Posts by Densie Webb
AI and book bans topped the news last month. Microsoft is offering cash to authors who grant permission to use their books to train AI, while calls for regulation and oversight of AI increase. Amazon is doing away with a way to download ebooks to Kindle. See if it affects you. If the Iowa legislature gets its way, don’t expect to read any sex scenes in books from Iowa libraries. In the what-goes-around-comes-around category, J.D. Vance’s bestseller, Hillbilly Elegy is now the target of some book bans. Meanwhile, a school in Ft. Campbell, Kentucky is removing books that mention slavery, civil rights movement or diversity, equity and inclusion. But maybe there’s hope. A school in Texas offer an interactive program to teach about censorship. Are shorter books the way of the future? The prestigious Booker Prize seems to think so. And there’s more. Read on.
AI
ElevenLabs Launches Publishing Platform for AI-Generated Audiobooks
UK publishers prepare to negotiate the AI copyright debate
Microsoft offers publishers $5,000 to train AI on their books (half goes to authors)
Amazon
Amazon changes the ability to download Kindle books
Book Bans
Hillbilly Elegy, by JD Vance now subject to book bans
14 Book Censorship Posts to Revisit
Bookstores
More on the rise of romance bookstores
UK-based World of Books, e-tailer of new and used books, plans aggressive US expansion
Libraries
Libraries and librarians support romance novels
Library in Texas creates interactive program to teach about censorship
Politics
A dramatic shift in the Endowment for the Arts grant requirements
Publishing
8 Independent publishers form new cooperative
A small UK-based press takes a chance and takes off
Are shorter books in? The Booker Prize nominees suggest the answer is “yes”
Would you accept a Microsoft payment of $2,500 to use your book to help train AI programs? No judgment here. Truly curious.
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The other day, while sharing pages with my critique group, I had a scene where a character finds a camera loaded with film in her dead friend’s apartment. The response from my crit partners: “Oooh, I can’t wait to find out what’s on there when she gets it developed.” My response? “Yeah, me too!” I’m only about 15,000 words in and who knows what happens next—I certainly don’t.
Clearly, I’m not a plotter. There’s a lot of talk about writers being either pantsers (writing by the seat of your pants) or plotters (scenes are laid out with white boards, index cards, or plotting programs before a single word is written). But I came across a term the other day that I prefer. I’m a “discovery writer.” Maybe you’re already familiar with the term, but it was new to me, and I felt truly seen.
After deciding to write this essay, I attended the Texas Book Festival in Austin, TX, where I live, and I had the pleasure of listening to Jean Hanff Korelitz, author of The Plot and The Sequel among others. When she was asked about her writing process, she said she doesn’t plot or outline. She discovers as she’s writing. I wanted to run up to the stage, give her a high five, and hug her.
I never liked outlining, even as a kid in school. All those Roman numerals, numbers, capital letters, lower case letters made my head spin, leaving me confused and frustrated. Not much has changed. When I write, I have an idea of how I want the story to start and how I want it to end, but that’s pretty much it. The rest I “discover” as I write. I’m the first to admit that it’s the least efficient method of storytelling. Sometimes I “discover” when I go back and reread what I’ve written, that I’ve taken the story in the wrong direction. It doesn’t jibe with what came before. So, time and effort and brain drain are involved in getting things back on track. Some might say that’s the masochistic method of writing. Maybe they’re right. But it’s out of my control.
