All about Audio by Stacey Wallace Benefiel
Let’s talk Audiobooks! Since the audiobook of Glimpsecame out in August, 2012, I’ve been on a mission to share how…
Marketing Your Books Using Video, with Dale L. Roberts and Matty Dalrymple
In this member-first Q&A on the Self-Publishing with ALLi podcast, ALLi video content adviser Dale L. Roberts answers questions on how authors can use video to market their books, connect with readers, and build visibility for their author brand. Topics include the best tools for creating video content, when to start using video in the publishing process, and how to measure the impact of video on book sales and reader engagement. Roberts also addresses how to drive traffic to videos, whether book trailers still matter, how Amazon A+ Content works, and practical ways to get comfortable on camera.
News Summary: OpenAI Shuts Down Sora Video Platform; Audible Partners with British Airways
I think I reported on the Sora app when it launched back in October. The app, which enables users to access OpenAI's Sora generative AI platform on their phones to create short video clips, hit the headlines back then for two reasons. In one of the starkest "there's good news and bad news" stories yet to come out of AI, the good news (for OpenAI anyway) was that the launch broke all kinds of records, reaching one million downloads in just five days. That's faster than ChatGPT. In "on the other hand" news, it kind of sucked that people started swamping social media with fake video clips of dead people, like the beloved Robin Williams. And of course, even at the launch the copyright radar was working overtime.
News Podcast: ‘Don’t Steal This Book’ Campaign Targets AI Policy; Grammarly Pulls Controversial Editing Tool
On this episode of the Self-Publishing with ALLi podcast, Dan Holloway reports on the “Don’t Steal This Book” campaign launched at London Book Fair, where thousands of authors call on governments to protect copyright in the age of AI. He also covers the backlash against Grammarly’s “Expert Review” feature, which prompted a lawsuit and its withdrawal, and looks at new BookTok charts and Audible’s expansion into eleven international markets.
Indie Author Lab Debuts as London Book Fair Opens Its Doors to Self-Publishers with Orna Ross and Joanna Penn
Orna Ross and Joanna Penn reflect on a landmark year at London Book Fair, where the Alliance of Independent Authors made its biggest mark yet — debuting the Indie Author Lab, a full-day event dedicated to helping indie authors go deep on their own publishing practice, and unveiling the new ALLi Indie Author Bookstore. They discuss why 2026 felt like a genuine turning point for self-publishers at the fair, what indie authors need most in an age of abundance and AI, and why discernment and individualization may matter more now than any single piece of publishing advice.
News Summary: Official BookTok Chart Launches in UK; Audible Expands to 11 New Markets
I had imagined that I would start this week with reflections on a busy London Book Fair. But the literary world has other ideas. So instead we begin with the latest from TikTok, which is the announcement of an official BookTok Chart, coming to the UK.
Building Bookstore Relationships Through Goodwill: Member Q&A with Michael La Ronn and Sacha Black
In this episode of the Self-Publishing with ALLi Member Q&A podcast, hosts Michael La Ronn and Sacha Black discuss creative strategies for getting books into independent bookstores, including sending signed copies, bookmarks, and promotional materials to stores that stock your books.
News Summary: Audible Reports Strong Retention with Immersion Reading; Authors Guild Expands Human Authored Certification
A short while ago, I reported on Audible's new immersion reading initiative. Subsequent to that, Publishing Perspectives had an expansion on the subject that makes it worthy of a revisit. You will recall that Audible now allows people who own e-books and audiobooks of the same title to read and listen at the same time, with features such as highlighting the text of the word currently being narrated.