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Articles by Dan Holloway
Romantasy, Audiobooks, and the Rise of Bookshop.org
Merry Christmas to all who celebrate. Many of you will no doubt be marking the occasion by cracking the real or virtual spine of a new book. And as my reflection on the year moves away from AI, that’s the perfect segue into thinking about what kind of book most people are likely to be receiving from Santa. ALLi News Editor Dan Holloway Romantasy has yet again dominated the year’s reading and will no doubt be the one genre to rule them all in the Christmas stocking contest.
How AI Reshaped the Landscape for Indie Authors
As the year draws to a close, I have the opportunity to reflect on some of the news stories that have shaped the landscape for indie authors this year. I don’t want to fill your Christmas stockings with AI, so I will get the big AI news of the year out of the way today. ALLi News Editor Dan Holloway Unlike last year, AI is no longer something that’s new. It’s no longer even something that is startling people with what it can do.
News Summary: Reedsy Launches Novel Sprint to Replace NaNoWriMo, with Prizes and No AI
Thank you to Howard for pointing me to this story. Howard, our fabulous editor here, is—as you may or may not be aware—an editor with ALLi partner platform Reedsy. As we reach the end of October, many of us would, in past years, have been gearing up for NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month), the decades-old challenge that saw hundreds of thousands of writers around the globe attempt to write a novel—or at least 50,000 words—in the month of November.
News Summary: Amazon Loosens KDP Select Rules, AI Conference Announced, WordPress Launches Telex Tool
Libraries and ebooks are back in the news again. This time, the story relates to ebooks that are part of the KDP Select program. Huge thanks to Jane Friedman, whose invaluable newsletter alerted me to this. Specifically, the news is that ebooks enrolled in the KDP Select program can also be made available to public libraries. This is a loosening of the rules around exclusivity we are all familiar with. There isn’t a big press release on this, or even an announcement from Amazon.
News Summary: Anthropic Settlement Raises Concerns for Rights Holders; Mastodon Struggles with Age Verification Laws
The news of a settlement in the Anthropic AI piracy and copyright case came just before I filed the last of last week’s columns. Since then, the dust has had a little chance to settle, and reflections are starting to emerge on what any potential settlement might mean. I found (as ever) Mark Williams’ very detailed analysis highly thought-provoking. Williams looks at the implications for all parts of the literary world, including readers and writers.
News Podcast: US Reading Habits Decline, Audible Royalties Disputed, Spotify Tests Visual Audiobooks
On this episode of the Self-Publishing News Podcast, Dan Holloway looks at a new study on US reading habits that shows a 40 percent drop in reading for pleasure between 2003 and 2023, with possible shifts toward digital formats and functional reading. He also covers surprising findings about reading with children, the limited impact of COVID on reading trends, and the growing controversy over Audible’s new royalty model.
News Podcast: Anthropic Class Action Deadline Nears; New Competency Tool for Editors
On this episode of the Self-Publishing News Podcast, Dan Holloway reports on urgent updates in the Anthropic class action case, with a fast-approaching deadline for authors to register their works. He explains the eligibility rules, why U.S. Copyright Office registration matters, and how writers can take part. Dan also introduces a new competency tool from the Chartered Institute of Editing and Proofreading to help publishing professionals assess and build their skills.
News Podcast: AI-Generated Fake Books Resurface on Amazon
On this episode of the Self-Publishing News Podcast, Dan Holloway reports on a renewed wave of AI-generated fake books appearing on Amazon under real author names, prompting concerns about trust and transparency. He also covers the final closure of Boundless Books—formerly Unbound—leaving authors unpaid and in limbo, and raising familiar questions about communication breakdowns, sales reporting, and royalty transparency.
News Summary: New Ghost Features, AI Content Backlash, and Amazon’s Ongoing Fake Book Problem
I am, by and large, a technophile, but I still find some aspects of the current landscape a little confusing. One of those includes the so-called Fediverse and the platforms built on and in conjunction with it. That’s why I probably report on developments in the likes of X alternative Mastodon less than I might otherwise do—I don’t want to misrepresent something as a result of confusion.
