ALLi Blog: The Self-Publishing Advice Blog

After NaNoWriMo: How Authors Are Moving on from the Challenge That Started It All

When news broke that NaNoWriMo is shutting down, it marked more than the end of a writing challenge. For many writers, it was the loss of a ritual, a motivator, and even a career-launching platform.

Inspirational Indie Author Interview: Ali Steed. Financial Journalist Turns to Award-Winning Crime Fiction

My ALLi author guest this episode is crime novelist Ali Steed. After decades in financial journalism, Ali is winning awards in fiction—exploring the darker corners of the human mind through her police procedural series. We talk about what it took to overcome the fear of releasing that first novel, how she brings her investigative skills to crime fiction, and how life in Mallorca—and a bit of shamanic training—helped her embrace her creative path.

The Untold Truth: Award Recognition for Children’s Books, Picture Books, and Low Content Books

In this Alliance of Independent Authors post, Book Award Adviser Hannah Jacobson explains how children’s books, picture books, and low content books are eligible for a wide range of awards, despite common myths to the contrary.

April 12, 2025
ALLi Editorial
Process 3 & 4: Production & Distribution
0 Comments

Books Exempt from Latest US Tariffs, but Printing Materials May Be Hit: Self-Publishing News with Dan Holloway

You will probably have noticed an absence of reporting on what has been an almost constant in the regular news media: the impact of the various new international trade tariffs. That is because there has been considerable lack of clarity on the impact this would have on the book business and our particular corner of it. This week we learned a lot more. Tl;dr: books are exempt from the latest round of tariffs imposed on trade imports into the US.

NaNoWriMo Shuts Down, AI Lawsuits Consolidated, and Amazon Adds Kindle Recaps: Self-Publishing with ALLi featuring Dan Holloway

On this episode of the Self-Publishing News Podcast, Dan Holloway reports that National Novel Writing Month, known as NaNoWriMo, has announced it will not officially take place this November, citing financial and reputational concerns. He also covers the latest in AI and copyright, including the consolidation of major lawsuits against tech companies, protests outside Meta’s London offices, and new research suggesting copyrighted materials have been used to train AI models. Finally, he discusses Amazon’s new AI-powered Kindle Recap feature and questions around whether authors have consented to its use.

How Trump’s Tariffs Affect Indie Authors and Self-Publishers: A US and Global Perspective

Are Trump’s new tariffs going to raise your book printing costs? Here’s what self-publishing authors around the world need to know about how Trump-era and future US tariffs impact indie authors and book printing. Learn about current exemptions for books, global risks for self-publishers, and ALLi's advice for protecting your publishing business.

AI Copyright Lawsuits Consolidated as Authors Protest Meta’s Use of Shadow Library: Self-Publishing News with Dan Holloway

For some time, there have been several AI copyright lawsuits brought by rights holders against tech firms, each focusing on how they trained their generative models and whether they breached copyright in doing so. Now, twelve of those cases have been consolidated, including the highest profile of all—the one brought by (inter alia) Sarah Silverman and Ta-Nehisi Coates—during which Meta’s now-infamous internal comms about LibGen were released.

April 10, 2025
Dan Holloway
News
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The Value of Professional Editing: The Self-Publishing with ALLi Podcast Featuring Matty Dalrymple

ALLi Campaigns Manager Matty Dalrymple talks with Marketing Adviser Ricardo Fayet, co-founder of Reedsy, about the value of professional editing in self-publishing. Fayet explains the types of editing, how to manage costs, and why editors offer more than beta readers. He also discusses when to hire an editor, how editing improves writing, and the limits of AI tools.

AI-Powered Kindle Recaps Launched for Series Readers; TikTok Ban Delayed: Self-Publishing News with Dan Holloway

Users of Amazon’s Kindle (in the US for now, but surely to be widened) now have access to a new “recaps” feature. Kindle Recaps is designed for people who like book series. As the title suggests, it allows readers to refresh their memories about what happened earlier in the series while they are reading the latest installment.

Increase Your Profits with Translation Sales: Self-Publishing Conference Highlight

Want to license your book into a translation but unsure where to start? Join Margaux Weisman, business development director at DropCap Agency, and Monica Meehan, vice president of business development and rights director at DropCap Agency, for an insightful discussion with Michael La Ronn on the world of translation sales and how DropCap Marketplace can help connect authors with foreign rights buyers.

Debuts, Awards, TV Buzz, and More: ALLi Member Milestones April 2025

This regular post from the Alliance of Independent Authors celebrates ALLi member successes to inspire our indie author community. Our ALLi Member Milestones, April 2025, celebrate the successes of author members Kelle Lima, S. G. Baker, Amy M. Le, Gary Corbin, Marcha Fox, Barbara Mostella-Oliver, Catherine Matthews, Anna Lucia, L. S. Westhoff, and Mark David Gerson. Congratulations to all those featured in this month’s roundup and to everyone in our community who has hit a milestone!

NaNoWriMo Is Closing Down After Two Decades: Self-Publishing News with Dan Holloway

“So long and thanks for all the fish” is one of the most famous quotations from my childhood. It is, of course, the title of the fourth book in the Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy series—and the last line spoken by the dolphins as they exit Earth before its destruction. Whatever Adams’s intention, it is a phrase I have always associated with wistful goodbyes.