthand because I used to handle marketing for a company focused on those genres. Finding readers was difficult because so many of them also wanted to be writers.
If more of those authors shifted their storytelling instincts into thrillers, especially techno thrillers, they might find a much stronger market.
Jonathan: That is true. Many of the bestselling Christian authors built their careers in suspense and thriller territory, even when the technology in those books now feels dated.
Thomas: Exactly. A lot of those older thrillers were high-tech for their time.
Jonathan: I wrote a short story in college about a future where the Bible had been destroyed, but one man carried the last copy on a chip in his heart. People loved the concept.
Thomas: That is basically The Book of Eli.
Jonathan: Yes, but the broader point stands. Technology and faith can work together in fiction.
Thomas: Christians have often been at the forefront of advancing media technology. The codex itself, what we now call a book, was strongly promoted by early Christians because it made Scripture easier to carry and distribute. One monk could carry the entire Bible in codex form, which was impossible with scrolls.
So there is a long history here. Christians have not merely adopted technology. In many cases, they helped drive it forward.
Source: K-lytics.com (Affiliate Link)
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