I tried to be a plotter. I really did, or at the very least, a “plantser,” where I outline at least some of the scenes in my story. I bought index cards, a corkboard, and push pins. When that didn’t get me where I wanted to go, I bought a white board and markers. When that failed to produce a well thought out story, I tried the inside outline that so many writers and editors point to as the key to success. I think I’m allergic. My brain literally rebels and I feel like I’m breaking out in hives when I’m asked to look behind the curtain when I’m not even sure what play I’m watching. I’ve read Lisa Cron’s “Wired for Story,” Blake Snyder’s “Save the Cat,” and Donald Maass’ “Writing the Breakout Novel.” I’ve watched countless videos and attended virtual workshops. Nothing works. I’m that square peg trying to force myself into a round hole. It’s never going to fit, no matter how hard I try. And no matter how much other writers and editors proselytize the virtues of outlining and try to bring […]
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It’s a crazy time for sure, but writers are still writing and publishers are still publishing and AI is still working its way in. Meta is in hot water again for alleged use of pirated books to train AI models. AI may be finding its way into publishers’ advertising. On the bright side, the Authors’ Guild has initiated a human-authored certification program to alert readers to the real thing. Audiobooks are still going strong. Fighting book bans may be getting harder, as the Department of Education has dismissed some book-banning complaints. BookRiot digs deeper into a Fed press release regarding book censorship. In the it’s-about-time department, indie bookstores will soon be able to sell e-books, and bookshop.org is all in as well. Authors, publishers, and booksellers ponder the consequences if TikTok, and therefore BookTok, is banned. Libraries reveal the most borrowed books of 2024. One of the big 5 announces that book blurbs are a thing of the past. Trends in publishing for 2025. And there’s more. Read on!
AI
Authors claim Zuckerberg approved Meta’s use of ‘pirated’ books to train AI models
More on Meta’s alleged use of pirated books
Authors Guild rolls out human-authored certification program
Audiobooks
A 9.2% increase in digital audio spending
Book Bans
Department of Education dismisses book ban complaints
BookRiot give a how-to on critically reading a Fed press release regarding book censorship
Bookstores
Indie bookstores will soon be able to sell e-books to customers
Indie bookseller launch ambitious global bookstore crawl
With L.A. fires subsiding, book industry sustains action
Bookshop.org debuts its ebook platform
BookTok
Author predictions for Booktok 2025
What happens to Booktok if TikTok is banned?
A TikTok ban would mean losing the one platform making Americans want to read
Copyright
Romantacy author facing a juicy copyright lawsuit
Libraries
Libraries reveal the most borrowed books of 2024
Future of libraries unclear amid on/off federal funding freeze
Politics and Publishing
What book publishing can expect under the second Trump administration
Publishing Industry
8 newsletters that demystify the publishing industry
Top 10 publishing trends for 2025
Simon & Schuster won’t require blurbs going forward
Layoffs hit Union Square & Co following Hachette purchase of book group
According to the Association of American Publishers, the industry was up 10.3 in November
Publishing Scams
Three charged in alleged book publishing scam targeting older authors
So, what do you think about Simon & Schuster’s decision not to require blurbs? What that be a relief or do you think blurbs are important for promoting and selling books?
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Happy New Year, Writer Unboxers! Turns out there was plenty of news to cover, despite the holidays. There’s new guidance for AI-voiced audiobooks and some thoughts on how AI is both accelerating and devaluing book publishing. A battle is brewing over copyright in the age of ChatGPT. There’s a call for memoir writers to get credit where credit is due. New Jersey’s new law limits the banning of books in schools and libraries and Arkansas’ book-banning law has been found unconstitutional. Will other states follow suit? Trump threatens legal action to prevent publication of a book about his first administration. Check out what’s entering the public domain in 2025. How Bloom Books (with the help of E.L. James) had 25 books on the bestseller list and became the fastest growing imprint in romance. Author, Reni Eddo-Lodge, will lead Monument Books, a new imprint of HarperCollins. First up? Bestselling author Steve McQueen.
AI
How AI is accelerating and devaluing book publishing
Who own the copyright in the world of AI?
New guidance issued for AI-voiced audiobooks
Authors
Society of Authors calls for memoir writers to be credited
Book Bans
New law in New Jersey limits banning of books in schools and libraries
Arkansas book-banning law declared unconstitutional
Bookstores
Strike ends at the Strand as a tentative agreement is reached
Copyrights
What’s entering the public domain in 2025?
