ALLi Blog: The Self-Publishing Advice Blog

How to Successfully Change Genres and Topics: Member Q&A with Michael La Ronn and Sacha Black

In this episode of the Self-Publishing with ALLi Member Q&A podcast, hosts Michael La Ronn and Sacha Black discuss how to successfully pivot from one nonfiction topic to another, including whether you need a new pen name and how to manage existing backlist titles.

News Summary: Spotify Reports 60% Audiobook Listening Growth; Page Match Feature Drives Engagement

One reason Spotify has been in the news a fair bit of late is that May 21 was its Investor Day. That's the time each year when they make big announcements about the year ahead, such as reported in my earlier post on the ElevenLabs deal. And it's when they look back and highlight the things they are proudest of in the previous year. And that's what I'm looking at today.

May 30, 2026
Dan Holloway
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News Podcast: Spotify Expands AI Audiobook Tools; Barnes & Noble Contradicts Itself on AI; Commonwealth Prize Controversy

On this episode of Self-Publishing with ALLi, Dan Holloway covers a week dominated by AI controversy: Spotify's expanded ElevenLabs partnership for seamless AI audiobook creation, Barnes & Noble CEO James Daunt's muddled attempt to clarify his store's AI book policy, and a Commonwealth Short Story Prize winner accused of using AI — and why Dan thinks the organizers got their response exactly right.

News Summary: Korean Publishers Embrace AI as ‘Reader’; Barnes and Noble Clarifies AI Book Policy

Last week saw a highly controversial statement from Kim Tae-Heon, president of the Korean Publishers Association. In the statement, Kim refers to the emergence of AI as "reader." This has, of course, caused considerable rumblings among those who feel he has not done adequate justice to the rapacious nature of the technology and the companies who control it.

May 28, 2026
Dan Holloway
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How One Indie Author-Illustrator Cracked the Kids’ Graphic Novel Market, with Anna Featherstone and Mike Barry

On the Self-Publishing with ALLi podcast, host Anna Featherstone speaks with indie author-illustrator Mike Barry about the production and distribution decisions behind his children’s graphic novel trilogy Action Tank, from reverse-engineering Marvel’s print specifications to building a loyal school and library audience. Barry reflects on Kickstarter, the realities of international distribution, and his publishing adventures. Whether you write for children or not, the conversation offers insight into finishing what you start, finding your market, and letting one opportunity lead to the next.

News Summary: Spotify Launches ElevenLabs-Powered Audiobook Creation Tool; Voice Actors Sue AI Companies

Spotify joined up with the AI voice generation platform ElevenLabs last year to allow rights holders who created audiobooks using ElevenLabs to upload those books to Spotify. They have just announced they will be taking this collaboration a step further in a feature that in June will be launched as an invitation-only beta. I'll quote the key sentence from the Investor Day statement on this: "Built directly into Spotify for Authors, and powered by ElevenLabs' digital voice technology, authors can now access seamless audiobook generation and publishing without exclusive contracts."

May 26, 2026
Dan Holloway
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Inspirational Indie Author Interview: D. K. Marie. Romance Author Discusses Hope, Healing, and Building an Indie Career on Her Own Terms

My ALLi author guest this episode is D. K. Marie, a Michigan-based romance author who writes stories about second chances, emotional healing, and hope. She’s moved from traditional publishing into indie publishing and recently won a Wishing Shelf Gold Award. We talk about her journey from reader to writer, the business side of indie publishing, building a loyal readership, and why she believes romance novels can offer comfort during difficult times.

Second Editions and Award Eligibility: Can Your Revised Book Compete Again?

In this Alliance of Independent Authors post, Book Award Adviser Hannah Jacobson explains how revised second editions can qualify for new award opportunities and what authors should know before submitting them.

News Summary: Commonwealth Short Story Prize Winner Accused of Using AI; Judges Face Impossible Dilemma

This week I feel we reached the peak "oh good grief, what now?" moment of the AI scandal hypercycle. And to be honest, I am genuinely not sure whether the whole thing feels more Woodward and Bernstein or Arthur Miller. In short, this week we saw serious shade cast on the Commonwealth Short Story Prize winner Jamir Nazir. Nazir's story, "The Serpent in the Grove," was straightaway called out by several highly qualified people for being AI-generated.

May 23, 2026
Dan Holloway
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News Podcast: AI-Powered Scams Target Writers; Audible Opens Pop-Up Bookstore; Anthropic Fairness Hearing Update

On this episode of Self-Publishing with ALLi, Dan Holloway opens with an urgent warning from Writer Beware's Victoria Strauss about two new AI-generated scams targeting authors — one involving fake radio show invitations, one involving fraudulent book fair representation — and explains the telltale signs that give them away. He then reports on Audible's StoryHouse, a pop-up audiobook store in New York's Bowery modeled on a vinyl record shop, and closes with an update on the Anthropic settlement fairness hearing, including concerns about the $3,000 per-title payout and the US copyright registration requirement that overseas authors say is unfair to them.

News Summary: Anthropic Settlement Clears Fairness Hearing; Payout Expected for 93% of Eligible Titles

The Anthropic settlement has just jumped through one of the final hoops before people can expect the courts to order payment. May 14 saw the so-called "fairness" hearing. Now I will preface this as always by saying I am not an expert in the law, and certainly not US as opposed to UK law. On the other hand I've read a lot of coverage of legal cases over the years of reporting for this column (and even in my spare time).

May 21, 2026
Dan Holloway
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Audio Interview: What Genre Conventions Teach Authors About Professional Book Cover Design with Howard Lovy and Michele DeFilippo

On the Self-Publishing with ALLi podcast, host Howard Lovy talks to Michele DeFilippo, founder of 1106 Design, about the role genre conventions play in professional book cover design. Michele explains the visual signals that help readers recognize a book’s category at a glance, from the authority expected in business books to the mood and atmosphere that drive fiction covers. She also discusses the thumbnail test, common amateur mistakes, the danger of cramming too much information onto a cover, and the importance of giving designers enough room to create a cover that serves both the author and the marketplace.