News Podcast: Radish Shuts Down, AI Translation Tool Launches
On this episode of the Self-Publishing News Podcast, Dan Holloway discusses allegations that the bestselling memoir The Salt Path misrepresented key facts, reigniting debate over truth in nonfiction. He also examines Globe Scribe, a new AI translation tool claiming human-level results, and reports on the closure of serial fiction platform Radish after struggling to compete with Wattpad. Listen to the Podcast: Radish Shuts Down Sponsors All our ALLi podcasts are proudly sponsored by Bookvault.
News Summary: 'The Salt Path' Memoir Faces Scrutiny Over Truth Claims; Publication Delayed Amid Controversy
Most of you will have noticed that books have made it into the mainstream news in the past week or so. The controversy surrounding The Salt Path, and the film adaptation that was recently released, is a reminder that when we cross over into the regular news, it tends to be for unfortunate reasons.
News Summary: Anthropic Wins Fair Use Ruling on AI Training, but Faces Billions over Pirated Library
The big news this week is that there has been a ruling in one of the major AI copyright cases, and the tech industry at this stage seems to have the most to cheer. But while there are implications for other claims, this is not a once-and-done case by any means.
Romance Drives Fiction Boom and Audiobooks Surge
‘Tis the season to celebrate audiobook growth, it seems. So what better way to mark the solstice—when the city is full of folk dancers and the countryside is full of all manner of people doing all manner of things to mark the longest (or shortest, depending upon your hemisphere) day—than to report on yet another set of industry figures that points to the health of the audio market?
What We Talk About When We Don’t Talk About Mental Health
(to coincide with the launch of Open For Business, my book about Accessible Design available here, and with Mental Health Awareness Week) In 2022, the theme for Mental Health awareness Week was “loneliness.” That year, I was asked to give a talk for Experian which I called “Alone in a Crowded Room.” This year, the theme is “community.” It is not surprising that this talk has a lot of common ground with the one from three years ago.
Apple Loosens App Store Rules
We end the week with a round-up of several small but nonetheless important stories. The biggest of those relates to the recent legal developments in the Epic Games and Apple case. The US courts have ruled that Apple must allow apps to link to external payment sites outside of the US App Store. Apple is appealing the decision, which would stop them from slicing off a 27 percent commission on purchases made through apps from the App Store, but in the meantime, they are having to comply.
AI Copyright Lawsuits Consolidated
For some time, there have been several AI copyright lawsuits brought by rights holders against tech firms, each focusing on how they trained their generative models and whether they breached copyright in doing so. Now, twelve of those cases have been consolidated, including the highest profile of all—the one brought by (inter alia) Sarah Silverman and Ta-Nehisi Coates—during which Meta’s now-infamous internal comms about LibGen were released.
W H Smith Sale Signals Shift in Book Retailing
Occasionally, I come across a story that may have limited reach but strikes a very personal chord. I hope that, like the best chefs, if I season my reporting sparingly enough with them, I get to indulge without too much offense. This is one of those stories. One of the UK’s most famous and longstanding retailers, W H Smith, has been sold. The simple blue-and-white signs bearing its name will no longer frequent the high street.
AI Translation Sparks Backlash from Translators and Authors
Another week, more AI angst. While the Meta AI scandal is not going away any time soon, this week it is AI translation that’s causing the issues—specifically, academic publishing giant Taylor & Francis’s decision to use AI translation to bring research to an English-language audience.
Authors Call for Compensation as Meta Faces Backlash
The “Meta used pirated copies of my books to train its AI” scandal is most definitely not going away. A recap for anyone who hasn’t been on the internet since last Thursday: The Atlantic published a search facility for the aggregated piracy site LibGen. Writers have been using it and finding out that their titles are on the list (including two of mine). Meta gave the go-ahead from the highest level to use LibGen to train its LLaMA AI. Allegedly, that highest level knew it was a piracy site.
AI Wrote a Story; People Had Feelings!