Libraries
Round up of the top library stories of 2024
Louisiana librarian gets major victory in defamation suit
Publishing
A round up of the top 10 bookselling stories of 2024
How Bloom Books became the fastest growing imprint in romance
According to the Association of American Publishers, publishing is up 7.1% year to date
Author, Reni Eddo-Lodge, will lead Monument Books, a new imprint with HarperCollins
Calendar of trade shows and events for 2025
American Booksellers Association condemns Trump’s threat of legal action against Henry Holt & Co
TikTok
What are your predictions for the publishing industry in 2025? Good news? Bad News? Apocalyptic news?
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Publishing news was on overdrive in November. AI was back in the headlines as Spines, a publishing startup, plans to disrupt the publishing industry with AI and flood the market with books in 2025. A Dutch publisher will be using AI to translate books to English, and Microsoft is dipping its toes in the publishing waters, saying it’s going to use technology to accelerate and democratize publishing in the areas of technology, science, and business. Scribd-Evernd is going the way of Kindle Unlimited, i.e. there is a subscription option. Book bans are accelerating and the push back is strengthening. That publishing would be even more affected by politics beyond book bans, is beginning to feel inevitable. Hachette raised the ire of employees by launching two imprints to be led by Thomas Spence, a visiting fellow at the Heritage Foundation, the publishers of Project 2025. Booktok, a bastion of freewheeling book talk now has red lists circulating. Despite all this, the Association of American Publishers says that publishing in the US is up 7% for the year. Read on for more publishing juice.
AI
Dutch publisher will use AI to translate books into English
HarperCollins is selling their authors’ work to AI
Is it becoming push-button publishing?
Microsoft launches its own imprint to “speed up” traditional book publishing
Audiobooks
Scribd-Everand now offers unlimited ebook subscription
Bloomsbury’s audiobook catalogue now available with Spotify Premium
Book Bans
PEN America’s new book banning report, before the election
The many branches of censorship
Everylibrary warns that the election results mean more uncertainty for the future of libraries
PEN America reports that school bans are surging
Florida schools have removed more than 700 books from school libraries
Authors Against Book Bans has formed a coalition across the US to fight book bans
Authors Guild Banned Books Club: Read a banned book each month
Book News
Things to make you feel positive about book culture in general
Book Promotion
What publishing can learn from the election
Book Stores
Barnes & Noble is still opening new stores
Diversity
Why representation in publishing matters
Literary Agencies
Georgia Bodnar has launched her own agency Noyan Literary. She was previously with UTA
Politics
McMillian Marketing VP’s election post stirs anger
Even Booktok has become politicized, creating red lists
Trump threatens New York Times, Penguin Random House over critical coverage
Hachette Book Group US expands Basic Books Group with 2 conservative imprints
Publishers
Seoul-based company develops tactile comics for the sight-impaired
Publishers Weekly salary jobs report
Brooklyn-based small publisher, Under the BQE Press, launched on September 24
Association of American Publishers says US publishing up 7% for the […]
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Moving fact-based books into the fiction section of libraries may be the latest twist on book banning. Taylor Swift has joined the ranks of published authors (though the book is more of a Swifties tour guide). Book sales in all its forms is on the upswing. Is the quality of print-on-demand books less than? Cofounder of Goodreads is offering a new app that curates book options for you. On the opposite end of that spectrum, Gen Z and Millennials evidently love in-person book-store browsing. Romantasy is hotter than ever. James Patterson and crew have taken the leap into Substack. And maybe the biggest news of all, TikTok is making the foray into book publishing. It could be huge, given their gargantuan platform.
Audiobooks
Audiobooks for the win—they may strengthen memory in older adults
Book Bans
Texas library places book about colonization in fiction section
Bookstores
Survey finds Gen Z and Millennials are fans of book stores
Celebrity Books
It was bound to happen—Taylor Swift is an author
Children’s Books
Kids first is Scholastic’s strategy
Books for tweens about elections and voting
Half of children’s books with diverse characters are written by white authors
Publishing
China’s publishing industry seeks new growth
5-day conference in NYC on all things publishing
The Association of American Publishers sees ‘nearly all categories’ getting an uptick, for July
A detailed look at the goings on at the 2024 Frankfurt Book Fair
Nielsen BookData Releases Book Sales Data for the first half of 2024
Low-quality print on demand paperback books
The 8th annual Women in Publishing Summit
Inside the political book machine
Publishing People
Nan Graham to step down as publisher of Scribner
Readers
How publishing has left boys behind
Goodreads Cofounder Launches Smashing, a Content Curation App
Romance
Romantasy breaks another record
Are dirty romance novels losing their stigma?
