Naughty AI has generated (pun intended) a lot of column inches this week. I want to start with a really important longform piece in the Guardian, which shows that mainstream media is catching on to the most obviously predatory use of the new technology.

Orna Ross and Joanna Penn reflect on a landmark year at London Book Fair, where the Alliance of Independent Authors made its biggest mark yet — debuting the Indie Author Lab, a full-day event dedicated to helping indie authors go deep on their own publishing practice, and unveiling the new ALLi Indie Author Bookstore. They discuss why 2026 felt like a genuine turning point for self-publishers at the fair, what indie authors need most in an age of abundance and AI, and why discernment and individualization may matter more now than any single piece of publishing advice.

I had imagined that I would start this week with reflections on a busy London Book Fair. But the literary world has other ideas. So instead we begin with the latest from TikTok, which is the announcement of an official BookTok Chart, coming to the UK.