Shows / Author Update
Author Update
Here’s what you can expect from Author Update:
Publishing News: Stay in the loop on what’s happening in the industry.
Advice That Matters: Learn how to make your book irresistible to readers.
Live Q&A: Bring your questions and get answers from Thomas Umstattd and Jonathan Shuerger.
Episodes
- Author Update
Kindle Unlimited is Dead. Long Live Kindle+
Plus the Internet comes under attack, the Novel Marketing Conference is almost sold out, and France is no longer the place of romance.
- Author Update
Barnes and Noble Numbers Soar... And So Do Cars
Plus, new AI models for text-to-speech and so much more!
- Author Update
Audible Ads Are Finally Here
Plus, OpenAI is watermarking in the EU, Spotify is opening up to more markets, and we discuss the return of the public execution in America.
- Author Update
Is Amazon Ending Permafree Books?
Plus, AI updates, publishing acquisitions, and how the establishment of the Autonomous Warfare Command can give a shot in the arm to your sci-fi catalogue.
- Author Update
Amazon Cracks Down on AI Authors
Plus, Facebook limits outbound links, a new class action suit is about to open up against OpenAI, and Toys'R'Us returns.
- Author Update
KU Payout Falls
Plus, new updates to computer systems, a longer preorder window on Amazon and how an experiment on mice will affect your target market today.
- Author Update
The US Copyright Office Is Flagging Human-Written Books as AI
Plus, a lengthy discussion on the death of Charlie Kirk and what that has meant for America.
- Author Update
Amazon Caught Stealing Authors' Ad Dollars
Also, Thomas and Jonathan make everyone mad... ever.
- Author Update
Facebook Advertising Changed Forever... Again
Plus, non-cozy mystery numbers, Kindle price hikes and the passing of Dolly Parton.
- Author Update
AI Reads Aristotle - That's Why It Writes Better
Lots of AI news today, with new models, new systems and new possibilities for authors to use.
- Author Update
Barnes & Noble Just Banned the Front Table Author Signing Nationwide
Plus, new numbers in the industry, workbots to help with author work and a spicy zeitgeist take on how media is destroying women.
- Author Update
AI Fiction Seizes Almost 30% of Kindle's Catalog
Plus, we discuss country music, AI as used as a research tool, and an author who lost a lucrative tradpub deal because of an accusation.
- Author Update
Fauci's Diary and the Magic Boom in Fiction
Advancements in AI, changes in how agents work and the change in reader preferences.
- Author Update
The Digital Vs. Physical War - AI Companies Pulping Books By The Pallet
All the new AI models, China's surge to tech dominance and why we should write flash floods in our books.
- Author Update
The Atlantic Just Declared the Age of Reading Is Over
Plus indie stats on readers and authors, Gemini's in trouble for committing Anthropic's mistake, and how should we focus our writing, all on Author Update.
- Author Update
The Week That Changed Indie Publishing
Listen to Jonathan and guest host Bryan Canter talk about author news on this special episode of Author Update.
- Author Update
America's 250th Birthday - Will It Survive
All things America! Thomas and Jonathan celebrate the 250th birthday of the United States by discussing publishing trends and how America was shaped by…
- Author Update
The Pope Says To Finish Thy Book
Plus, numbers on trad vs. Indie publishing, OpenAI's hesitancy to release a new version of ChatGPT after Fable's cancellation, and an hour long zeitgeist…
- Author Update
Record Breaking KU Fund!
Plus, the US government bans Anthropic's Fable 5, and we talk the unrest in the UK.
- Author Update
Men Buy Books and Women Borrow Them
Plus, tech news on Meta and Anthropic, and we go over the fun in each country's culture.
- Author Update
Is Libby Bankrupting the Libraries?
Plus, declining Pride month sales, Audible fires back at Spotify, and exactly what is afflicting Gen Z men?
- Author Update
No ISBN Means No Copyright Protection for Indie Authors
Plus, Amazon debuts a new paper option for paper books, and Thomas unpacks the pope's latest encyclical and how it relates to AI.
- Author Update
The Publishing Echo Chamber Nobody Will Admit Exists
Plus trad publishing numbers, AI news out the whazoo and the zeitgeist on baby names.
- Author Update
The Amazon Review Purge - The Author Survival Guide
Plus NewsCorps's new business model, ChatGPT's religious bias, and the zeitgeist take on Christopher Nolan's Odyssey.
- Author Update
Draft2Digital Confirms Amazon's Sales Reporting Is Off
Plus the numbers on AI slop in the Amazon market, a whole new set of Author Alerts and a lengthy zeitgeist segment on the nationalism vs. globalism movements…
- Author Update
Audible Forces Every Title into New Royalty Model
Plus, FTC penalizes Publishing.com for deceptive practices, and Jonathan and Thomas argue Star Wars turnings.
- Author Update
Price Fixing at Amazon
Plus ChatGPT updates, Copyright Office increasing its prices, and what the SPLC indictment means for your business.
- Author Update
Amazon Kills Store Access for Two Million Kindles
Plus Kindle for PC is going away, Spotify rises to take on the giant, and is the new Claude Opus really any good? Find out here on Author Update!
- Author Update
The Week Romance Died - And Other Dramas
NY Times bestseller list shake-up, AI studies on productivity and the psycho-thriller K-lytics report.
- Author Update
Scientists Prove AI Is Rewriting Your Book When You're Not Looking
And other various and sundry.