Social Media
James Patterson has joined Substack
TikTok
TikTok dips its toes in the publishing waters
Why Tiktok’s publishing venture is a smart move
Hundreds of thousands are flocking to LibraryTok
Would you be willing to submit your manuscript to TikTok’s bold new publishing venture? Why or why not?
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There were some wins, some losses, and several ongoing battles in the book-banning wars. Will AI replace audiobook narrators—audiobook publishers are trying it on for size. The publishing industry is up, but publishing jobs are down. A website spills all the publishing tea. Amazon’s Kindle Unlimited celebrates a decade of its subscription e-book service. The revolving door in publishing keeps turning and a network for women in publishing will convene in New York later this month.
AI
Generative AI offers a sample of the freaky future in the form of a bodiless podcast
Amazon
Audiobooks
International audiobook publishers say the industry is strong
ACX testing AI program to replicate narrators’ voices
BookBans
How booksellers are taking on book banners
Freedom-to-read advocates want to expand efforts beyond the courtroom
Renewed court challenge in Iowa
A new resolution promoting the freedom to read presented by members of both houses of Congress
Preliminary 2024 report on book censorship
Stephen King books now banned in Florida
Publishers
Lots of moving and shaking in the publishing world.
Publishing Jobs have been disappearing
Overall, the publishing industry was up by 6.2% in June, the most recent stats
Appellate decision upholds the rights of authors and publishers
Authors Guild negotiates closure of TouchPoint Press
The torch of Sam Spade is being passed to prize-winning crime writer, Max Allan Collins
Spilling the tea on publishing
Social Media
Are you on BookTok as a content provider or consumer? Have you noticed any differences in the platform over the last several years?
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At least one academic publisher is cutting deals with AI and not allowing authors to opt out of the deal; could fiction publishers be far behind? The Author’s Guild has stepped up to the book-banning plate, condemning Utah’s statewide book ban (including books by Judy Blume), gaining a partial victory in Iowa, and suing Florida for its book-banning law. Go Guild! A survey finds 28 librarians who have been asked to remove books from library shelves. Open Road Integrated Media offers a workaround for book bans—a program that helps you find banned books near you. Book Bars in New York are spreading, check it out! While Costco earlier decided not to sell book year round, Barnes & Noble is opening new stores! Dyslexia-friendly versions of popular books are available. Pine & Cedar Books, a new imprint of Flatiron Books, will launch in summer 2025. And last, but not least, stay tuned for Bookseller’s survey on authors advances and royalties.
AI
Wiley set to earn $44m from AI rights deals, confirms ‘no opt-out’ for authors
Select U.S. customers can interact with “Maven,” Audible’s new personal recommendation expert.
Book Bans
Authors Guild acknowledges partial victory in Iowa book ban case
Utah’s statewide ban condemned by Authors Guild
Authors Guild is suing over new Florida book banning law
John Green and major publishing houses sue Florida over book ban laws
School libraries ‘censored’ as survey reveals 28 librarians ‘asked to remove books from shelves’
Open Road offers geo-targeting to banned books
Little Free Library partners with ALA, PEN America on banned books map
Book Bars
Book bars gain momentum around New York
Bookstores
Barnes & Noble is opening 58 stores in 2024
BookTok
Adult fiction titles are booming, thanks to BookTok
Diversity and Inclusion
Two decades after shaking up Hollywood, the black list sets its sights on fiction
Bloomsbury launches adult dyslexia-friendly versions of bestselling backlist
Latino authors break through in children’s lit
Nonfiction
Publishing
Flatiron to debut Pine & Cedar imprint with S.A. Cosby’s next book
The Bookseller launches author survey on advances and royalties
The Bookseller Children’s Conference full program for 2024 announced
What publishers need to know about the European Accessibility Act
AAP StatShot Annual Report: Publishing revenues totaled $29.9 billion for 2023
Would you be willing to sign a contract that made it mandatory to allow your work to be used for AI? What if it was your dream publisher?