AI has been writing things for a long time now. Whatever that means. For several years, large numbers of online articles have been produced by machines. And dabblings in poetry and fictional prose are hardly unheard of. But this week, OpenAI’s Sam Altman released something written by what he describes as “a new model that is good at creative writing.” He also stated he didn’t yet know how or where the model would be released, but of course, writers have had thoughts and feelings aplenty.
AI-Generated Audiobooks Gain Momentum
On this episode of the Self-Publishing with ALLi podcast, Dan Holloway examines major developments in AI-generated audiobooks. Eleven Labs has launched direct audiobook publishing, offering authors new distribution options and competitive royalties. The company has also expanded its speech-to-text services, allowing authors to transcribe and produce audiobooks seamlessly.
Eleven Labs Expands AI Audiobook Tools
Eleven Labs is the best-known company working on the production of AI-generated voices. And in the past week, they have been busy translating that technology into tools for indie authors to use to create audiobooks. This will obviously be a controversial topic for many authors who reject the use of generative AI, but it’s nonetheless an important development.
World of Books Expands in the US
Midweek sees a couple of interesting, if low-key, stories. Many readers were expressing concern over Amazon as we ended last week after the change of terms removed Kindle book USB transfers from computer to e-reader. I hope we shed light on the story here, and it does feel that some of the absolute panic I saw on social media may have been a little overstated. But still, as people think of alternatives to the Amazon ecosystem, World of Books is expanding, and other options are emerging.
Meta Copyright Case Keeps Bringing the Reveals
Remember I reported that the Meta copyright case revealed the company stopped negotiating rights licenses for AI training with publishers back in 2023? Well, now the case is giving us even more. Meta’s Internal Emails Reveal More About AI Training The latest revelations in the case brought by, among others, Sarah Silverman and Ta-Nehisi Coates come courtesy of another set of internal communications.
Amazon’s Kindle Changes Spark Backlash
I can’t remember the last time I saw quite so much vexation over Kindle changes in my general social media. From Facebook friends to what feels like my whole YouTube feed, everyone is talking about Amazon’s change to the functionality of Kindle books. People are very unhappy. Some are doing what some people always do—generating exaggerated fears and conspiratorial suggestions essentially for clickbait.
AI Summit in Paris Ends Without UK and US Support
Remember I promised to have only one AI-related story this week. I hope you also remember I said it would be a stretch. And that’s because the AI Summit in Paris has now taken place. If you recall, a group of thirty-eight creative industry bodies, including the International Publishers Association, had come together to call for regulation around transparency and compensation in relation to copyright.
Amazon Sees Record Kindle Sales
E-books are still doing very well, and Kindle sales have seen a surprising resurgence. That was one of the themes that emerged last year. You will remember Mark Williams gave us one of his timely reminders of how woefully short the official figures fall and the increase to KDP Select payments, which now top $600 million a year and then some. But how are people reading those e-books? Kindle Sales Surge Last year, dedicated e-readers seemed to be on the way out.
Bookshop.org Expands to E-Books
On this episode of the Self-Publishing with ALLi podcast, Dan Holloway reports on Bookshop.org’s new support for e-books, giving indie authors more ways to reach readers while supporting local bookstores. He also covers the U.S. Copyright Office’s latest report on AI and copyright, which outlines how current laws apply to AI-assisted works, and the Authors Guild’s new Human Authored certification, designed to provide transparency about AI-generated content in books.
Human Authored Certification
You may have noticed that AI is back in the news in a big way, with new discussions about what it means to create “human authored” work. And while I am not, strictly speaking, writing a column about DeepSeek, the entry of another hugely competent and vastly hyped generative AI platform into the fray clearly has implications for us all—not least of which is the demonstration of the vulnerability of whole marketplaces to activities in a single tech sector.
Bookshop.org Expands into Ebooks
Bookshop.org is, you will recall, the platform that enables people to buy books wherever they are based and direct a slice of the sales to a local independent bookstore of their choice. It gained publicity and traction during the pandemic, and that has continued—but until now, the focus has been on printed books. Now, Bookshop.org is moving full-on into ebooks. Thanks to Guy Gonzalez for alerting me to this within an hour of the announcement.
