26Dec 24
Favorite Stories of the Year: Author Spending, Marketing Trends, and More in Self-Publishing News with Dan Holloway
For those of you who celebrated yesterday, today might be a day for nursing a sated belly, enjoying leftovers, and picking up parcels from outlying acquaintances. It’s also the perfect context for reflecting on my favorite stories of the year. Here, while you look for something light to mix into your post-celebration haze, is the first of three interconnected stories that brought me joy this year. Stay tuned for the other two next time.
25Dec 24
Structuring a Novel to Meet Reader Expectations: The Self-Publishing with ALLi Podcast Featuring Matty Dalrymple
This week on the Self-Publishing with ALLi podcast, Campaigns Manager Matty Dalrymple talks with USA Today bestselling mystery thriller author Pamela Fagan Hutchins. Pamela shares strategies for structuring novels to meet reader expectations, including the importance of a strong midpoint to maintain engagement. She discusses how indie authors can leverage flexibility to adjust content based on reader feedback, connect directly with fans, and plan future books in a series while balancing continuity and adaptability.
24Dec 24
AI Narration Guidelines Introduced for Audiobooks as YouTube Tests AI Voice Tools: Self-Publishing News with Dan Holloway
It’s the time of year when new news starts to dry up, especially in an industry like ours that shifts focus to best-of lists, stocking fillers, and resolutions. However, the ever-present shadow of AI remains, this time with significant developments in AI narration. A few days ago, the audiobook industry introduced new guidelines to label AI-narrated audiobooks, following similar steps taken by the advertising and food industries to provide greater transparency to consumers.
23Dec 24
Happy Holidays, Indie Authors!
Happy Holidays! The Alliance of Independent Authors hopes you have a wonderful time this holiday season, and we'll see you in 2025!
22Dec 24
Inspirational Indie Author Interview: Kevin G. Chapman. Attorney-Turned-Author Finds Success with Patience, Planning, and Award-Winning Thrillers
My ALLi author guest this episode is Kevin G. Chapman, an attorney and independent author who has released a book a year for the last eight years. He explains how patience, planning, and a passion for storytelling have helped him balance a demanding career with writing award-winning mysteries and thrillers. Kevin also talks about his approach to plotting intricate stories and why taking your time can make all the difference.
21Dec 24
UK Government Seeks Responses to AI Consultation; ‘Brain Rot’ is Word of the Year: Self-Publishing News with Dan Holloway
Is it just me, or have there been more “words of the year” than usual this year? Maybe I’ve just noticed them more. If so, that could be a result of “brain rot,” which is the word of the year for the Oxford English Dictionary. It refers to the gradual degeneration of cognitive powers in the face of social media pablum—which, of course, you will never find here! I was absolutely delighted to see that the shortlist contained one of the words I’ve used most this year: “Romantasy,” whose popularity the OED specifically attributed to the BookTok community.
20Dec 24
How Romantasy Is Shaping Reader Trends and Why Google’s AI Moves Matter: The Self-Publishing News Podcast with Dan Holloway
On this episode of the Self-Publishing News Podcast, Dan Holloway explores Oxford’s Word of the Year shortlist, highlighting trends like "romantasy" and "lore," which reflect shifting reader and writer habits. He also covers Tumblr’s new community feature for creators, TikTok’s legal battle over its U.S. ban, and Harvard’s AI training dataset project, which raises questions about Google Books’ involvement and public domain use.
19Dec 24
Harvard and Google Release AI Training Dataset with Public Domain Books, Raising Copyright Questions: Self-Publishing News with Dan Holloway
Any process that improves by being trained on a set of materials will only ever get as good as the materials it’s trained on will allow. That’s as true of machine learning algorithms as it is of human beings. This week’s news that Harvard will release a dataset of 1 million volumes for AI training highlights efforts to address inequities caused by the need for high-quality training data.
18Dec 24
The Self-Publishing with ALLi Podcast Changes to Better Serve Indie Authors
The Self-Publishing with ALLi podcast is changing, and this episode gives you an inside look at the exciting new features planned for 2025. Join ALLi Director Orna Ross, Campaigns Manager Matty Dalrymple, and Content and Communications Manager Howard Lovy as they discuss the new name, revamped structure, and fresh approach to delivering expert insights across all seven processes of publishing. With contributions from advisors, expanded guest appearances, and a focus on fostering both virtual and in-person connections among indie authors, the podcast is set to provide even greater value for ALLi members and listeners.
17Dec 24
Tumblr Launches Communities to Connect Fans and Bluesky Doesn’t Rule Out Ads: Self-Publishing News with Dan Holloway
I want to start the week with a brief roundup of some news from across the social media platforms we have used, have thought about using, and often feel we ought to use. This week, "Tumblr launches Communities" stood out as a key development, alongside updates from Bluesky and TikTok. These stories, though small on their own, cluster together thematically to highlight shifts across platforms that impact creatives and their audiences.
16Dec 24
ALLi Self-Publishing Advice: Artificial Intelligence Blog Roundup 2024
Artificial intelligence continues to transform the publishing industry, raising questions about creativity, ethics, and authorship. This roundup features the best of our blog posts from 2024, offering insights on using AI ethically, practical tools for indie authors, and the latest industry developments, including licensing controversies and legal challenges.
15Dec 24
Five-Year Publishing Plans and Predictions: The Self-Publishing with ALLi Podcast Featuring Orna Ross
On this Creative Self-Publishing stream of the Self-Publishing with ALLi podcast, Orna Ross explores the seismic shifts in publishing over the past five years, from AI innovations and subscription models to the rise of indie authorpreneurs. She delves into the new challenges authors face in a crowded, tech-driven market and uncovers the exciting opportunities that will transform how indie authors publish. Looking ahead, Orna shares her vision for the future, where creativity, technology, and community reshape author-publishing.