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July’s publishing news was not as earth-shattering as some months, but the push and pull of AI—who has the right to the words on the page, continues. The Copyright Clearance Center is getting in on the AI tug of war, with a new licensing approach for content usage. The world of audiobooks is expanding, with Spotify diving in head first. Speaking of audiobooks, Audible is beta-testing an AI-powered search feature. The much-loved middle-grade author of the Sweet Valley High series, Francine Pascal, has passed away. Washington State University Press will be shutting its doors. One company has found a way to work around book bans. The latest edition of Lynette Owen’s book on how to sell publishing rights has been released. Writer’s Digest has published its list of top websites for writers, which contains a lot of do’s and don’ts for publishing.
AI
Even publishers of scientific journals are worried about AI
New company being developed as an “AI rights licensing platform for creators”
https://authorsguild.org/news/ag-demands-prior-consent-for-ai-use-of-academic-and-news-content/
Amazon
What to do if your Amazon KDP account is terminated
Audiobooks
Audio Publishers Association stages an international summit
Another merger of audiobook companies
Audible is beta-testing an AI-powered search engine
Spotify adds 1,000 audiobooks from 100 publishers
Authors
Author of the Sweet Valley High series has died.
Book Bans
BookNet Canada has found that 23 percent of books seen as censored have been published since 2020.
Publishers
Trade publishing rose 16.5% in May
Washington State University Press will close its doors
Resources
Writer’s Digest best publishing news and resource websites for 2024
Rights
Leading rights and licensing conference to be held in Frankfurt, Germany in October
Latest edition of Lynette Owen’s book on selling rights is out
Sales
Sales stats for the first half of the year from Circana Bookscan
That’s a wrap for July, 2024! Is there any topic you’d like to see more of in the monthly Publishing News?
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Surprisingly, AI was not in forefront of publishing news for June. Could be things have quieted down or it could be that it’s slowly becoming the norm and not quite so newsworthy—we’ll see. Audiobooks are still climbing the charts, but AI-generated voices may be bad news for narrators. Speaking of audiobooks, revenues are up and so are audiobook subscriptions. Blockbuster authors like Emily Henry manage to make it big (hint: with a little help from book lovers on BookTok). In the ridiculous file—Florida is banning a book about book banning. But Texas and Oklahoma have been taken down a notch on their efforts to enforce wide book bans. And, contrary to popular belief, the New Adult genre is not dead.
AI
Audio Books
Authors
How author Emily Henry made it big without going on TikTok or touring.
Seven reasons authors use pen names and does it still make sense?
Book Bans
Florida school board bans book about book bans.
A librarian in Louisiana is speaking out about her experiences battling book bans.
Official launch of authors against book bans organization
Oklahoma Supreme Court stops State effort to ban books from public schools
Book Sales
Print book sales were up in May.
Queer books seeing a bump in sales.
Bookstores
Feminist bookstore sets up shop in Oakland, CA.
Barnes & Noble buys Denver’s Tattered Cover bookstores.
Literary Agents and Publishing
New literary agency, Greenstone Literary, launches
Literary works are far down the list on Amazon’s bestseller list
Macmillan to launch Saturday Books, a New Adult Imprint, Next Fall
So, my favorite source for publishing news, thepassivevoice.com, is no more. Or at least the website has been inaccessible for the last 6 weeks or so. If you have a favorite source for publishing news (preferably something that doesn’t have a paywall) please share! I would be forever grateful.
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There are some seismic shifts in this month’s roundup. A potentially disturbing development—Meta discussed buying Simon & Schuster to train AI. Yep, you read that right. Meta would then own books published by S&S. AI is nosing in on screenwriters as well, and they’re fighting back. TikTok is considering AI generated ad avatars. Amazon uses secret intel gathering on its competitors. Spotify as a source for audiobooks is exploding. FTC proposal says ‘no way’ to contract non-compete clauses, which harm authors. In a surprising change, Ingram notified small publishers that the company would no longer service their book distribution needs, leaving many scrambling. The case of Penguin vs DOJ offers insight into the harsh reality of book promotion and sales.