- Author Update
Long Live the Writers! Publisher Drops AI Written Book
Plus AI news, the secret behind the 4 million books uploaded to Amazon last year, and a deep dive into K-lytics' recent Mystery, Thriller and Suspense report.
- Author Update
17 Days Left to Claim Anthropic Payout
Plus, Cloudflare news, Amazon book clubs ending and a spicy zeitgeist segment. Welcome to Author Update.
- Author Update
Iran Just Destroyed Your Book Sales This Weekend -- Here's What Happened
Plus AI news, Medieval English language and how glory is the new market for selling to young men. Welcome to Author Update.
- Author Update
The Indie Whale Reader - 100 Books a Year and How To Reach Them
Trad publishing news, AI causing job losses and the K-lytics romance report!
- Author Update
Indies Win! Harlequin to Close Historical Romance Line
Plus, new AI models, a new method for your website to be discovered, new tools to use to promote your book and how the Battle of Agincourt affects your…
- Author Update
Substack Breach! Author Information Compromised
Plus the Super Bowl halftime show, Harper Collins quarterly report and how the Roman Empire somehow again influences publishing.
- Author Update
Could OpenAI Own Your Book?
Plus, Spotify goes to war with Amazon over book market shares while Thomas and Jonathan compare cozy fantasy to John Wick. Demon pigs, bacon; it's all here.
- Author Update
Ingram Goes To War With AI
Come listen to the latest episode of Author Update for your latest dish of author news.
- Author Update
Federal Court Just Changed Copyright Law Globally for Authors
Copyright termination rights, Ai ads, and an extra-long zeitgeist segment on fonts and beauty in literature. Also, a spicy segment on America's churches.
- Author Update
AI Threats, Platform Changes and Cultural Shifts Authors Can't Ignore
Audible. Iran. Venezuela. What do all of these have to do with your writing? Check out the latest episode of Author Update!
- Author Update
Author Update's Predictions for 2026!
Come hear Thomas and Jonathan make their predictions for how the book business will change in the coming year.
- Author Update
Reports Say That The Majority of Paranormal Romance Is AI Generated!
Plus more AI news, Author Arsenal updates and Jonathan and Thomas's thoughts on the romance genre!
- Author Update
The Demonetized Episode
We hit it all. AI, sexism, hiring practices at publishing industries: we are making no money from THIS episode.
- Author Update
Author Update Has A New Home!
We show off our new channel's digs, talking about rising costs and the impact of AI on publishing throughout longer trends. It's a good time.
- Author Update
The Amazon Associate Crackdown and Black Friday Deals!
Listen to Author Update for all the news on Amazon's new video advertising capabilities, their reiteration of bans on the Amazon Associate program, and all the…
- Author Update
Did Google's Gemini Train on Your Manuscript?
Google's dark pattern, plus new AI tools, upgrades to existing systems and a deep dive into the cozy mystery genre.
- Author Update
The Algorithm War: AI vs. Human Writing
Updates on how the publishing and music worlds are adapting to AI, as well as exciting developments from the industry.
- Author Update
The Holiday Marketing Guide
Find out how to plan for this year's holiday season, as well as how changes to the X algorithm change your marketing strategy.
- Author Update
Traditional Publishing in Crisis: Sales Down 9.4%
This week we're covering Spotify's game-changing Audiobook Selects program for indie authors, the collapse of traditional publishing sales with trade books…
- Author Update
Scam Alert! The Nigerian Bot Army Has Arrived!
Get the latest on scams affecting the author world, a detailed data report on the state of Mysteries, Thrillers and Suspense, and why Americans are reading…
- Author Update
Massive Amazon Algorithm Changes and the Grid
Welcome to the Grid. We're covering the Amazon algorithm, the sales reports, the Yoast SEO Update and the advent of Tron: Ares.
- Author Update
Publisher's Cancellation Backfires, What's Selling Now and Are Libraries Going Under?
Welcome to a special episode of Author Update! Thomas is sick, so Jonathan takes the reins and does a solo episode on library news, X drama and ZEITGEIST!
- Author Update
US Copyright Office Closes, Piracy Surges Again and the Anthropic Settlement Website Goes Live
Join Thomas and Jonathan on Author Update as we tackle the government shutdown, the surge in online book piracy sentiments and how the military's pivot toward…
- Author Update
Updates in Anthropic Case, NanoWriMo Replaced and How To Write First Aid
Payouts approved in the Anthropic case, Novel November comes to authors and Jonathan and Thomas talk about how to write first aid properly in your content.
- Author Update
Amazon KU Allowed in Public Libraries, the TikTok Deal and Cancel Culture
Join us on Author Update to learn more about using libraries with KU books, the TikTok deal between US and China, and how cancel culture has changed.
- Author Update
Christian Author Assassinated, Mailer Lite Adjusts Its Free Plan and Kit Raises Prices
A somber reflection upon Charlie Kirk's life and ministry and how authors can emulate his success in their own careers, as well as industry news regarding…
- Author Update
Anthropic to Pay Authors $3000 Per Book, Zeitgeist, and Author Arrested for Tweets
We uncover shocking news about publishers failing to register copyrights, potentially leaving authors vulnerable in the Anthropic class-action lawsuit. We also…
- Author Update
New International Shipping Rules Hit Authors and Libraries Acquire KU Books?
Join us on Author Update as we talk the latest news in publishing!
- Author Update
Spotify Upgrades Audiobook Accessibility and George R.R. Martin Told To Step Down
Check out our commentary on the past week's events with news on Spotify, Harper Collins and WorldCon.