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
34 episodes
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.
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1:11:58
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.
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1:20:16
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.
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1:08:10
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 down 9.4%, and major industry closures including Mango Publishing and Knights Of childre...
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1:34:13
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 less than ever.
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1:11:19
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.
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1:16:08
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!
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56:31
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 more lethality and less DEI impacts your writing.
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1:08:39
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.
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59:21
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.
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1:02:15
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 email services.
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57:43
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 explore the arrest of Irish author Graham Linehan for tweets posted from America.&nb...
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1:15:49
New International Shipping Rules Hit Authors and Libraries Acquire KU Books?
Join us on Author Update as we talk the latest news in publishing!
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1:03:38
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.
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1:07:25
The End of Rapid Release and the Advent of Breadgeist
This one was a doozy. We covered AI's shortcomings, how authors can maximize their output potential and how cowboy romances relate to bread making. Yes, sir, you can only get that kind of content here, on Author Update.
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1:11:53
GPT-5 Is Here
Come listen to Jonathan and Thomas discuss the latest advancements from OpenAI and what they mean for writers, as well as the cultural war between Texas and Australia.
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1:00:38
Audible Reduces Author Royalties, Trad Sales Plummet, Indie Sales Rise
Listen to this week's episode of Author Update as Jonathan and Thomas dive into Audible's royalty shenanigans, the woes of the trad pub world vs. the success of the indie scene.
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1:14:43
Substack, GoodReads and MORTAL KOMBAAAAAAT!!!
Solo episode with Jonathan as Thomas is on vacation. We're going into changes with Substack, GoodReads, Kindlepreneur's look into Amazon keywords, and much more.
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27:10
Zeitgeist: The Age of Ruthless Heros
Feast your ears as Jonathan and Thomas discuss the direction fiction is taking, and how societies deal with major turns.
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1:05:32
Barnes and Noble, Bots, Bankruptcy and Beyond: The Big Beautiful Episode
Donate to disaster survivors at ADRN.org.
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1:15:51
The Case of Authors Vs. AI
Several court cases impacting authors, the NYT wonders if men read literary novels, and Jonathan starts a lawsuit against Thomas. All on this week's Author Update.
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1:02:46
How The Iran War Will Impact Authors
The Israel-Iran War, more AI impact on the workforce, zeitgeist discussion and more Patron Tools in the toolbox. All here with Author Update.
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1:04:08
Amazon Drops Printing Prices, Lays Off Kindle Staff, and Ends Hourly Rankings
Watch us on YouTube live!
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1:03:11