AI
If a computer can write like a person, what does it say about creativity?
Will copyright law inhibit or enable AI?
What would it mean if Meta were to buy a major publisher to train their AI?
Not everyone is so pessimistic about AI
Screenwriters are concerned about AI
TikTok Considers AI Ad Avatars
Amazon
Amazon again in hot water with the FTC
Amazon’s secret operation to gather intel on rivals
Audiobooks
A quarter of Spotify premium users are listening to audiobooks
New CEO at Scribd audiobook business
Book Bans
Censorship is a hammer looking for a nail
Maryland passes legislation to curtail book bans
Book Sales
Association of American Publishers reports sales up by 0.4%
Eye-opening take aways from THE trial when Penguin Random House attempted to buy Simon & Schuster
Bookstores
The next generation of booksellers changing the bookselling world
Ebook vs Paper
Which is better for the environment?
Publishing Updates
EU excludes book industry from late payment regulations
Politics trigger PEN America cancellation of World Voices Festival
FTC proposes banning broad non-compete clauses, which hurt authors
Ingram suddenly stops distribution for small presses
Entangled Press gets a huge boost from fantasy series
France allows book ads on television
Does the idea of Meta buying a major publisher to train AI with your books make your skin crawl? Does it feel inevitable? How could authors fight back? Should authors fight back?
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For the first time in long time, AI didn’t dominate the publishing news. Maybe AI is so common place now that it’s not newsworthy anymore? We’ll see. But copyright infringement using AI is still an unresolved issue, it seems. There are lots of movers and shakers in the publishing world moving and shaking. Three publishing veterans have created a new startup publishing house that was announced in March, and just FYI, an agent is required to submit your manuscript. Romantasy is exploding, so much so that it had its very first conference devoted solely to the genre. Oprah may have been the first, but book clubs hosted by famous women are growing. Congrats to the lucky authors who are featured. Simon & Schuster, one of the Big 5, celebrated its centennial. And there’s a reprinted handy checklist of need-to-know book-deal terms. You might want to keep it handy when you get “The Call.”
AI
Four major publishers fighting a judgment of copyright infringement
Generative AI and copyright infringement
AI’s take on self-publishing vs traditional publishing
Book Banning and Censorship
Titles targeted for censorship surged 65% in 2023 compared to 2022
Legislative attacks on state library associations
PEN America negotiating over freedom of expression
Book Clubs
More famous women host book clubs
Book Stores
New LGBTQ online indie store launches
Counterfeit Books
Amazon sued by author over counterfeit books being sold
TikTok
Is book promotion via TikTok at risk?
Publishing tips and tricks
Don’t be shy. Make your name big on the cover
Handy check list of book contract deal terms
Publishing trends and events
All the movers and shakers in the industry
Three publishing veterans launch a new house
Simon & Schuster celebrates its centennial
Trends seen at the London Book Fair
First ever Romantacy festival comes to Chicago
Which of these headlines might affect you directly—possible TikTok ban, the new publishing house, new online bookstore focused on LBGTQ readers, counterfeit book sales, censorship? What’s your perspective?
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AI, AI, and more AI, from AI detectors and AI as co-author to AI writing tools. Amazon piles up record revenues after a loss. There’s fallout from the Sci-Fi Hugo Awards and a look at the books behind the 2024 award-winning films. Book bans are affecting literary classics, screening out black authors, and Alabama libraries are blocking the purchase of books by lgtbq authors. A judge rejects most chatGPT copyright claims from authors. A recent survey found that the publishing industry is still overwhelmingly white and, in an overzealous effort to promote diversity, one now-paused AI image generator blocked images of white people. Findaway initiated a rights grab for audiobooks via Spotify. And an inside look at the decade ahead for ebooks vs print books. Never a dull moment!
AI
Does AI Get Free Access to Work Denied to Us Humans?
Use of Grammerly Puts Student on Probation
Will AI Signal the End of the Web as We Know it?
