The Self-Publishing with Dale Podcast

ACX is reporting higher royalties under Audible's new payment model, but important questions remain about what authors are actually earning. Meanwhile, Audible is expanding into new markets, Spotify for Authors has introduced new ways to promote audiobooks, and Spoken is expanding its AI audiobook production tools. Plus, a free ISBN barcode generator gives authors more control over their print books, The Self Publishing Show Live is coming to the US, and we've got additional events and resources worth knowing about. All that and more in the Self-Publishing News for October 15, 2026. Novel Report - https://DaleLinks.com/NovelReport (affiliate link) Audiobook Creation Exchange (ACX) - https://acx.com Publishers Weekly: Frankfurt Book Fair 2026, Audible Wants to Turn Every Book into an Audiobook - https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/international/Frankfurt-Book-Fair/article/101500- Spotify for Authors: Put your audiobook in new hands with free redemption codes - https://authors.spotify.com/blog/redemption-codes Spoken (demo) - https://Spoken.press/demo Barcode Rocket - https://DaleLinks.com/BarcodeRocket Self-Publishing Show Live (US Edition) - https://learnselfpublishing.com/spsliveusa The Self-Publishing Show - https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL2ZHpP6O4od2dStQH0VKddaqVH-qTFMAu Rapid-Fire Newsflash Kindlepreneur: 650+ Creative Writing Prompts to Inspire Authors & Creators - https://kindlepreneur.com/writing-prompts/ Tertulia for Authors: Office Hours - http://authors.tertulia.com/newsletter Tertulia for Authors - https://DaleLinks.com/TertuliaForAuthors (affiliate link) How to Grow Your Author Email List (and What to Send) with Shelby Leigh - https://youtu.be/cMzGVthuz38?si=bB9Y3INxG_PpUgJA Book Brush: Authors Meet Author Assistants: 'Tis the Season to Delegate - https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/_P0Y-cskSZCcJ2Yzekm8eA#/registration Authors Guild: From Manuscript to Marketplace: Have You Seen Romit? - https://authorsguild.org/event/from-manuscript-to-marketplace-have-you-seen-romit/ The Indy Author Podcast: Online Community Etiquette for Authors with Dale L. Roberts - https://youtu.be/__hUYp1LGOc?si=OKjEtrx-YGP-C8LZ Subscribe to my email newsletter - https://DaleLinks.com/SignUp Join Channel Memberships - https://DaleLinks.com/Memberships Join Me on Discord - https://DaleLinks.com/Discord Check out my main YouTube channel - https://www.youtube.com/@dalelroberts My Books - https://DaleLinks.com/MyBooks Wanna tip me? Visit https://dalelroberts.gumroad.com/coffee. Where noted, some outbound links financially benefit the channel through affiliate programs. I only endorse programs, products, or services I use and can stand confidently behind. These links do not affect your purchase price and greatly helps to building and growing this channel. Thanks in advance for understanding! - Dale L. Roberts

One author lost access to both her KDP and ACX accounts after a book was flagged as previously published, and I break down what happened and what options authors should know about if KDP rejects an appeal. Plus, Draft2Digital adds ebook preorders to the Smashwords Store, Ingram Content Group shares results from its AI rollout, Writer Beware exposes how personalized AI publishing scams are engineered, and I take a look at Ream and Author Ad Engine. All that and more in the Self-Publishing News for October 1, 2026. Support for Self-Publishing with Dale comes from Novel Report. Novel Report - https://DaleLinks.com/NovelReport (affiliate link) The Holiday Season Makeover Challenge - https://DaleLinks.com/HolidayMakeover Ruthanne Reid: Amazon just deleted my KDP account. You need to pay attention. - https://youtu.be/0nQx4lR326U?si=R9a00I1vRKH8UHvr Dale L. Roberts: KDP Appeal Rejected? You Still Have Options - https://youtu.be/mLSCoiCcOQI?si=BY_BCXF6gxUKJYmq Draft2Digital Announces Ebook Preorder Sales Now Available at the Smashwords Store - https://draft2digital.com/blog/press-releasedraft2digital-announces-ebook-preorder-sales-now-available-at-the-smashwords-store/ Ingram Finds Success in AI Rollout - https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/industry-news/publisher-news/article/101218-ingram-s-ai-rollout-is-a-success.html Writer Beware: How Those Personalized Generative AI Scam Emails Are Built - https://writerbeware.blog/2026/09/25/how-those-personalized-generative-ai-scam-emails-are-built/ Ream - https://ReamStories.com Author Ad Engine - https://authoradengine.com/dale Rapid-Fire Newsflash Tertulia for Authors: Office Hours - http://authors.tertulia.com/newsletter Tertulia for Authors - https://DaleLinks.com/TertuliaForAuthors (affiliate link) Booklinker - https://mybook.to/BooklinkerDaleSubstack Amazon Prime Big Deal Days (Oct. 6-7, 2026) - https://www.amazon.com/primebigdealdays The Self-Publishing with Dale Podcast (live): If I Started Selling Books Direct Today, I'd Do This - https://youtube.com/live/Jq4VjK0Q3rc?feature=share Indie Author Training: Dictate Your Novel This November: The DRAFT Method for Speaking Your Story - https://webinars.indieauthortraining.com/talks/dictate-your-novel-this-november-the-draft-method-for-speaking-your-story/ SelfPubCon 2026: The Future of Self-Publishing: What's Working Now & What's Next - https://selfpublishingadvice.org/selfpubcon2026/ Subscribe to my email newsletter - https://DaleLinks.com/SignUp Join Channel Memberships - https://DaleLinks.com/Memberships Join Me on Discord - https://DaleLinks.com/Discord Check out my main YouTube channel - https://www.youtube.com/@dalelroberts My Books - https://DaleLinks.com/MyBooks Wanna tip me? Visit https://dalelroberts.gumroad.com/coffee. Where noted, some outbound links financially benefit the channel through affiliate programs. I only endorse programs, products, or services I use and can stand confidently behind. These links do not affect your purchase price and greatly helps to building and growing this channel. Thanks in advance for understanding! - Dale L. Roberts

Spotify for Authors is rolling out free AI audiobook creation for self-published authors using ElevenLabs, while Canada changes its ISBN rules around AI-generated books and the U.S. Justice Department enters OpenAI's copyright fight with The New York Times. We also revisit the controversial library e-book study after new questions about its methodology, plus several updates from Tertulia for Authors. Publisher Rocket - https://DaleLinks.com/PublisherRocket (affiliate link) AP News: Trump administration backs OpenAI in New York Times' copyright case over training of chatbots - https://apnews.com/article/justice-department-new-york-times-openai-copyright-dbb22e8e02c660ee5a8644915dec39a4 Tania's Writing Realm: ATTENTION CANADIAN AUTHORS / Changes with ISBNs - https://youtu.be/0ijU_tXSgwA?si=q7z_aHe95I7NL84D Government of Canada: About ISBNs - https://www.canada.ca/en/library-archives/services/publishers/isbn/about.html Spotify for Authors: Turn Your Book Into an Audiobook in Minutes with Spotify for Authors - https://authors.spotify.com/blog/creationtools Jane Friedman's The Bottom Line (subscription required) - https://janefriedman.com/subscribe-paid-newsletter/ Publishers Weekly: Study Says Library E-book Lending Hurts Industry Sales - https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/industry-news/libraries/article/101167-study-says-library-e-book-lending-hurts-industry-sales.html Words & Money: Publishing Industry 'Study' Says Digital Library Lending Is Cannibalizing Retail Sales—Librarians Say It Reveals Something Else - https://www.wordsandmoney.com/publishing-industry-study-suggests-digital-library-lending-is-cannibalizing-retail-sales-librarians-say-it-reveals-something-else/ Readers First: Significant flaw in new library eBook study - https://www.readersfirst.org/news/2026/9/3/significant-flaw-in-new-library-ebook-study Tertulia for Authors - https://DaleLinks.com/TertuliaForAuthors (affiliate link) Tertulia for Authors on Substack - https://tertuliaforauthors.substack.com/ Build a Professional Author Website Easily | Tertulia for Authors - https://youtu.be/F6q_ZvluXLE?si=aI1ziRarimpesKZl Rapid-Fire Newsflash GetCovers - https://DaleLinks.com/GetCovers (affiliate link) Kindlepreneur: 25+ Best Podcasts for Writers & Self Publishers in 2026 - https://kindlepreneur.com/best-podcasts-for-writers-and-self-publishers Kickstarter: A Book In Hand: Optimizing Print Book Sales - https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/markleslie/a-book-in-hand-optimizing-print-book-sales Spoken - https://Spoken.press Authors Guild: Copyright & AI: Best Practices for Authors & Narrators - https://authorsguild.org/event/copyright-ai-best-practices-for-authors-narrators/ Indie Author Training: From First Draft to Launch Day - https://webinars.indieauthortraining.com/talks/from-first-draft-to-launch-day/ The Alliance of Independent Authors: The Future of Self-Publishing: What's Working Now & What's Next - https://selfpublishingadvice.org/selfpubcon2026/ Where noted, some outbound links financially benefit the channel through affiliate programs. I only endorse programs, products, or services I use and can stand confidently behind. These links do not affect your purchase price and greatly helps to building and growing this channel. Thanks in advance for understanding! - Dale L. Roberts

The FTC and 22 states are suing Amazon over allegations that the company manipulated its ad auctions and may have pulled more than $20 billion from advertisers. We're also covering Google's new Expert Intelligence feature for purchased ebooks, a study linking library ebook lending with lower retail sales, Libro.fm adding ebooks, and the 2026 State of Author Marketing survey. All that and more in the Self-Publishing News for September 3, 2026. Publisher Rocket - https://DaleLinks.com/PublisherRocket (affiliate link) Ars Technica: FTC alleges Amazon illegally made $20 billion by rigging billions of ad auctions - https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2026/09/ftc-alleges-amazon-illegally-made-20-billion-by-rigging-billions-of-ad-auctions/ Google: Expert Intelligence: a new way for you to engage with trusted content - https://blog.google/innovation-and-ai/products/gemini-notebook/expert-intelligence-leading-sources/ Publishers Weekly: Google Launches AI Tool to Add Interactivity to E-books - https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/industry-news/publisher-news/article/101136-google-launches-expert-intelligence-adding-interactivity-to-e-books.html Publishers Weekly: Study Says Library E-book Lending Hurts Industry Sales - https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/industry-news/libraries/article/101167-study-says-library-e-book-lending-hurts-industry-sales.html Libro.fm Blog: Ebooks Are Coming to Libro! - https://blog.libro.fm/ebooks-coming-librofm/ The State of Author Marketing: 2026 Annual Marketing Survey for Nonfiction and Memoir Authors - https://authorgrowthandimpact.org/the-state-of-author-marketing/?ref=369 (affiliate link) Rapid-Fire Newsflash ProWritingAid - https://DaleLinks.com/ProWritingAid (affiliate link) Lulu: The Easiest Way to Sell Direct-to-Reader - https://www.lulu.com/sell/sell-on-your-site/buy-button GetCovers: How to Make Your Book Cover Typography Stand Out: 6 Practical Tips - https://getcovers.com/blog/6-typography-tips/ Booksprout - https://DaleLinks.com/BookSprout (affiliate link) PublishDrive: Foundations for Publishing Success - https://publishdrive.com/foundations-for-publishing-success.html The Book Marketing Lab: Book Marketing on a Budget: What to Do with $25, $50, or $100 - https://www.thebookmarketinglab.com/Book-Marketing-Budget1 Indie Author Day - https://indieauthorday.com/ Subscribe to my email newsletter - https://DaleLinks.com/SignUp Join Channel Memberships - https://DaleLinks.com/Memberships Join Me on Discord - https://DaleLinks.com/Discord Check out my main YouTube channel - https://www.youtube.com/@dalelroberts My Books - https://DaleLinks.com/MyBooks Wanna tip me? Visit https://dalelroberts.gumroad.com/coffee. Where noted, some outbound links financially benefit the channel through affiliate programs. I only endorse programs, products, or services I use and can stand confidently behind. These links do not affect your purchase price and greatly helps to building and growing this channel. Thanks in advance for understanding! - Dale L. Roberts

