Does Your Book Blend Genres? What That Means for Book Awards
In this Alliance of Independent Authors post, Book Award Adviser Hannah Jacobson explains how books that blend genres can compete…
News Summary: Written Word Media Opens 2026 Indie Author Survey; Key Data Links Title Count to Income
It's survey time. Specifically, the 2026 Written Word Media survey for indie authors is now open, and judging by last year we can expect the results back before the end of the year. Written Word Media are an ALLi partner member, so I am very happy to encourage people to take part.
News Podcast: Amazon Cuts KDP Uploads to Two Titles a Week; Study Backs AI Detector Accuracy
On this week's Self-Publishing News podcast, a hoarse ALLi News Editor Dan Holloway covers Amazon's new KDP limit of two titles per week per format — down from ten, and another move aimed at the flood of AI-generated content. He also looks at a study suggesting AI detector Pangram may be more accurate than its critics claim, and at the SCBWI's tightened AI policy, which will ask award entrants to document the human creative process behind their work.
News Summary: Wattpad Turns 20 with 145 Million Users; Libraries Turn to Indies to Escape Publisher Pricing
Huge thanks to Nate Hoffelder, whose Monday Morning Coffee is always a great collection of links, for pointing me to a really interesting deep dive in The Walrus to coincide with the twentieth anniversary of Wattpad. And on that note, happy birthday to Wattpad.
Audio Interview: SelfPubCon26 Looks at What’s Working Now and What’s Next with Howard Lovy and Kayleigh Brindley
In this special episode of Self-Publishing with ALLi, Howard Lovy interviews Kayleigh Brindley, ALLi’s conference and communications manager, about what authors can expect from SelfPubCon26, taking place online October 17–18. Kayleigh discusses this year’s theme, “The Future of Self-Publishing: What’s Working Now & What’s Next,” and highlights sessions on AI, book marketing, crowdfunding, European markets, and building an author team. She also explains the conference’s expanded networking opportunities, this year’s prize draw, and the Indie Author Lab workshop with Orna Ross following the conference on October 19.
What 2026 Might Tell Us About Indie Publishing in 2027
As we all know too well, trends in indie publishing move quickly, and a lot can come and go in…
News Summary: OpenAI Memos Reveal Awareness of Piracy; Anthropic Claimants Get 60-Day Extension
It's interesting that in last week's edition of The Bottom Line, Jane Friedman began with a note that was essentially "sorry there's so much on AI but it really is the big news right now." Which is how I feel a lot of the time. I endeavor to keep AI news to one of the three weekly slots, but it's not always possible. Especially when, as today, it's a stuffed first slot and I have no idea what will break later in the week.
Inspirational Indie Author Interview: Luke Richardson Turns World Travel Into Globe-Trotting Thrillers
My ALLi author guest this episode is Luke Richardson, a former journalist, nightclub DJ, and English teacher who turned his love of travel and adventure into a career as a full-time indie author. Luke visits the places he writes about, drawing on their history, atmosphere, and people to create globe-trotting thrillers. He also approaches publishing as a business and builds a close relationship with his readers.
News Summary: Wired Investigation Reveals Readers Using AI to Generate Their Own Fiction
It always offers an intriguing insight into our world when I read news items about what we do from outlets that don't usually cover literary or creative stories. So I found it a real eye-opener to take a deep dive into Wired's long piece on the new generation of indie writers (and I realize many reading this will want to put "writers" in inverted commas) using AI for storytelling. And not just because it offers a very different perspective from the one we're used to.
News Podcast: Spotify Expands Its Partner Program; Readers Use AI to Write Their Own Fiction
On this week's Self-Publishing News podcast, ALLi News Editor Dan Holloway covers Spotify's Partner Program expanding to 35 more markets, a self-published audiobook making the Speakies shortlist — and what the sponsor list says about Audible's standing. He closes with "AI in the Wild," a new study of 500,000 prompts showing readers are using AI to write fiction for themselves, raising the question of whether the biggest AI threat to writers comes from readers.
News Summary: Amazon Cuts KDP Weekly Upload Limit to Two Titles Per Format
Big news for midweek. And it's also very succinct news. Amazon has made another adjustment to the number of permitted titles you can upload through KDP. As Jane Friedman helpfully reminded in the latest edition of The Bottom Line, the first such limiting move came as far back as 2023. The previous limit of ten titles came into effect just last year.
Your Book Could Have Multiple Lives, Here’s How One Author Did It, with Anna Featherstone and Mark Eliott
In this episode of the Self-Publishing with ALLi podcast, internationally renowned glass artist Mark Eliott joins Anna Featherstone to show how a published book doesn't need to stay in a fixed format over the years. Mark's Essence of Cloud project began as improvised glass cloud sculptures, grew into a novel and an art exhibition, and now, years later, has taken on a new form as a special-edition e-book with new nonfiction and visual elements. You'll hear about working with artistic collaborators and about flexibility and fluidity in production and distribution decisions.