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Watch as a full video episode on YouTube On this week’s episode, we are talking about MrBeast & James Patterson’s apparent book flop, and wondering if publishers will learn that social media following doesn’t translate into book sales. Plus, we talk about the Self-Publishing Partnership’s collapse, and discuss how NOT to behave at conventions after stories of a very pushy author came out of WorldCon. 00:00 Intro 01:02 From the Slush Pile - Listener Comments 17:43 Self-Publishing Panic - Another Unbound? 26:09 WorldCon Drama - When the Hustle Goes Wrong 34:02 MrBeast Book Bomb - Is Publishing The Most Dangerous Game? 42:45 Stranger Than Fiction - Nadine's Idea Factory 45:19 The Final Chapter - Entertainment Catch-up Links: Almost 100 authors affected by Self-Publishing Partnership collapse Is There a Wrong Way to Chase Your Dreams? Is MrBeast and James Patterson’s Novel Collaboration Headed for a Disastrous Debut? South Korean police officer admits to closing missing person cases to avoid work Adventures in Publishing-land is brought to you by STET Podcasts - the one stop shop for all your writing podcast needs, featuring Page One - The Writer's Podcast, The Conversation with Nadine Matheson and more! Find all our shows here! Follow us on Bluesky Follow us on Instagram Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Watch as a full video episode on YouTube We're back after a short break, but it appears nothing has changed in publishing as we are still talking about our (least) favourite subject: AI! We go through some listener mail and comments on the subject before diving into Jerry Falade's collapsed $2.4m book deal, wonder if AI detectors are reliable, and have a talk about different methods of book marketing, wondering what works and what doesn't. 00:00 Intro 02:11 From the Slush Pile - Listener Comments 17:25 AI Hid the Body - $2.4m Book Deal Collapses 24:07 Claude & Pangram - Watermark My Words 39:54 Marketing Your Book - Book Tok or Book Flop? 51:12 Stranger Than Fiction - Nadine's Idea Factory 55:57 The Final Chapter - Entertainment Catch-up Links: $2m crime novel deal collapses amid questions over AI use Agents react to major book deal that collapsed over suspected AI use Claude's new scarlet letter watermark is invisible—for now I tested a popular AI slop detector. It felt empowering. I spent $44,000 launching my book. Three of those dollars worked. Adventures in Publishing-land is brought to you by STET Podcasts - the one stop shop for all your writing podcast needs, featuring Page One - The Writer's Podcast, The Conversation with Nadine Matheson and more! Find all our shows here! Follow us on Bluesky Follow us on Instagram Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Watch as a full video episode on YouTube Marco is in a bad mood this week, and doesn’t hold back when discussing the march of AI into audiobooks…! Plus, we chat about the depressing reaction to a book piracy site being taken down, and wonder if Canongate’s new approach to paying authors more regularly will catch on (we aren’t optimistic…) 00:00 Intro 00:54 Here Come The Robots - AI voices taking over? 20:21 A Pirate’s Life For You? How Piracy Hurts Authors 29:38 Opening the (Canon)Gates - Will The Big 5 Follow? 35:50 Stranger Than Fiction - Nadine's Idea Factory Links: Bolinda creates AI cloned voice of Barbara Cartland [Not linking to the Piracy story as it names the site] Canongate moves to quarterly royalty payments Adventures in Publishing-land is brought to you by STET Podcasts - the one stop shop for all your writing podcast needs, featuring Page One - The Writer's Podcast, The Conversation with Nadine Matheson and more! Find all our shows here! Follow us on Bluesky Follow us on Instagram Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Watch as a full video episode on YouTube On this week's episode, we ask if the publishing industry is "blowing the bloody doors off" author rights. From Michael Caine's voice getting cloned for an epic audiobook to Hachette and Studiocanal's book to film deal, plus 250 UK publishers signing a massive AI licensing deal, we ask if any of this is good for authors. 00:00 Intro 01:04 Hachette/Studiocanal Deal - Good or Bad for Authors? 10:40 Blow Your Bloody Ears Off - Caine's Digital Odyssey 27:49 Collective AI Licenses - Selling Out Authors? 34:16 Stranger Than Fiction - Nadine's Idea Factory 39.40 The Final Chapter - Level Up Writing Links: Hachette Livre and Studiocanal strike book to screen deal Michael Caine licenses voice to narrate AI adaptation of The Odyssey audiobook Over 250 UK publishers opt-in to collective AI-licensing scheme Bungling career burglar caught after leaving passport photo at crime scene Adventures in Publishing-land is brought to you by STET Podcasts - the one stop shop for all your writing podcast needs, featuring Page One - The Writer's Podcast, The Conversation with Nadine Matheson and more! Find all our shows here! Follow us on Bluesky Follow us on Instagram Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Watch as a full video episode on YouTube This week, we discuss why the publishing industry is pointing fingers at libraries for declining author incomes, but we wonder about the reasons they aren't talking about. Plus, have you heard of Elias Thorne? We talk about AI's repetition problem and why that may be good news for authors. And we revisit the thorny issue of book lists - after we criticised the Guardian's first 'Best 100 books', is their Readers' list any better? 