AI – Publishing Friend or Foe

 

 

In Publishing News this week,

 

Last week the big news was Bookshop.org partnering with Draft2Digital. This week it’s Bookshop.org partnering with Spotify. You can buy the audio books you are listening to and Spotify also has a nifty new feature which could be a real game changer in inter device use. With all these deals Bookshop.org is becoming a global player. Hopefully they will see the rest of the world exists soon.

 

In other global player publishing news, Microsoft has just launched a platform marketplace to facilitate the buying of licenses to train AI’s. They are looking at fast churn news stories to get up to the minute information but there may be scope for publishers to market their IP. After all the Anthropic judge did say that it was fair use to buy a copy of a book to train an AI. HarperCollins leapt in quickly to license their back list. Mark Williams takes a deep dive into the pro’s and con’s of this announcement and what it means for fiction publishers. While Microsoft has already made the marketplace Amazon is shouting that they are making one too. It’s nearly here. Soon.

 

The next AI training court case is nearly upon us. Google is in the hot seat trying to defend themselves against a class action. Two publishers have recently joined the class action and Google is shouting not fair. Publishing Perspectives has an article on why the publishers were so late to the party. 

 

Forbes has an article on why Publishers are employing AI engineers. This has been quietly happening for about a year now. Publishers using AI’s in the business and demanding no AI use in making the books. Why has it become a news issue now, sadly because the entry level jobs in publishing are being done by AI. I have a recent publishing graduate in the house looking for their first job and it’s tough out there.

 

I have been writing some non -fiction articles recently and while my brain was wandering into this head space, I read this article in Publishers Weekly on the top best sellers for 2025 in children’s books. They have divided the list into front and backlist.  One of the things that caught my eye was the amount of back listed titles sold in huge numbers that were first published sixty years ago or more. The perennial value of this Intellectual Product couldn’t have been foreseen when they were first published. It makes you think about your own backlist and how every title, no matter when it was published, can be new to a reader.

 

Who has the biggest Book Fair in the world? If you said Frankfurt, you would be wrong, India is second biggest. But for sheer size check out Egypt. The New Publishing Standard has a run down on all the numbers and why publishers should be seriously looking to have a presence there.

 

Last year I linked to articles about Ireland’s Universal Basic Income scheme pilot for artists and writers. It was such a success that they are rolling out for real. Scotland has taken a look at Ireland’s model and are considering doing the same. It could be a movement…

 

Do you remember joking about wanting robots to do the boring work and let you be free to do the fun stuff? I had the feeling we were getting close to that with Chelle Honnikers article on code last week and then she followed it up with Agentic AI, which is where AI is going this year. Your own personal AI agent worker. Chelle is an expert in author business automations and the programmer for the Author Nation conference. It is worth while reading the articles for a look at the future.

 

Russel Nohelty writes excellent articles on author mindset and business. This week he has a great article on how authors need to treat their business like a startup. There are some key road map signs to look for in being successful.

 

If you are looking for some quick author upskilling, The Get Published summit is on soon. There are great speakers, many of whom have featured in this blog so go on over to the website and grab your free ticket.

 

Katie Weiland has a fantastic article from James Scott Bell about the mirror moment in fiction. I had one of those AHA moments when I read James’ book on the topic. The article is excellent and I highly recommend the book too.

 

In The Craft Section,

The scene between the beats- Ines Johnson- Bookmark

The beginning page- Kathleen McCleary- Bookmark

Single or multiple viewpoints- Becca Puglisi-Bookmark

Get paid as a writer Suzy Vadori- Bookmark

What does your character fear – September Fawkes

 

In The Marketing Section,

How one author got ripped off- Sandra Beckwith

25 things I wish every writer knew- Dan Blank- Bookmark

Explaining KDP expanded distribution- Memoir Mentors

Reader magnets- Ines Johnson- Bookmark

Book Marketing metrics that matter- Penny Sansevieri- Bookmark

 

To Finish

If you have been in the traditional author space or reporting on it for a few decades you would have noticed the gradual decline in publishers taking an interest in their authors.  A few decades ago a publisher or an editor would nurture a writer and spend time polishing the manuscript or giving them opportunities to grow their career. 

Ah the good old days. 

Richard Charkin comments on the power shift in publishing that has happened almost without publishers realizing it. And they only have themselves to blame. Aligned with this thinking ,Agent Richard Curtis talks about the importance of negotiating rights in your contract. Who is looking after your best interests? It should be you!

