Adventures in Publishing-land

STET Podcasts
  • 0.0 (0)
  • BOOKS
  • UPDATED BIWEEKLY

Podcasts unite as Marco Rinaldi and Tariq Ashkanani from Page One - The Writer's Podcast and Nadine Matheson from The Conversation get together to chat about the latest news from the publishing world and give their honest and irreverent takes on the stories! New episodes every second Monday Brought to you by STET Podcasts - your one-stop shop for all your writing podcast needs! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  1. 6D AGO

    Did AI Kill This Book? Plus: UK Authors Win AI Battle & BookTok Charts Go Official

    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.

    45 min

  2. MAR 16

    The "Human Authored" Badge: Can a Logo Save Publishing? Plus - Grammarly Sued

    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.

    57 min

  3. MAR 2

    Agents Rail Against AI, Influencer Imprints & Genre Snobbery

    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.

    47 min

  4. FEB 16

    How AI 'Wrote' 200 'Books' a Year and The Wuthering Heights Adaptation Debate

    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.

    48 min

  5. FEB 2

    Gen AI’s impact on creatives, Editing old books for modern readers, and Gen Z’s Literacy Crisis

    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.

    54 min

  6. JAN 19

    Killer Publicity with The Traitors, Romantasy Takeovers, and Scam AI Marketing Emails

    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.

    59 min

  7. 10/20/2025

    Ireland’s UBI Experiment, Garlic Mayo Marketing & Indie Press Panic

    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.

    55 min

  8. 10/06/2025

    Is Publishing Playing It Too Safe? The Booker, Fanfic & the Future of Fiction

    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 and why that narrows the chances for new authors. 00:00 Intro 01:04 Anthropic Settlement Update 03:22 Booker Prize in crisis? 17:46 Alchemised success - Turning FanFic into Gold 24.20 Betting on Bestsellers - Do Publishers Play the Odds? 36:56 Off Script - Nadine finds another stranger than fiction story for inspiration 43:14 Off Script - Our Favourite Horror Movies Links: Sign up for Anthropic settlement Doyle says Booker Prize struggled to find good novels Alchemised - Fan fiction turned into a bestseller Why Romance Readers can't quit Dramione The Publishing Industry has a Gambling Problem 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.

    55 min
See All (14)

About

Podcasts unite as Marco Rinaldi and Tariq Ashkanani from Page One - The Writer's Podcast and Nadine Matheson from The Conversation get together to chat about the latest news from the publishing world and give their honest and irreverent takes on the stories! New episodes every second Monday Brought to you by STET Podcasts - your one-stop shop for all your writing podcast needs! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Information

You Might Also Like