Advice Podcast: Author Nation Conference Conclusions 2025 — Courage, Choice, and New Directions for Indie Authors with Orna Ross and Joanna Penn

Orna Ross and Joanna Penn sit down for a candid, back-and-forth debrief on Author Nation and SelfPubCon 2025, and some of the bigger creative questions raised by the conferences. They unpack the benefits and challenges of physical versus online events, then broaden the conversation into creative courage and change. Discover Drew Davies’s “kill two things” rule, why Orna pressed pause on her Go Creative! series, and how Joanna is stepping into a new season with her Masters in Death, Religion, and Culture. As ever, you’ll enjoy honest reflection, practical takeaways, and permission to step boldly into your own next creative chapter.

News Summary: Anthropic Faces High-Stakes Lawsuit, Australia Rules Against Apple, and Wattpad Reflects on Radish Demise

We end the week with a round-up of a few stories that have caught my eye, each of which builds upon things that have been rumbling on for some time. We start with an update on what is now the class action against Anthropic in relation to its alleged use of pirated copies of copyright-protected works. Class action lawyers have joined the case, and the Association of American Publishers is offering to act as a contact point for those wishing to be part of the suit. Meanwhile, Anthropic has appealed against the decision that the case can proceed as a class action.

Favorite Stories of the Year: Author Spending, Marketing Trends, and More in Self-Publishing News with Dan Holloway

For those of you who celebrated yesterday, today might be a day for nursing a sated belly, enjoying leftovers, and picking up parcels from outlying acquaintances. It’s also the perfect context for reflecting on my favorite stories of the year. Here, while you look for something light to mix into your post-celebration haze, is the first of three interconnected stories that brought me joy this year. Stay tuned for the other two next time.