 

Maureen

@craicer

 

Do you want the best of my bookmarked links in a handy monthly newsletter? You can subscribe here to join our happy band.

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If you like the blog and want to buy me a coffee, I appreciate the virtual coffee love. Thanks.

 

Picture- The great Tom Gauld nailing it again.

What the New Year Brings

In Publishing News this week

As I write this the news is filtering out of the layoffs at The Washington Post. Hundreds of journalists have lost their jobs, among them the editor of the Book Review page. Book reviews are hard to come by at the best of times. Lit Hub examines the astounding impact of the Washington Post Books Page. Bezos started Amazon in 1994 as an online bookstore. Shake your head and weep.

 

In happier news, Bookshop.org and Draft2Digital have inked a partnership deal. This opens up the Independent Bookshop supporting marketplace to the one of the biggest Independent print on demand publishers. That’s worth celebrating.

 

Publishing Perspectives reports on an advanced seminar for Booksellers in Italy and the key points to come out of it for publishers and booksellers looking at the international market. Know your customer and provide a high level service. Make your bookshop a destination, the article suggests. As I was reading the article I was thinking of the new romance bookshop in Auckland, Enamoured Books. They are off to a fantastic start!

 

The hot new craze is microdrama. I was contacted by a publicist for Reelshort to talk about what they were doing. I was interested in the concept as a writer. Short cliff hanger serial story episodes that commuters read on their phones. It was a big thing in Asia a few years ago. If they need writers that would be an interesting gig. Now TikTok has launched a new microdrama serial app and is set to cash in on the commuter trip. 

 

Mark Williams has commentary on the UK government’s new partnership with AI and how the UK publisher’s association has been left out in the cold. He is pro AI from the point of view of its here deal with it camp. Meanwhile, San Diego Comic Con and the science fiction writing community are tightening the rules around using AI in award criteria.  

 

The Book Industry Study Group recently hosted an event on rights selling; If You Don’t Know The Value of Your IP You Don’t know The Value of Your Company. One of their keynote speakers, Thad McIlroy talked about licensing for AI. This could be a limited lifeline for publishers depending on the judgements in current court cases against AI companies this year. The American Copyright Alliance had a quick rundown of how many court cases against AI companies will be heard in 2026. It is not a small number and makes interesting reading as companies scramble to settle out of court.

 

Alicia McCalla has an interesting viewpoint on AI, What actually scares me about AI.

She talks about AI hallucinating the books she has written. Just before Christmas we had that happen in New Zealand where children’s book authors were credited in a newspaper article with books they had not written. There is a solution, says Alicia, be proactive for AI to find your work.

 

As we roll onward into another year of writing, it’s a good time to revisit the scammers who want to shatter your dreams. Anne R Allen has a recap post on the sharks out there. Victoria Strauss has a warning post on a new scam using agent identity theft as the twist. Don’t forget to point out these scams to new authors out there. 

 

The Dream Team, Angela and Becca have a new thesaurus coming in April. When I met Angela last year, she told me that many psychologists are using these books to help them in their practice. A whole new world out there for a writing thesaurus book. If you haven’t checked out these award winning books, you are missing out! 

If you are after great books check out Dean Wesley Smith's new Kickstarter. He has four updated books on publishing and writing, The Essential Indie Collection. I’ve got the originals of these books, they are amazing resources on mindset and author business. 

 

Joanna Penn recently interviewed Melissa Addey on researching like an academic and then using this to spark your creative writing. I love researching but knowing when to stop and write the story is the tricky part. Melissa has some great advice here. As an academic she has an interesting view on researching for her novels and the horrors of academic publishing.

 

In The Craft Section,

Reading with purpose- Gabriela Pereira- Bookmark

Meet the villain- Gwen Hernandez- bookmark

Becoming your character- Boo Walker

Coping mechanisms Thesaurus- Becca Puglisi

What makes a good ending- Janice Hardy- Bookmark

 

In The Marketing Section

Author press kit blunders- Sandra Beckwith-Bookmark

The hidden cost of spam- Lisa Norman

Publishing secrets every new author needs to know- Rachel Thompson- Bookmark

The 2026 reader survey results- Written Word Media- Bookmark

The ultimate guide to crafting a book pitch- Penny Sansevieri

 

To Finish,

As we head into February and your writing goals are sorted it’s time to look at your author business. Here is where Becca Syme comes in. Becca is one of the most respected author mindset coaches out there. She often guests on the big writing podcasts. She recently made available her keynote talk from a recent conference on the phases of an author business. Clear and practical advice. A must watch.