00:00 Intro 01:14 Declining Author Income - Libraries to Blame? 14:13 Thorne in the Machine - AI Running Out of Ideas? 23:38 Guardian Top 100 - Readers vs Critics 30:40 Stranger Than Fiction - Nadine's Idea Factory 38.23 The Final Chapter - Horrifyingly Good Links: Authors Guild Looks at Why Author Incomes are in Decline Chatbots Keep Telling Stories about Lighthouse Keeper 'Elias Thorne'. We Might Know Why Wikipedia may have built the best AI writing detection guide The Guardian Readers top 100 novels of all time Pokémon Go data trained AI that could assist military drones in war zones Adventures in Publishing-land is brought to you by STET Podcasts - the one stop shop for all your writing podcast needs, featuring Page One - The Writer's Podcast, The Conversation with Nadine Matheson and more! Find all our shows here! Follow us on Bluesky Follow us on Instagram Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Watch as a full video episode on YouTube This week, we're expanding on our discussion from the last episode about the depressing HarperCollins report on children's reading habits. Author and teacher Cailean Steed joins us to break down the underlying data and explain exactly how hyper-fixating on rigid literacy metrics is actively destroying the sheer joy of reading for kids. Plus, we talk about - of course - AI, as we talk about the Commonwealth Short Story Prize winner scandal, and discuss Nobel Laureate Olga Tokarczuk response to the talk of AI involvement in her work. And we find time to talk about the Guardian's "Best books of all time" list - and make Tariq talk about football again. 00:00 Intro 01:08 Literacy vs Joy: Let Kids Enjoy Reading: Cailean Steed Interview 22:15 Snake Oil Award - Prize-winning Pile On 37:50 Tokarczuk Prize - An Ignoble Use of AI? 44:02 Stranger Than Fiction - Nadine's Idea Factory 52.26 The Final Chapter - Who are books lists for? Links: Literacy focus ‘actively undermining’ reading for pleasure, HarperCollins finds ‘Obvious markers of AI’: doubts raised over winner of short story prize Read The Serpent in the Grove and decide for yourself Olga Tokarczuk has responded to the controversy over her reputed use of AI The Guardian 100 Best Books of All Time Adventures in Publishing-land is brought to you by STET Podcasts - the one stop shop for all your writing podcast needs, featuring Page One - The Writer's Podcast, The Conversation with Nadine Matheson and more! Follow us on Bluesky Follow us on Instagram Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Watch as a full video episode on YouTube On today's episode of Adventures in Publishing-land, we congratulate Tariq on not one but two new Longlistings, and struggle to understand a story about new research that suggests a heavy focus on literacy skills in schools is actively undermining the motivation to read for fun. Plus, the TikTok books charts have launched! What effect will they have on the industry? And as copies of Shy Girl sell for more than £100 on ebay, Tariq wonders if he should buy up as many copies as he can to fund his retirement (spoiler: he shouldn't!) 00:00 Intro 05:00 The Reading Paradox - Literacy Skills v Joy 16:52 Top of the Toks - TikTok Book Charts Launch 31:31 From Shy Girl to Prom Queen? Cancelled Book Sales Soar 41:49 Stranger Than Fiction - Nadine's Idea Factory Links: Literacy focus 'actively undermining' reading for pleasure, HarperCollins finds TikTok releases first monthly BookTok Bestseller List Copies of Mia Ballard's Shy Girl listed online for over £100 Adventures in Publishing-land is brought to you by STET Podcasts - the one stop shop for all your writing podcast needs, featuring Page One - The Writer's Podcast, The Conversation with Nadine Matheson and more! Follow us on Bluesky Follow us on Instagram Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Watch as a full video episode on YouTube This week, we’re diving into the unmasking of one of the world’s most successful authors. Freida McFadden, the bestselling author behind The Housemaid, has officially revealed her true identity as Dr. Sara Cohen. We wonder 'why now', talk about imposter syndrome, and discuss why authors use pseudonyms. Plus, we of course chat about some AI-related stories: we go over some of your comments about our last episode on the Shy Girl scandal, talk about the allegation that editors are using LLMs to help them decide which books to pick up, and talk about scam emails again - this people pretending to be editors. 