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Alliance Of Independent Authors | Self-Publishing News | September 9, 2025 | With Dan Holloway

News Summary: Judge Rejects $3000 Per Title Settlement Figure in Anthropic Case

As a newbie indie writer in the UK, I remember many forum discussions on what seemed a dry topic back in the innocent days of the late 2000s as we tried to grapple with the logistics of what was still a fairly niche path to pursue. That topic was “Given that we are protected by UK copyright law, why would we need to follow the complicated and expensive (many of us were penniless) process of registering copyright with the US Copyright Office?” This broke down into two practical subquestions: “Is it really practical to imagine that we will sue someone for infringing our copyright?” and “What would it actually gain us?”
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Business Models And Ethics

Advice Podcast: Business Models and Ethics for Indie Authors With Orna Ross and Joanna Penn

On the Self-Publishing with ALLi Podcast, Orna Ross and Joanna Penn focus on business models and ethics for indie authors. They look at how “windowing” releases and short KU stints can fit into a publishing strategy, and why managing cash flow is critical for crowdfunding and direct sales. They also examine the collapse of Unbound/Boundless, highlighting the importance of rights-reversion clauses in contracts, and discuss issues of reader trust in memoir. The conversation extends to pen names, ghostwriting, and AI, emphasizing the need for transparency in building lasting relationships with readers.
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Inspire Me

News Podcast: Libby Launches Inspire Me, Threads Adds Long-Form Text, Anthropic Settlement Raises Fair Use Questions

On this episode of the Self-Publishing News Podcast, Dan Holloway reports on Libby’s new Inspire Me discovery tool, which promises to boost book discoverability but has raised concerns among librarians. He covers Threads’ rollout of long-form text, giving authors new ways to share excerpts and engage with readers. The main story is the settlement in the Anthropic AI copyright case, where avoiding a trial leaves fair use questions unanswered and could shape the future of licensing deals between tech firms and authors.
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Alliance Of Independent Authors | Self-Publishing News | September 4, 2025 | With Dan Holloway

News Summary: Anthropic Settlement Raises Concerns for Rights Holders; Mastodon Struggles with Age Verification Laws

The news of a settlement in the Anthropic AI piracy and copyright case came just before I filed the last of last week’s columns. Since then, the dust has had a little chance to settle, and reflections are starting to emerge on what any potential settlement might mean. I found (as ever) Mark Williams’ very detailed analysis highly thought-provoking.
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Self-Publishing | With ALLi | Conference | Highlight | SelfPublishingAdvice.org/podcast

Leveraging Professional Services for Profitability with Reedsy: Self-Publishing Advice Conference Highlight

In this Self-Publishing Advice Conference highlight, Martin Cavannagh of Reedsy moderates a panel with editor Rebecca Heyman, designer Danna Mathias Steele, and marketeer Ricardo Fayet. The session examines the role of professional services in the success of self-published books, focusing on how expert editing, design, and marketing can increase sales and long-term profitability. The discussion also outlines how Reedsy’s marketplace connects authors with established industry professionals and includes case studies of authors who improved their publishing results through professional partnerships.
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Alliance Of Independent Authors | Self-Publishing News | September 2, 2025 | With Dan Holloway

News Summary: OverDrive Adds AI-Powered ‘Inspire Me’ Discovery Tool to Libby App

Libby is OverDrive’s app that lets people manage their library ebook lending from the comfort of their phone. As I understand it (my library days are strictly limited to sitting in dusty rooms of chained vellum in Oxford and staggering under the weight of an armful of exciting new reads), Libby connects you to your local library so that the ebooks you borrow through the app are ones that your library has available.
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Alliance Of Independent Authors | LitRPG Con 2025: | What Indie Authors | Learned In Denver | Guest Post: Jez Cajiao

LitRPG Con 2025: What Indie Authors Learned in Denver

Indie authors don’t just follow trends; we name them and we create them. From romantasy forged on reader-powered platforms to the hard-boiled banner of Brit Grit, from Sunshine Noir, the warm-climate alternative to Nordic Nor to the midlife-magic ‘Paranormal Women’s Fiction’, indies have repeatedly carved out new shelves in the bookstore.
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Self-Publishing | With ALLi | Inspirational | Indie Author | Interviews | Howard Lovy And David Penny | Proudly Sponsored…

Inspirational Indie Author Interview: David Penny Proves Persistence and Series Success Can Drive an Indie Career

My ALLi author guest this episode is David Penny, a longtime ALLi member who began publishing fiction in the 1970s, took a long break to build a career in software, and returned to writing with a renewed focus on independent publishing. Since then, he has written dozens of books across genres, built a loyal readership, and helped others find their way on the self-publishing path.
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Alliance Of Independent Authors | Self-Publishing News | August 30, 2025 | With Dan Holloway

News Summary: Anthropic AI Lawsuit Moves Toward Settlement; Authors and Publishers Await Terms

The two stories in this round-up feature the Association of American Publishers. Nonetheless, both are relevant for indie authors, in the US certainly and quite possibly elsewhere. First up is possibly a major breakthrough in the Anthropic AI case. The headlines vary. At the time of writing, Publishing Perspectives is leading with “A Potential Settlement.” TechCrunch, meanwhile, has “Anthropic Settles…”
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Self-Publishing | With ALLi | News Analysis & | Commentary | Dan Holloway | SelfPublishingAdvice.org/podcast

News Podcast: US Reading Habits Decline, Audible Royalties Disputed, Spotify Tests Visual Audiobooks

On this episode of the Self-Publishing News Podcast, Dan Holloway looks at a new study on US reading habits that shows a 40 percent drop in reading for pleasure between 2003 and 2023, with possible shifts toward digital formats and functional reading. He also covers surprising findings about reading with children, the limited impact of COVID on reading trends, and the growing controversy over Audible’s new royalty model. Plus, he highlights Spotify’s latest audiobook experiment, a “Follow Along” feature that adds visuals to listening.
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