 

Maureen

@Craicer

 

It’s nearly time for my first newsletter of the year. If you want the best of my bookmarked links plus other interesting tidbits, you can subscribe here to join our happy band.

If you want the weekly blog in your inbox subscribe to the free Substack version.

If you like the blog and want to buy me a coffee, Thank you very much.  I appreciate any virtual coffee love. 

 

Pic Photo by Iuliia Pilipeichenko on Unsplash

Finding Our Way

 

 

In Publishing News this week,

 

Publishers Weekly has an interesting article on Booksellers in Minneapolis and how their visibility in the recent protests have affected their sales. The picture of a 70 year old bookseller standing in clouds of teargas went viral. For my American readers – the world is watching and appalled on your behalf at what is happening in your cities by your own government. 

 

In happier news, The Babysitters Club is 40 years old and Scholastic are celebrating with new projects. It is amazing how this series kept going, girls, and clubs a winning combination. Meanwhilie, the American Library Association celebrated their Carnegie and Newbury medal winners today.

 

Bologna Children’s Book Fair has a sizable exhibition section devoted to the illustrators and every year they host a competition of submitted work from illustrators. Thousands enter but only 75 get honoured at the children’s book fair. Looking down the list- only one from the Southern hemisphere and one each from USA and UK. 

 

Mark Williams reports on Amazon coding changes that were rolled out slowly in 2025. A10 is now fully implemented across the ecosystem and Mark explains how this has changed the way books are ranked and hopefully cut off the AI book surge.

 

Dale Evans reports that Ingram Spark is dropping the Update fee from February 1^st. When Ingram first started Print on Demand publishing it used to cost to upload a title and then a further cost to update it. With all the Print on Demand competition they dropped the upload fee a few years ago and now the update fee is no more. Expect a wait as thousands of authors take the opportunity to refresh their books in the first half of this year. 

 

Selling Direct was the catch phrase in 2025 and everybody seemed to be experimenting with different online shops. Just coming to the party are publishers who have caught on to the benefits of knowing who might be buying their books. The Independent Publishers Group has partnered with Norwegian Beat Technology to offer sales platforms to their members. 

 

Joanna Penn recently interviewed Adam Beswick on his selling direct adventures with live streaming on TikTok. As I read through the transcript I was constantly marveling at how bookselling is changing. If you want a glimpse of the future check out what Adam is doing. Mind blowing stuff for 2026.

 

Written Word Media have a comprehensive article on author trends for 2026. They start off with the statement Trust is the new currency. This is one of those articles that you need to read without distractions. There is a lot to think about.

 

Jenny Hansen has an interesting article on Writers In The Storm on writing goals and how they suffer in January. You start the year with great intentions then flail around after a few weeks doubting yourself. Writing Goals: Going From Aargh to Aha! 

 

Kristin Hacken South writes on Writer Unboxed about the dilemma of the writer. Who Are You? This is not a navel gazing exercise in what type of writer you are, it is a look at the profound understanding of choosing the identity of writer. 

 

In The Craft Section,

How to craft accurate fight scenes- Dr Alex Jemetta

Writing without trying to manage the reader- Excellent essay -Harper Ross

Character Journey as Structure- Lisa Poisso- Bookmark

5 ways to hide your villain- Jill Boehme- Bookmark

Writing for change- Nina Amir- Excellent 

 

In the Marketing Section,

The author formula workbook- Book Review- Sandra Beckwith

2 great posts from Penny Sansevieri-9 Proven strategies for Amazon sales and

What drives success- Bookmark

Substack made simple- Rachel Thompson

Planning a branding focus- Ines Johnson- Bookmark

 

To Finish

 

Katie Weiland is not afraid to go deep into the writer’s psyche and study how we think and express ourselves. As we start a new year there are challenges in the world that have us feeling unsure and unsettled about our place as writers and how our work is influenced by the events around us. Her essay on Why Writers Need A Sense of Wonder in Fiction More Than Ever speaks to the unease many of us are feeling. Our own lives can be seen in the context of stories. It is a great essay, and I hope you will read it. 

 

Maureen

@craicer

 

Do you want the best of my bookmarked links in a handy monthly newsletter? You can subscribe here to join our happy band.

If you want the weekly blog in your inbox subscribe to the free Substack version.

If you like the blog and want to buy me a coffee, I appreciate the virtual coffee love. Thanks.