Print Book Sales Rebound, Spotify Adds Author Tools
On this episode of the Self-Publishing News Podcast, Dan Holloway explores new data showing a resurgence in print book sales, with adult fiction leading the growth and young adult fiction seeing a decline. He also highlights Spotify’s new Wrapped feature for authors, providing audiobook creators with detailed insights into their listeners’ habits.
Created By Humans Launches; Print Book Sales Rise in 2024
Created By Humans has launched. I will confess, I thought it had done so already—the hype around the AI rights site has been so great. For those who are unaware (though all readers here will be familiar), this is a site where authors can register their copyrighted works if they are interested in controlling and potentially monetizing the use of their copyrighted work. The site, founded by Scribd’s Trip Adler and Jen Singleman, is the rights partner organization for the Authors Guild.
Authors Fight Back Against Piracy Websites
On this episode of the Self-Publishing News Podcast, Dan Holloway covers the UK High Court’s decision to strengthen enforcement against piracy websites, Japan’s use of AI to combat manga piracy, and Spotify’s new partner program for podcasters. He also highlights authors recognized in the UK’s New Year’s Honours list and a new opportunity for contributors to the New Publishing Standard.
Creative Rights in AI Coalition Responds
Whilst the first story in this piece will no doubt strike you as yet another AI tale, the real theme of today is copyright. I brought you news at the end of last year that the UK government was launching a consultation on AI and the balance between creative rights holders and technology platforms. One major coalition of interest groups has made its submission to the consultation public: the Creative Rights in AI Coalition (CRAIC. Seriously? … Imagines future quizmaster asking, “What’s the CRAIC?”).
Spotify for Authors Debuts with Tools for Audiobook Creators
I said a few days ago that Spotify was doubling down on audiobooks. Now we have even more evidence of that. They have released a whole set of tools for authors. They call it Spotify for Authors. “What makes Spotify for Authors unique in the publishing industry?” they ask in a subheading of their press release. That’s a clear indication they see working with us in their—and our—future. They end the release by promising many more features in the Spotify for Authors package during 2025.
What the AI Act Draft Code of Practice Means for Authors
On this episode of the Self-Publishing News Podcast, Dan Holloway examines the European Union's AI Act Draft Code of Practice, focusing on its impact on copyright, transparency, and data use in AI training. He also reports on the growth of self-publishing, with over 2.5 million books self-published with ISBNs last year—a 7.2 percent increase—and discusses how the new measures aim to protect authors from unauthorized use of their work by AI platforms.
Subscription Gifts Increase Possible Revenue Streams
Leaving aside those unfathomable creatures whose steady stream of purchases begins on December 26, thoughts are starting to turn at this time of year to subscription gifts and Christmas presents. For many of us, the best gift is a good book—certainly a good read. And those of us who are writers especially welcome the giving of books, hoping that many of those gifted will be our own.
Self-Published Titles Surge
Like many other commentators on such things, I often criticize publishing figures who proudly claim they provide a full picture of the state of the industry while not including statistics for self-published titles. So, of course, I welcome the publication of figures that double down on self-published titles.
Amazon Ends Kindle Vella, Tech Leaders Push AI as a Creative Tool, and Remembering Mike Shatzkin: The Self-Publishing News Podcast with Dan Holloway
On this episode of the Self-Publishing News Podcast, Dan Holloway reflects on the passing of publishing influencer Mike Shatzkin and his impact on the industry. He also discusses Amazon’s decision to close its Kindle Vella serial fiction program and what it means for authors, and examines the tech industry’s stance on AI and creativity as shared at TechCrunch's Disrupt Conference.
The Beatles’ AI-Assisted Grammy Nomination
You might think literary and other creative industry conferences dominate the discussion of how AI-assisted creation will affect the future of the arts. Looking through schedules, it can certainly feel that way. But the uneasy relationship between creatives and tech firms is also a subject of conversation on the other side of that binary. So, what did the tech companies have to say about the implications for creativity at the Disrupt Conference last week?