Open AI Video Generator Breathtaking Yet Terrifying
Philosophical and Ethical Issues Using AI for Writing
Google Paying Publisher to Use its AI to Write Stories
Amazon
Amazon Turns $2.7 billion loss in 2022 to a $30 billion profit in 2023
Book Awards
Hugo Awards for Sci-Fi Marred by Political Concerns
Resignations and Censures in the Wake of the Hugo Awards Controversy
Books to Film
The Books Behind the 2024 Academy Award Nominations
Book Bans
Florida’s Book Ban Policies Kick Classics to the Curb
Florida School Requires Parental Consent for Students to Listen to Black Authors’ Books
Cancel Culture Dominates Children’s Literature
Alabama Library Bans Purchases of lgbtq Books
Book Stores
Copyright
Claims of Copyright Infringement from KDP: What to Do
Findaway’s Corporate Rights Grab
Judge Rejects Authors’ ChatGPT Copyright Claims
Diversity
New Diversity Survey Finds Minor Changes in Publishing Workforce
Publishing Industry Overwhelmingly White
Google Pauses AI Image Generation After Program Doesn’t Show Images of White People
Atria Launches New Bilingual Imprint
Publishing News, Trends, and Predictions
Predictions for the Next Decade for ebooks vs Traditional Books
Hachette and Other Divisions of Vivendi to Go on the Stock Market
Interactive Elements for ebooks
Will There Be Unintended Consequences for Publishing from the Latest Spotify Deal?
What’s with the Adultification of YA?
As I look back over the news here, aside from a couple of items, it feels overwhelmingly negative. It’s not intentional. I promise. Do you know of any good news in the publishing industry? If yes, please share!
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At the risk of sounding like a broken record, AI dominated the book biz headlines again, but publishing news (about books written by humans) gave it a run for its money. Amazon has a category all its own, of course. AI and copyright issues go hand-in-hand, but it’s looking like the EU may be a step ahead with possible approval of the AI Act. You can’t go online without reading about the potential for AI to both help and harm. But we can’t blame everything on AI, there’s also the cases of authors behaving badly—spoiler alert—don’t troll fellow authors on Goodreads, and it’s probably a bad idea to write a book about murdering your husband, and then, murder your husband. Then there’s Texas, where the state’s attempt to ban books has been ruled unconstitutional. We’ll see where that one goes. And a happy birthday wish goes out to Simon & Shuster, which has celebrated 100 years in the book biz. And lots more. Read on!
AI
Authors collaborating with AI and with each other
Exploring the frontiers of AI and book publishing
The past and future of copyright
Open AI admits it needs copyright material to function
Japanese laureate pokes a hole in the idea that AI will never write as well as humans
AI generated content makes trust more valuable
Opinion piece on saying ‘no’ to AI for creative pursuits
European publishers calling for approval of AI Act
Canada legislators are wrestling with the tangled mess of AI and copyright
Amazon
Jane Friedman offers up ways to improve your Amazon ranking
Amazon’s power over the book industry
Book Bans
Penguin Random House joins fight against book bans
Washington Senate makes it harder to shut down a library
Texas book banning law ruled unconstitutional
Book Stores
The internet’s favorite women-driven bookstore
Marketing and Promotion
Authors behaving badly: Goodreads’ review-bombing fiasco
5 reasons marketing is hard for writers
Publishing
Is there a fiction factory in conglomerate publishing?
46% of Americans didn’t read a book in 2023
Big Five’s hold on bestseller lists loosened a bit in 2023
Beware scam website impersonating Macmillan Publishers
How-to-murder-your-husband writer sentenced for murdering her husband
Simon & Schuster celebrates 100 years
Publishers need to establish a symbiosis with publishers
Self Publishing
Is self-publishing a good choice for authors in 2024?
Have you used AI? How? For story ideas, to write a synopsis, a query letter, an outline? What has your experience been? What do you see as the pros and cons? Will you use it again? Have you experienced book bans or attempted book bans in your schools, libraries, communities? Who do you know who’s fighting the good fight?
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