On this episode of the Self-Publishing with ALLi podcast, Dan Holloway breaks down two major Amazon stories, including a controversial change to Kindle’s DRM policy that will allow DRM-free books to be downloaded as EPUB and PDF files, raising fresh concerns about piracy. He also looks at Audible’s new partnership with TikTok to surface trending BookTok titles inside the Audible app, and examines Australia’s new ban on social media use for under-sixteens and what it could mean for book discovery, especially in YA and New Adult markets.
Listen to the Podcast: Amazon Changes Kindle Download Options
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About the Host
Dan Holloway is a novelist, poet, and spoken word artist. He is the MC of the performance arts show The New Libertines, He competed at the National Poetry Slam final at the Royal Albert Hall. His latest collection, The Transparency of Sutures, is available on Kindle.
Podcast Summary by Kayleigh Brindley
In this week’s episode of Self-Publishing News, Dan Holloway steps away from holiday gift guides and best-seller lists and digs into changes that actually matter to indie authors: Audible’s TikTok partnership, Amazon’s DRM updates, and Australia’s social media ban.
Key takeaways:
- Amazon appears to be rolling back its Kindle download restrictions, which could improve reader access for non-DRM eBooks
- Audible’s partnership with TikTok could create new visibility for indie authors, especially in BookTok-driven genres
- Australia’s under-16 social media ban may reshape how young readers discover books and how authors market in 2026
Amazon’s DRM Changes: A Non-Issue?
DRM (Digital Rights Management) has always been a thorn in the side of indie authors looking to protect copyright while making books accessible to all readers.
For those new to the term, DRM aims to prevent digital content like eBooks being copied, modified, and distributed without authorisation, essentially as a way to stop piracy.
A good thing, right?
Well, not really.
Enabling DRM can make accessing eBooks more difficult for some readers. It’s also worth noting that most sales platforms don’t offer DRM, except Amazon KDP.
What changed?
Opting out of DRM on Amazon used to mean that anyone who purchased your book could download it to their device, but Amazon stopped that in February 2025.
Now, it seems they’re rolling back their decision, and from January 2026 will again allow EPUB and PDF downloads of purchased eBooks, like most other book retailers such as Kobo, Apple, and Google.
Why this matters:
While it might seem like enabling DRM is another barrier to piracy, it’s incredibly simple to sidestep, but can make accessing eBooks frustrating for some readers. As an indie author focused on self-publishing and direct sales, this is one to think about before you rush to enable it.
TikTok and Audible: A New Partnership
In an unsurprising move, Audible has partnered with TikTok to launch the “Best of BookTok” within the Audible app, something physical bookstores have been doing for a while now.
Why this matters:
This curated section aims to connect TikTok’s trending titles directly with Audible users, potentially offering indie authors a new platform for exposure. Genres like romantic fiction and dark academia stand to benefit most.
Australia’s Social Media Ban: How It Impacts Young Readers
The Australian government’s decision to ban all social media for children under 16 has the potential to impact the young adult fiction market significantly.
Why this matters:
Many young readers find book recommendations via social platforms, and this ban could make it harder for young adult fiction authors to get their books in front of readers.
While it’s too early to know how much of an impact the ban will have, and I’m sure many Australian teens will find ways around it, it’s something to consider when planning your 2026 marketing efforts as an indie author.
I’ll be watching this space and paying close attention to Dan Holloway’s 2025 self-publishing news roundup and highlights next week.
