Libraries and ebooks are back in the news again. This time, the story relates to ebooks that are part of the KDP Select program. Huge thanks to Jane Friedman, whose invaluable newsletter alerted me to this.
ALLi News Editor Dan Holloway
Specifically, the news is that ebooks enrolled in the KDP Select program can also be made available to public libraries. This is a loosening of the rules around exclusivity we are all familiar with. There isn’t a big press release on this, or even an announcement from Amazon. Rather, it is something that authors have picked up, asked Amazon about, and had confirmed in emailed responses—responses that have then been shared on social media.
Free Online Conference: ‘All About AI’
You will have noticed that AI is in the news a lot. And I know what a divisive subject it is. But whether you are alarmed, angry, excited, or simply confused, knowledge is almost always part of the best solution. On September 9 you can gain a lot of that at a free all-day online conference brought to you by Bookwire and Publishing Perspectives. “All About AI” is a primer on the many different ways in which our industry is dealing with the new technology—whether embracing it or finding ways to live with it—with contributions from many leading figures.
The sessions that particularly caught my eye as being relevant for indie authors were one on artificially generated voices, and one on using AI to produce books in multiple formats for multiple markets. A session on dynamic pricing was the one that had my eyebrows reaching for the ceiling.
WordPress Develops Telex
And finally, on the subject of AI, the latest platform to jump on the bandwagon is WordPress. Many of us are WordPress users for our writing websites. WordPress has now developed a tool called Telex that will create blocks for your website in response to prompts. You can then add these blocks directly to your site through a plugin.
Thoughts or further questions on this post or any self-publishing issue?
If you’re an ALLi member, head over to the SelfPubConnect forum for support from our experienced community of indie authors, advisors, and our own ALLi team. Simply create an account (if you haven’t already) to request to join the forum and get going.
Non-members looking for more information can search our extensive archive of blog posts and podcast episodes packed with tips and advice at ALLi's Self-Publishing Advice Center.
