Name: PODCAST DROP: Latest Self-Publishing News with Dan Holloway
Start: 2025-11-28T13:00:00+00:00
End: 2025-11-28T14:00:00+00:00
Location: ALLi Podcast

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: 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.