Adventures in Publishing-land

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/Studiocan...

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...

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 -...

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...

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:...

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...

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 strate...

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"...

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 earni...

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...

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 car...

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:...

Watch as a full video on YouTube On this week's episode, we are talking about a scarcity of books for the Booker Prize and wondering if that is due to poor books or too narrow a category for prizes. Plus, we join the Alchemised train and wonder if fanfic turned to publishing gold shows publishers are unwilling to gamble on new stories, and more generally discuss how risk-averse the industry can be...

Watch as a full video on YouTube On this week's episode we share some exciting awards news involving Tariq and Marco (both winners at the recent Bloody Scotland Crime Writing Festival!), Nadine reveals a new cover (check her instagram to see it!), plus we discuss the latest in the Anthropic settlement, wonder about whether cosy crime is a reductive term, and in the wake of the Evelyn Clark author...

Watch as a full video episode In this episode of Adventures in Publishing-land, we dive into three big stories shaking up the book world: Anthropic’s historic AI settlement with authors; the new US import rules that could hurt UK publishers and authors; and James Patterson’s latest initiative to help aspiring writers finish their books. Plus, in our Off Script section, we ask: how closely should T...

Watch as a full video episode On this episode, we discuss the George RR Martin Worldcon incident, and wonder if fans are growing too entitled when it comes to expectations from authors. Plus, we look at Mark Lawrence's AI vs human authors experiment and discuss the results and what it means for authors, plus as a book with admitted AI content wins a prestigious award, we wonder what it means for t...

Watch as a full video episode on YouTube Will AI slop writing flood the market and drown out real authors? It's a legitimate concern that we discuss on this week's show. Plus, we ask if book awards need celebrity judges, and take a look at a story that has raised its head once again: the death of the male novelist. Is it greatly exaggerated? Then in Off Script, Nadine finds another "stranger than...

Watch as a full video episode on YouTube We discuss the scandal surrounding The Salt Path, the bestselling book that was turned into a movie - but was it all too good to be true? Plus, as Sarah J. Maas pens a huge rights deal, we ask whether normal authors can ever dream of things like that, and we also discuss the launch of Globescribe.ai and whether AI translation could ever match humans. Plus,...

Watch as a full video episode on YouTube! Welcome to the very first episode of Adventures in Publishing-land! Join us as we discuss some of the biggest (and strangest) stories in publishing over the past few weeks. This week: 00:17 Intro 01:32 The Unbound Saga continues 15:19 Authors hounded off social media - is it worth it? 24: 41 Literary Estates and copyright - how long should it last? 38:05 J...