News Summary: Reedsy Launches Novel Sprint to Replace NaNoWriMo, with Prizes and No AI
Reedsy introduces its Novel Sprint as an alternative to NaNoWriMo, offering cash prizes and requiring all 50,000 words to be human written.
News Podcast: Baker & Taylor to Close, Spotify Links with ChatGPT, Reedsy Launches New No-AI Writing Challenge
On this episode of the Self-Publishing with ALLi podcast, Dan Holloway reports on the closure of Baker & Taylor, the century-old book distributor that will shut down in 2026, leaving a gap that companies like Ingram and Amazon may fill. He also notes Spotify’s new integration with ChatGPT, assuring creators that their music and podcasts won’t be used to train AI. In other news, Reedsy has launched the Reedsy Novel Sprint, a NaNoWriMo-style writing challenge with cash prizes and no AI allowed, as the original NaNoWriMo organization shutters.
News Summary: Baker & Taylor Closure Reshapes Library Supply; Frankfurt Fair Opens Ahead of SelfPubCon 25
The last story I ran last week broke right at the time of writing, meaning there was little time to include much detail. (Well, both did: the Nobel Prize announcement was made about two and a half minutes before I filed with Howard, but while I love its drama, it is not, sadly, indie-oriented enough to warrant a larger unpacking here.)
News Summary: Spotify Clarifies ChatGPT Integration; AI Video App Sora Sparks Debate
Spotify’s relationship with AI feels as though it has become increasingly— for want of a better phrase—a slightly edgy one. The company is, first and foremost, a tech company rather than an arts company. Daniel Ek was a coder before anything else and has always taken the company in a direction that favors innovation. On the other hand, Spotify is passionate about working with creative people—nowhere more so than when it comes to writers.
News Summary: Nobel Prize for Literature Announced; Baker & Taylor to Close After Two Centuries
This is one of my favorite times of year as a reporter in the book world—and even more so as a literary civvy, someone who just loves books, whether writing or reading them. Yes, of course, I mean SelfPubCon (for which there is still time to sign up!). But I also mean the announcement of the winner of the Nobel Prize for Literature—our highest-profile and highest-paying moment in the media sun.
News Podcast: Bookshop.org Expands to E-Books, Amazon Updates Kindle Scribe with New Color and Note-Taking Features
On this episode of the Self-Publishing with ALLi podcast, Dan Holloway reports that Bookshop.org has launched e-book sales in the UK, allowing readers to support local bookstores while buying digital titles—a boost for indie authors whose books are distributed through Draft2Digital and other platforms. He also notes that Bookshop.org has been shortlisted for a Digital Publishing Award for its new e-book platform, alongside other innovations in accessibility and AI tools for authors. Finally, Dan looks at Amazon’s latest Kindle releases, including the new color Kindle Scribe, a sign that the e-book market remains strong.
News Summary: Digital Publishing Awards Highlight AI Innovation and Accessibility Trends in Book Industry
It's award season in the books world. If you scan the headlines of literary media, you'll see shortlists for the likes of the Goldsmiths (experimental fiction), Booker (fiction), Baillie Gifford (nonfiction), Cundill (history), and Schroders (business). Each of them has a large five-figure sum for the eventual winner. Not to mention the Nobel and its nearly seven-figure purse, and last week I reported on the Speakies.
News Summary: Amazon Launches New Kindle Scribe Models with AI Features for Prime Day
This week is, of course, the time of year for Amazon Prime Day(s). Over the years, Amazon’s red-letter days have been a good indicator of the direction they want to take the business in over the coming year(s).
News Summary: Bookshop.org Expands Ebook Distribution to UK, Supporting Indie Authors and Bookstores
Excellent news to end the week for those who want to sell ebooks while helping independent retailers: Bookshop.org has expanded its ebook distribution to the UK.
News Podcast: Anthropic Settlement Moves Forward, Spotify Clarifies Terms, L. J. Ross Shortlisted, TikTok Secures US Future
On this episode of the Self-Publishing with ALLi podcast, Dan Holloway reports that the judge in the Anthropic case has approved the settlement process, confirming 482,000 eligible titles with payments split 50/50 between authors and publishers. He clarifies that Spotify’s new terms do not affect creators, celebrates L. J. Ross’s shortlist nomination at the UK Speakies audiobook awards, and notes that TikTok’s US operations will move to a US-run consortium, securing BookTok’s future.
News Summary: L. J. Ross Shortlisted for British Audiobook Awards; TikTok Deal Approved; Universal Turing Machine Launches
Let’s start with the celebratory news. The shortlists for the first British Audiobook Awards (which are styling themselves as the “Speakies”) have just been released. The categories reflect many of those in the more established Audie Awards across the pond. As is often the case with audiobooks, in some instances it’s tricky to tell which titles are self-published, especially in the “originals” category.
News Summary: Spotify Clarifies Terms After Creator Concerns; Storytel Launches New Features
We start the week with a story that has been bubbling away in some corners of the creative internet. Earlier this month Spotify changed its terms and conditions. Rights holders became worried about some aspects of those changes that appeared to allow Spotify to share any content uploaded to the platform without the creator’s consent.