Are Indie Authors Taking Over Traditional Publishing? Plus AI Book Certification & Goodreads Half-Stars

This week, Jamie and Melissa hold down the fort while Naomi attends FantasyCon. They dive straight into a massive week of publishing industry news, exploring how the balance of power is shifting for modern authors.

In this episode:

• The Self-Publishing Boom: Recent industry analysis from the Frankfurt Book Festival reveals that top UK self-publishers now rival the largest traditional publishing houses in scale. The hosts discuss how heavy-hitters like Matt Dinniman and Susie Tate are using their massive platforms to secure traditional print deals while retaining their lucrative eBook rights.
• The UK's First AI Book Certification: The UK Intellectual Property Office has registered the "Books by People" certification mark to formally stamp books as completely human-authored. Jamie and Melissa debate the mechanics of checking manuscript metadata and why generative AI still lacks the vital ingredient of a unique authorial voice.
• Surviving "Super Thursdays": October and November are historically dominated by legacy authors and massive consumer spending. The hosts explore how release slates packed with names like Ian Rankin, V.E. Schwab, and Sarah J. Maas make it incredibly difficult for debut authors to break through the noise.
• The NetGalley Sale: Firebrand Group, which includes the popular early-review platform NetGalley, was recently sold for just 1.07 times its annual revenue. The hosts break down why this low valuation is raising eyebrows about the platform's long-term profitability.
• Goodreads Adds Half-Stars: Goodreads has officially introduced half and quarter-star rating options. The hosts explain why this highly requested feature is likely to pull average book ratings down, and share the surprising reminder that Amazon has actually owned Goodreads for years.
• Author Q&A: A listener wonders if it is a red flag for a traditionally publishing debut author to work with an agent who specialises in transitioning indie authors. Melissa explains why an agent's success is ultimately a win for all their clients and why writers need to stop viewing each other as competition.

Naomi Gibson, author of Every Line of You, Game Over Girl, Man Muse Monster

Melissa Welliver, author of The Undying Tower, My Love Life and the Apocalypse, Soulmates and Other Ways to Die, To the Death

Jamie Greenwood, creator & host of The Write and Wrong Podcast