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AI-Generated Scams

News Summary: New AI-Generated Scams Target Authors with Fake Book Fair and Radio Invitations

Thanks to Nate Hoffelder's morning coffee for the heads-up on a new warning from everyone's favorite scambuster, Victoria Strauss. The subject of her latest exposé is two more entries into the increasingly overstuffed canon of AI-generated scams targeting authors. Both of these follow the same trajectory. They begin with a very eloquently composed (or, at least, composed without the scam signs we've been told to look out for over decades) email request. And end, of course, with a special deal and some bonus extras, all for a reasonable (!) fee.
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Guided Selling for Authors: Taking Readers by the Hand, with Orna Ross

In this episode, Orna Ross explores guided selling for authors: how indie authors can help readers find the right book or next step into their ecosystem without overwhelm or decision fatigue. Drawing on research into the ‘paradox of choice’ and online book-buying behavior, this episode asks how we can use our websites, stores, newsletters, book pages, and reader links more consciously to take readers by the hand, reduce friction, and make the buying journey feel less like a maze and more like a good bookseller’s recommendation.
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Inspirational Indie Author Interview: Darnnell Reese

Inspirational Indie Author Interview: Darnnell Reese. Desert Storm Veteran Breaks Decades of Silence on Trauma; Turns to Faith and Writing to Confront Bullies

My ALLi author guest this episode is Darnnell Reese, a Desert Storm combat veteran and former Military Intelligence analyst. During her service, she experienced trauma both on the battlefield and within her own unit, which she kept silent about for decades. With the encouragement and help of her daughter, she finally put that story into writing. Her work also draws on faith and focuses on confronting bullies in all forms. 
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Substack As A Marketing Tool

Substack as a Marketing Tool for Indie Authors, with Orna Ross

Is Substack a smart marketing tool for indie authors? In this episode, Orna Ross explores the platform's strengths for marketing fiction, poetry, and nonfiction books—including reader community, discoverability, and subscription options—alongside weaknesses like limited e-commerce, conflicting priorities, and the risks of building on a venture-backed platform whose goals may shift over time. She concludes that Substack offers a powerful combination of features for authors who want to balance creativity with visibility, but is not a substitute for a solid book-selling strategy.
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Inspirational Indie Author Interview: Cliff Lovette

Inspirational Indie Author Interview: Cliff Lovette Reinvents Himself as a Storyteller After a Career in Entertainment Law

My ALLi author guest this episode is Cliff Lovette, an Atlanta-based author who came to fiction after a long career as an entertainment lawyer, working with major artists during a pivotal time in the music industry. He held onto a remarkable true story about a Soviet circus stranded in the United States for more than thirty years before turning it into his novel. His journey is one of delay, reinvention, and finally taking the leap into storytelling. 
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Substack Founder's Memoir

News Summary: Authors Equity to Publish Substack Founder’s Memoir; Patreon CEO Attacks AI Fair Use Claims

Some interesting news today from two of the largest platforms creatives, including many indie authors, use. The first of the three items features Substack, the newsletter platform. An interesting piece in Publishers Weekly highlights that Authors Equity is going to publish the memoir of Substack's founder, Hamish McKenzie. The pairing throws us, per the article, some interesting questions about the potential future relationship between traditional publishing companies and formats and subscription-based platforms more obviously targeted at creators looking to take things into their own hands. Among other things, the article looks at the use of Substack by some high-profile authors like Ottessa Moshfegh to self-publish fiction in serial form.
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Indie Author Lab Debuts

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.
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