 

pic Photo by Vitaly Gariev on Unsplash

Trying To Stay Sane for 2026

 

 

And we are back for another year of looking at news, trends, and tips on navigating the publishing world. 

Because I live in the Southern Hemisphere, we also have Summer, schools out, and Christmas and New Year all squashed together in one month of eating, celebrating, and broken new year’s resolutions. But the publishing world continues without noticing we are gone, so the first blogs in January are What Did We Miss.

 

Publishers Weekly reported that publishers are getting together to join a class action against Google. Yes, they too copied the Anthropic playbook and now a court case is looming on the horizon.

 

Spotify having made a substantial inroad into Audibles market share on audio books is looking to expand into video and to sweeten the pot it is going to be super easy to get eyeballs and ears on audio books. Meanwhile, Audible is doing the same according to Publishing Perspectives. The video wars on audio books are about to start.

 

If you are using YouTube for audio books you might like to check out the new trend on BookTok, ambient video for your books. You could upload a video of a cozy fire in a library as the visuals for your audio book experience. This could help with lots of sales if you upload the video to Spotify and Audible.

In AI news – HarperCollins France has decided to embrace AI translation much to the annoyance of translators. Publishing Perspectives reports on The Future of Translation: AI and The Greater Good.

 

Dave Malone has an interesting post on what labeling could look like as a way to distinguish works with AI use in it. He has some clear examples of types of labels which could be used on creative work. (It looks a little like a nutrition label, but the concept is worthy.)

Steph Pajonas has an interesting post on AI resistance being a problem for your ego. Are you letting your ego get in the way of using this tool?

 

Mark Williams keeps his eye on the publishing in the rest of the world, and he has some interesting things to report on the new darling of the Frankfurt Book Fair- India.

With their Gen Z numbers bigger than the population of the United States this is a potential publishing market that has been ignored for too long. The New Delhi Book fair is aiming for over 2 million visitors. If your country has just signed a free trade deal (NZ) this could be a great opportunity for publishing expansion.

 

Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia has seen the future in kids literature and it is Manga. They have embraced the Manga storytelling style and are teaching their kids to create this using their own stories.

 

Big Bad Wolf is back in Indonesia. BBW takes English language books that would be pulped otherwise and sells it in huge sales that last a week and are round the clock. Children’s books are in high demand. The numbers are astonishing. (A nice little earner for the publishers who write off their books, officially.)

 

Every January, the list of books, songs and films coming into the public domain gets attention. This is for specific books or characters. So thriller authors if you want to do your own versions of The Saint or Miss Marple or the Maltese Falcon you are in luck. Check out the list. There might be a pot of author gold waiting for you.

 

If you are thinking about the coming year and what might be the dominant themes check out Joanna Penn’s predictions for publishing in 2026. She is a publishing futurist and is often ahead of the trends.

Meanwhile, Erin Niumata has an interesting post on selecting a word of the year as your guiding star for decisions in your author life.

In the Craft Section,

How to use character tropes without the cliches- Angela Ackerman- Bookmark

3 Unforgettable Scenes- James Scott Bell

Summing up your story in 2 sentences- P J Parrish- Bookmark

The sentence and the story; a fable- Donald Maass

When to reveal story stakes- K M Weiland- Bookmark

 

In the Marketing Section,

Tips to overcome video shyness- Amy Rogers Nazarov- Bookmark

2026- the year to stop being invisible- Jaime Buckley

The pitch- a writing selling point- Ellen Buikema- Bookmark

Facebook ads for authors – video teaching by David Gaughran- Bookmark

5 social media metrics that matter- Rachel Thompson- Bookmark

 

To Finish,

As we look to start another calendar year of writing and publishing organizing ourselves into productive habits become the most pressing things to conquer in January. In the Southern Hemisphere it is right up there with getting the kids back to school after the so called Summer holiday. (It’s torrential rain here- Climate Change is biting.) If the thought of planning a year full of writing activities daunts you, check out this excellent post from Alexa Bigwharfe on a way to plan your writing goals and keep you moderately sane for 2026.

 

Maureen

@craicer

 

Do you want the best of my bookmarked links in a handy monthly newsletter? You can subscribe here to join our happy band.

If you want the weekly blog in your inbox subscribe to the free Substack version.

If you like the blog and want to buy me a coffee, I appreciate the virtual coffee love. Thanks.

 

Pic Photo by BoliviaInteligente on Unsplash