Amazon to Close Kindle Vella
In sad news for readers and writers of the serial format, Amazon is closing its Kindle Vella platform. Here are the key facts you need to know: Kindle Vella will close in February 2025, though no specific date has been announced yet. The last date for uploading new episodes to your stories is December 4 of this year. This is also the final date for purchasing tokens. Readers will get to keep any episodes they have unlocked prior to the closure on their local device.
AI Regulation Sparks Unlikely Alliance and New Tech Tools
On this episode of the Self-Publishing News Podcast, Dan Holloway discusses the alliance between Andreessen Horowitz and Microsoft against AI regulation, ElevenLabs' new app that converts text to audio, Amazon’s Kindle Color launch, and Collins Dictionary’s word of the year, “brat.” All our ALLi podcasts are proudly sponsored by Bookvault. Sell high-quality, print-on-demand books directly to readers worldwide and earn maximum royalties selling directly.
ElevenLabs Expands AI Audio Capabilities
Only a year or so ago, publishers were raging at what they saw as rights grabs by tech firms using AI audio and other technologies to convert books from the medium in which they were purchased to another medium, usually sold separately and considered subject to a different set of rights. AI companies now seem to be performing these medium transformations as a matter of course, and I am hearing barely a whisper of dissent amid the wider battles over copyright and AI.
Indie Author Survey Reveals What Helps Authors Succeed
On this episode of the Self-Publishing News Podcast, Dan Holloway shares highlights from the Written Word Media Indie Author Survey, examining the factors behind authors’ financial success. From top-performing genres to effective marketing and cover design strategies, Dan reveals what’s driving higher earnings. He also discusses the strong role Kindle Unlimited plays for top earners and the importance of mailing lists for boosting engagement and sales.
13,500 Sign Joint Statement on AI Training
The founder of Goodreads has launched an AI-powered reading app amid growing concerns over AI training. Depending on your perspective, that news will either fill you with excitement or utter despair. It’s been a week with a big AI story (which we will get to), but I had to start with this one.
Bookwire Offers New Tools to Help Authors Control How AI Uses Their Work: Self-Publishing News with Dan Holloway
How do you stop companies from using your book or other writing to train their large language models? The answer, as I have been reporting a few times, is to apply code or metadata to your files that tells the scraping algorithms to go elsewhere. The latest distributor to allow such metadata to be attached is Bookwire, which has partnered with Liccium to offer the service.
New AI Tools for Advertising on Amazon
As I have reported many times, when it comes to using AI tools, the author community is divided—both within itself and, individually, when it comes to what kind of AI we are talking about. Assistive tools are consistently seen as more acceptable and are more readily used than generative ones. But of course, that’s not always a distinction we can consistently draw.
Bookshops Are Cool Again, But No One Reads Books
It is perhaps not a surprise that a survey by the Booksellers Association has found that people think bookshops are cool. It is, however, cool that people seem to think so, albeit a little surprising that this latest finding is considered a new development. I just checked an article I wrote for The Guardian about the coolest bookshop of all, the Albion Beatnik, and was flashed a warning informing me that my article was more than eleven years old.
Audible Experiments with AI Recommendations
A couple of developments in the audiobook world caught my eye this week, including one from Audible. Let’s start with the Audible story. Audible is experimenting with AI tools in a bid to enhance what we think of as discovery for readers. The latest of these tools is a recommendation feature that provides handy summaries of the kind of content a group of books contains and how that content might appeal to readers.
US Authors and Publishers Challenge Texas Bill
A whole host of organizations (Association of American Publishers, American Booksellers for Free Expression, Authors Guild, Comic Book Legal Defense Fund, Freedom to Read Foundation, and Independent Book Publishers Association) representing authors and publishers in the United States has filed a brief challenging a Texas Bill on content for minors. As you have seen me say many times, I try to avoid political topics, and I have largely steered clear of the divisive subject of book bans.
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