Key Clauses Indie Authors Need To Watch For in Trade Publishing Contracts: Orna Ross & Toby Mundy

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.

I'm more of a pantser—someone who figures things out on the page rather than planning every move. But when I heard that Scottish author and writing coach Jules Horne had applied the concept of deliberate practice—something musicians and athletes have used for generations—to writing, I was intrigued. Her book, Deliberate Practice for Creative Writers, argues that focused, bite-sized exercises can help writers build their skills more efficiently than just grinding through another draft. In this Q&A, I ask her how it works, how she uses it herself, and how writers like me might apply it without giving up spontaneity.

My ALLi author guest this episode is Annie Fox, an educator and author who writes for young adults. She talks about how her background in human development shapes her fiction, why she chose to go indie, and what it really takes to reach readers in a crowded market. Her work explores identity, belonging, and what it means to find your people.