The publishing industry is getting serious about AI authorship, and one major publishing CEO has some surprising thoughts on AI detectors and proving who actually wrote a book. Lulu is rolling out a dead-simple new direct-sales tool, while Dibbly Create finally adds manuscript imports. Plus, Get Authentic Book Reviews and Book Bounty launch new features for authors, along with more updates in the Rapid-Fire Newsflash. Catch up on the latest Self-Publishing News for August 20, 2026. Publisher Rocket - https://DaleLinks.com/PublisherRocket (affiliate link) Publishers Weekly: Brian Murray Addresses AI Authorship Issues - https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/digital/copyright/article/101002-brian-murray-calls-for-industrywide-solutions-to-issues-around-ai-authorship.html Jane Friedman: After Editing Two AI-Assisted Manuscripts, I Rewrote My Client Agreement - https://janefriedman.com/after-editing-two-ai-assisted-manuscripts-i-rewrote-my-client-agreement/ Lulu: Single-Click Selling Option - https://www.lulu.com/sell/sell-on-your-site/buy-button Lulu Publishing: How to Set Up a Lulu Buy Button for Direct Sales | Complete Tutorial - https://youtu.be/OslwjE5oUSg?si=BIMoMmd2ZAoqT1C- Dibbly Create - https://DaleLinks.com/DibblyCreate (affiliate link) Authentic Book Reviews - https://GetAuthenticBookReviews.com Book Bounty - https://DaleLinks.com/BookBounty (affiliate link) Rapid-Fire Newsflash Voice by INAudio - https://www.voicesbyinaudio.com/ Spoken Multi-Cast™ Deep Dive Webinar - https://www.spoken.press/magicmodewebinar Dale L. Roberts: How to Build an Author Website With No Tech Skills | Tertulia for Authors - https://www.youtube.com/live/ofmFpEP6tnA?si=PprfosdkMKV2ZVqv ProWritingAid: Creative Nudge - https://prowritingaid.com/features/creative-nudges?afid=6615 (affiliate link) ProWritingAid: Is Your Manuscript Really Ready to Publish? - https://prowritingaid.com/ready-to-publish/sign-up Women in Publishing Summit: The Marketing Power of Book Covers: From Market Research to Promotion - https://womeninpublishingsummit.com/event/marketing-power-book-covers-miblart/ The Indy Author Podcast: What Draft2Digital's New Fees Mean for Indie Authors with Kris Austin - #349 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mzutAVKlYxc&list=PLDnpWFQZeQuYxOVgBG8u9DUO-aIjphmG_&index=2 Draft2Digital: YouTube for Authors - https://www.youtube.com/live/T71o5yHGKhY?si=g_QuOp3_hLnn9iVH Subscribe to my email newsletter - https://DaleLinks.com/SignUp Join Channel Memberships - https://DaleLinks.com/Memberships Join Me on Discord - https://DaleLinks.com/Discord Check out my main YouTube channel - https://www.youtube.com/@dalelroberts My Books - https://DaleLinks.com/MyBooks Wanna tip me? Visit https://dalelroberts.gumroad.com/coffee. Where noted, some outbound links financially benefit the channel through affiliate programs. I only endorse programs, products, or services I use and can stand confidently behind. These links do not affect your purchase price and greatly helps to building and growing this channel. Thanks in advance for understanding! - Dale L. Roberts

Barnes & Noble is tightening how stores handle local author events, and showing up with a book may no longer be enough. We also cover free local publicity, platform updates from Apple Books, Lulu, and Voices by INAudio, and ProWritingAid's new ProWritingMethod. All that and more in the Self-Publishing News for August 6, 2026. Dibbly Create - https://DaleLinks.com/DibblyCreate (affiliate link) Jane Friedman's The Bottom Line (subscription required) - https://janefriedman.com/subscribe-paid-newsletter/ Referenced newsletter: August 5, 2026 Reddit: No more author events? - https://www.reddit.com/r/Barnesandnoble/comments/1uvyzj5/no_more_author_events/ Sell Your Book at B&N - https://dalelinks.com/bnbookstore Jane Friedman: Why You Should Focus on Local Book Publicity First - https://janefriedman.com/why-you-should-focus-on-local-book-publicity-first/ Apple Books for Authors - https://authors.apple.com Lulu Membership Agreement and Terms of Use - https://www.lulu.com/terms-and-conditions Voices by INAudio - https://www.voicesbyinaudio.com/ ProWritingAid's ProWritingMethod - https://DaleLinks.com/ProWritingMethod (affiliate link) Rapid-Fire