00:00 Intro 00:46 Shy Girl Fallout - Audience Comments 14:17 Chat G-P-Cheat? - Are Editors Using LLMs? 25:05 Something Phishy - Fake Editor Emails Spike 33:58 Not Just The Housemaid - McFadden's Secret Revealed 45:10 Stranger Than Fiction - Nadine's Idea Factory 50:57 Final Chapter - Stellar Adaptations Links: Some editors 'uploading confidential manuscripts to Chat GPT' Scam emails impersonating editors on the rise The Housemaid author Freida McFadden reveals real identity Adventures in Publishing-land is brought to you by STET Podcasts - the one stop shop for all your writing podcast needs, featuring Page One - The Writer's Podcast, The Conversation with Nadine Matheson and more! Follow us on Bluesky Follow us on Instagram Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Watch as a full video episode on YouTube This week, we lead with the scandal that has the industry in a frenzy, with Hachette pulling the release of Mia Ballard’s horror novel Shy Girl after viral claims that the prose was generated by AI. We discuss the YouTube video with 1.2 million views that started the fire, the author’s defense involving an "acquaintance," and what this means for the future of "human" storytelling. Staying on AI (when don't we talk about AI?), we discuss the UK government's decision to axe plans for a broad AI copyright exception, and ask if this is a victory for authors. Plus, we chat about the announcement that NielsenIQ and TikTok are launching a monthly Top 20 chart in the UK that combines real sales data with social media engagement. 00:00 Intro 01:24 Victory for Authors - UK Scraps AI Exception 10:36 Not Shy of Shortcuts - Hachette Ditches AI Novel 22:46 Tok of the Pops - Official UK Chart launched 30:06 Off Script: Stranger Than Fiction 36:42 Final Chapter - Pitt-Perfect Drama Links: Axed AI Copyright Exemption Welcomed By Book Trade Hachette Horror Novel Shy Girl Suspended Official BookTok Chart Set to Launch in the UK Adventures in Publishing-land is brought to you by STET Podcasts - the one stop shop for all your writing podcast needs, featuring Page One - The Writer's Podcast, The Conversation with Nadine Matheson and more! Follow us on Bluesky Follow us on Instagram Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Watch as a full video on YouTube This episode of Adventures in Publishing-land dives deep into the battle for the "human soul" of the industry, featuring a frontline interview on the newest weapons in the author’s arsenal. We sit down with Anna Ganley and Sam Blake from the Society of Authors to discuss their new "Human Authored" scheme which launched at the London Book Fair. We explore the strategy behind the new logo and the message behind "Don't Steal This Book," the empty protest volume signed by thousands of authors including Kazuo Ishiguro and Richard Osman. Speaking of the London Book Fair, we also tackle the "Six-Figure Fever" that grips the industry every spring. If the headlines about massive advances are making you feel disheartened, we discuss why you need to ignore the hype and focus on your own journey. Plus, we look into the class-action lawsuit facing Grammarly and Superhuman, and discuss the latest legal action by publishers against a pirate books site. 00:00 Intro 00:53 The LBF Hype Cycle - Run Your Own Race 07:24 Human Authored - Our interview with the Society of Authors 36:12 Walk the Plank - Suing Anna's Archive 44:20 Grammarly's Gamble - Not So Superhuman 51:57 Off Script: Stranger Than Fiction Links: Human Authored - learn more about the scheme and how to sign up Thirteen US Publishers Bring Suit Against Anna's Archive Grammarly Superhuman Expert Review Article And why they are being sued Adventures in Publishing-land is brought to you by STET Podcasts - the one stop shop for all your writing podcast needs, featuring Page One - The Writer's Podcast, The Conversation with Nadine Matheson and more! Follow us on Bluesky Follow us on Instagram Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Watch as a full video on YouTube This week on Adventures in Publishing-land, we’re heading to San Francisco to look at Bindery Books. This startup is turning "bookfluencers" into acquiring editors, letting communities choose their own bestsellers. Is this the "Taylor’s Version" of publishing, or a risky bet on "tastemakers"? Plus, we discuss top literary agencies sounding the alarm on "formulaic" and "flattened" AI-generated queries, and also return to the topic of genre snobbery, and why fantasy is making everyone think again about it. 00:00 Intro 01:17 Facile & Formulaic - Agents Ban AI Queries 12:21 The Tastemaker Model - BookTok Becomes The Editor 21.39 Myth-understandings - Fighting Genre Snobbery 34:35 - Off Script: Stranger Than Fiction 39:53 Final Chapter - A Wonderful New Take on Superheroes Links: Literary agents urge writers to avoid AI as they see ‘change in nature of submissions’ Bindery Books Influencer-led Publishing Model Myth, monsters and making sense of a disenchanted world: why everyone is reading fantasy Adventures in Publishing-land is brought to you by STET Podcasts - the one stop shop for all your writing podcast needs, featuring Page One - The Writer's Podcast, The Conversation with Nadine Matheson and more! Follow us on Bluesky Follow us on Instagram Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Watch as a full video on YouTube This week, we’re unpacking the controversy surrounding Emerald Fennell’s "Wuthering Heights" adaptation. From historically inaccurate corsets to Margot Robbie’s "raunchy" take on Cathy, we debate how far a retelling can stray before it loses the source material entirely. Plus, we look at how one writer used AI to publish 200 novels in a single year, allegedly earning six figures. But is she a writer? And after a century of dominance, are paperbacks shuffling toward extinction? 00:00 Intro 01:25 200 'Books' A Year - The AI Romance Gold Rush? 12:48 Pulp Fiction No More - The Death of Paperbacks? 23.35 Raunchy Brontë - Straying Too Far From the Source? 37:38 - Off Script: Stranger Than Fiction 43:15 Final Chapter - Best RomComs Links: Can AI Chatbots Write Romance? NY Times Article The Death of the Mass Market Paperback? How Different Is Emerald Fennell’s “Wuthering Heights” Compared to Emily Brontë’s Book? Adventures in Publishing-land is brought to you by STET Podcasts - the one stop shop for all your writing podcast needs, featuring Page One - The Writer's Podcast, The Conversation with Nadine Matheson and more! Follow us on Bluesky Follow us on Instagram Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Watch as a full video episode on YouTube In this week's episode of Adventures in Publishing-land, we dive into the heated debate surrounding Val McDermid and the use of sensitivity readers to revise backlist titles. Should books be treated as historical artifacts, or is updating them a necessary step for modern audiences? Plus, we’re tackling two massive shifts in the industry: We break down the Society of Authors' "Brave New World" report, which reveals a staggering 86% of creators are already seeing their earnings hit by Gen AI. And the Literacy Crisis: Are we losing a generation of readers? We discuss the alarming reports of Gen Z arriving at college unable to read full sentences and what "scanning" culture means for the future of the book. 00:00 Intro 01:00 Brave New World? AI Already Impacting Creatives 16:23 Editing the Past - Should Old Books Be Revised? 27:52 Can't Read or Won't Read? Is There a Gen Z Literacy Crisis? 39:33 Stranger Than Fiction 44:40 Final Chapter Links: All 2.4m of Britain’s creative workers are at risk — and we know why Brave New World? Justice for Creators in the age of Gen AI Val McDermid was assigned ‘sensitivity reader’ to cut offensive language from old books Gen Z are arriving to college unable to even read a sentence—professors warn it could lead to a generation of anxious and lonely graduates Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Watch as a full video on YouTube We're back! On this week's episode, we discuss the show everyone is talking about - The Traitors! With crime author Harriet Tyce's appearance, we chat about the impact it has had on her book sales, and also wonder which reality show we would choose to go on to boost our publicity (there is also some spoiler discussion about this season of the UK Traitors, so be careful if you are not up-to-date!) Plus, we talk about big money's interest in Romantasy, and whether that will crowd out the market for other genres, and also discuss the rapid rise of scam marketing emails that are being sent to authors thanks to AI... 00:00 Intro 01:34 Dollars & Dragons - Is Big Money Skewing Fiction? 16:52 The Flattery Trap - Predatory Promo Offers 27:30 Killer Marketing? - The Traitors Effect 44:14 Off Script - Nadine finds another stranger than fiction story for inspiration 49:33 Off Script - Final Chapter: What we've been watching and reading Links: Chernin Group invests in Romantasy publisher Entangled Authors hit with deluge of scam emails from fake marketers Why crime writers make good Traitors contestants Adventures in Publishing-land is brought to you by STET Podcasts - the one stop shop for all your writing podcast needs, featuring Page One - The Writer's Podcast, The Conversation with Nadine Matheson and more! Follow us on Bluesky Follow us on Instagram Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Watch as a full video on YouTube On this week's episode, we discuss Ireland's UBI experiment for artists and writers, and why we would love to see other countries follow suit (but aren't holding our breath). Plus, we look at why indie presses are pressing the panic button, and discuss the latest BookTok marketing scheme - theme-scented books (a topic Tariq gets very excited about!) 00:00 Intro 01:10 Luck of the Irish - UBI for writers 13:45 Indie Presses - Time for trade support? 24:34 Smell of Success? TikTok, Trends and Garlic Mayo 39:56 Off Script - Nadine finds another stranger than fiction story for inspiration 46:18 Off Script - Horror Movie updates and True Crime chat Links: Ireland's Basic income for the Arts Scheme made permanent Indie Presses in existential crisis call for support Garlic Mayo Book Marketing Nadine's Stranger than Fiction story Adventures in Publishing-land is brought to you by STET Podcasts - the one stop shop for all your writing podcast needs, featuring Page One - The Writer's Podcast, The Conversation with Nadine Matheson and more! Follow us on Bluesky Follow us on Instagram Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.