Newsflash Tertulia for Authors - https://DaleLinks.com/Tertulia (affiliate link) Tertulia's post in Wide for the Win - https://wideforthewin.com/campus/space/tertuliaforauthors/post/tertulia-updates-new-features Novel Report - https://DaleLinks.com/NovelReport (affiliate link) - take $20 off through this link No codes needed, but for more details: https://DaleLinks.com/GetNovelReport ($20 off does NOT apply through this link) Booklinker - https://booklinker.com/ The Authors Guild: Agent Talks: How Digital Platforms Reshape Book Launches - https://authorsguild.org/event/agent-talks-how-digital-platforms-reshape-book-launches/ All my relevant links: Subscribe to my email newsletter - https://DaleLinks.com/SignUp Join Channel Memberships - https://DaleLinks.com/Memberships Join Me on Discord - https://DaleLinks.com/Discord Check out my main YouTube channel - https://www.youtube.com/@dalelroberts My Books - https://DaleLinks.com/MyBooks Wanna tip me? Visit https://dalelroberts.gumroad.com/coffee. Where noted, some outbound links financially benefit the channel through affiliate programs. I only endorse programs, products, or services I use and can stand confidently behind. These links do not affect your purchase price and greatly helps to building and growing this channel. Thanks in advance for understanding! - Dale L. Roberts

A major traditional publisher is making a surprising move toward indie authors. We also cover a KDP payment change, new details about Audible's royalty model, and fresh opportunities for book promotion and AI discoverability. Plus, the Rapid-Fire Newsflash features author resources, timely discounts, and more publishing updates. Dibbly Create - https://DaleLinks.com/DibblyCreate (affiliate link) KDP Community: EUR Check Payments Changing in August 2026 - https://www.kdpcommunity.com/s/article/EUR-Check-Payments-Changing-in-August-2026?language=en_US ACX: Suggested Price - https://help.acx.com/s/article/suggested-price PublishDrive - https://DaleLinks.com/PublishDrive (affiliate link) Draft2Digital: The Draft2Digital Promotions Team - https://draft2digital.com/blog/the-draft2digital-promotions-team/ Publishers Weekly: Pocket Books Relaunched as Home for Self-Published Authors - https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/industry-news/publisher-news/article/100756-pocket-books-relaunched-as-home-for-self-published-authors.html ALLi: How to Make Your Books Discoverable by AI, with Orna Ross and Rob Prime - https://selfpublishingadvice.org/podcast-how-to-make-your-books-discoverable-by-ai/ ALLi's Community Hub: SelfPubConnect - https://selfpubconnect.mn.co/ The Alliance of Independent Authors - https://DaleLinks.com/ALLi (affiliate link) Rapid-Fire Newsflash IngramSpark: A Definitive List of Writing Contests and Book Awards for 2026-2027 - https://www.ingramspark.com/blog/2025-book-awards-contests-for-indie-authors Authors Guild: Do Authors Need an LLC or S-Corporation? - https://authorsguild.org/resource/do-authors-need-an-llc-or-s-corporation/ Gemsy (the book review exchange platform) - https://DaleLinks.com/Gemsy (affiliate link) Use DALESUMMER50 for 50% off the annual plan (good till August 20, 2026) The Indy Author Podcast: Book Marketing on a Budget with Kevin Hall - Ep. 345 - https://youtu.be/tb7U7_15jzk?si=oBYwzp3hgpqw3WAG The Smashwords Summer/Winter Sale - https://www.smashwords.com/shelves/promos The Self-Publishing with Dale Series (on Smashwords) - https://www.smashwords.com/books/byseries/113712 Subscribe to my email newsletter - https://DaleLinks.com/SignUp Join Channel Memberships - https://DaleLinks.com/Memberships Join Me on Discord - https://DaleLinks.com/Discord Check out my main YouTube channel - https://www.youtube.com/@dalelroberts My Books - https://DaleLinks.com/MyBooks Wanna tip me? Visit https://dalelroberts.gumroad.com/coffee. Where noted, some outbound links financially benefit the channel through affiliate programs. I only endorse programs, products, or services I use and can stand confidently behind. These links do not affect your purchase price and greatly helps to building and growing this channel. Thanks in advance for understanding! - Dale L. Roberts