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Explore every episode of the podcast Author Update

Dive into the complete episode list for Author Update. Each episode is cataloged with detailed descriptions, making it easy to find and explore specific topics. Keep track of all episodes from your favorite podcast and never miss a moment of insightful content.

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1–50 of 58

TitlePub. DateDuration
Amazon's New AI Series Recap Feature: How It Will Impact Your Kindle Books11 Apr 202500:55:20

https://novelmarketingconference.com/

https://novelmarketingconference.com/

Tariffs Up & NaNoWiMo Closing Down04 Apr 202500:51:13

https://novelmarketingconference.com/

https://novelmarketingconference.com/

Invasion of the AI Images28 Mar 202501:10:20

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.

Links:Ā 

Ā - Novel Marketing Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/novelmarketing
Ā - First Email Challenge: https://training.authormedia.com/courses/2751846
Ā - Patron Toolbox: https://www.authormedia.com/patron-toolbox/
Ā - AI Thomas:Ā  https://www.authormedia.com/patron-toolbox/ai-thomas/
Ā - Jon’s Substack Link: https://jonathanshuerger.substack.com/p/for-authors-amazon-ad-words?r=2i152j

Affiliate Link:Ā 
Ā M4 MacBook Air: https://amzn.to/3XAF8TN

# YouTube Chapters for Author Update

00:00 Introduction and Welcome
00:43 Amazon Ads Expansion to New Countries
02:25 Technology News: AI Updates in Publishing
03:58 Traditional Publishing Embracing AI
04:17 ChatGPT's New Image Generator
09:51 AI Ethics: Taking Jobs from Artists?
14:13 The Future of Creativity: Authenticity as Currency
17:16 Google's Gemini 2.5 AI Model
20:41 Overcoming Procrastination for Authors
25:04 The Future of the Internet: Smaller Communities?
32:04 IMLS Cuts to Libraries: Impact on Authors
39:22 Canadian Booksellers Fighting US Tariffs
51:04 Amazon Beta Testing Sponsored Ads on Retailer Websites
53:52 Q&A: Budget-Friendly Advertising for Authors
56:23 Using AI for Developmental Editing
58:22 Targeting Your Ideal Readers
1:00:36 Ethics of Using AI-Generated Content
1:06:40 Sponsor Message and Closing

https://novelmarketingconference.com/

https://novelmarketingconference.com/

Did Meta Steal Your Book?21 Mar 202501:04:06

Publishing news and advice from Novel Marketing host Thomas Umstattd Jr. and indie author Jonathan Shuerger. Join live to get *your* questions answered.

Links:
Novel Marketing Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/novelmarketing
How to Make Your Author Website Amazing: https://training.authormedia.com/p/amazing-author-websites
First Email Challenge: https://training.authormedia.com/p/send-your-first-email-challengeĀ 
Patron Toolbox: https://www.authormedia.com/patron-toolbox/
AI Thomas:Ā  https://www.authormedia.com/patron-toolbox/ai-thomas/

00:00 – Introduction & Welcome
01:53 – Breaking News: Meta’s AI Trained on a Pirate Database
06:08 – New AI Writing Tool: Sudowrite’s Muse
10:58 – Tech Spotlight: Apple’s New M4 MacBook Air & Laptop Guide Insights
14:55 – Announcing the Reader Magnet Brainstormer
18:36 – Marketing Insights: ChatGPT, SEO & AI in Publishing
35:02 – Culture Corner: Assassin’s Creed and Video Game Controversies
45:37 – Publishing Trends: Book Talk and Industry Shifts
51:22 – Listener Q&A and Final Thoughts

https://novelmarketingconference.com/

https://novelmarketingconference.com/

Does Facebook Think Your Book is Worthless, Author Certification & AI Gets Religion26 Apr 202500:46:09

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https://novelmarketingconference.com/

Amazon Drops Printing Prices, Lays Off Kindle Staff, and Ends Hourly Rankings14 Jun 202501:03:20

Watch us on YouTube live!

https://novelmarketingconference.com/

https://novelmarketingconference.com/

Is the AI Bubble Popping?07 Jun 202501:01:11

A new version of Vellum, Publisher Rocket ends its lifetime deal, and is the AI bubble going to burst?

https://novelmarketingconference.com/

https://novelmarketingconference.com/

The End of Google for Authors?31 May 202500:58:01


šŸŽ™ļø Author Update – Episode: The End of Google (for Authors?)
Hosts: Jonathan Shuerger & Thomas Umstattd Jr.
šŸ•’ Runtime: \~57 minutes
šŸ“š Topics: AI Search, SEO, Voice Cloning, Book Marketing, Author Tools

---

šŸ” Episode Summary:
Is this the beginning of the end for Google? In this episode, Jonathan and Thomas explore how AI is disrupting traditional search and discovery—and what that means for authors. From SEO and Pinterest to AI audiobooks and ā€œNot a Literary Agent,ā€ this is your update on everything changing in the publishing world.

---

🧭 What You'll Learn:

* Why Google is losing market share—and what’s taking its place
* How to optimize for AI-driven search (semantic SEO explained)
* Why Gen Z is using Pinterest instead of Google
* How to structure content for AI overviews
* What voice cloning means for audiobooks
* Tools for analyzing your publishing contracts
* How to stay discoverable as bots change the rules

---

šŸ› ļø Tools & Resources Mentioned:

* Yoast SEO: [https://yoast.com](https://yoast.com)
* Not a Literary Agent: [https://authormedia.com](https://authormedia.com)
* 11 Labs (voice cloning): [https://elevenlabs.io](https://elevenlabs.io)
* Opera’s Neon AI Browser: [https://www.opera.com/neon](https://www.opera.com/neon)
* Pinterest Marketing (for Gen Z outreach)
* ChatGPT, Grok, and AI-powered search tools

---

šŸ”„ Hot Takes:

* ā€œPinterest is now more useful than Instagram or TikTok for authors.ā€
* ā€œFirst-person POV dominates because it’s easier—not better.ā€
* ā€œAI-generated content is training new AI—welcome to the feedback loop.ā€
* ā€œYou can't have a cyborg baby with an AI girlfriend… yet.ā€

---

🧠 Author Action Steps:

1. Add rich, structured content to your blog
2. Focus on being *the answer* for AI bots
3. Experiment with voice cloning for budget audiobooks
4. Explore Pinterest as a discovery tool
5. Stay current—these shifts are accelerating

---

**šŸŽ Bonus for Patrons:**
Thomas hosts a monthly bonus Q\&A episode exclusively for patrons. Get your questions answered live!
šŸ‘‰ Support the show: https://authormedia.com
Ā 


https://novelmarketingconference.com/

https://novelmarketingconference.com/

Do 45% of Authors *Already* Use AI?!23 May 202501:22:24

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https://novelmarketingconference.com/

KDP Royalty Changes & Invasion of the AI Audiobooks16 May 202501:04:32

https://novelmarketingconference.com/

https://novelmarketingconference.com/

Skype Dies, Romantasy Surges, & Mr. Beast Starts Writing the Bestest Best Seller Ever10 May 202500:59:53

Author Update New Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@Author-Update

https://novelmarketingconference.com/

https://novelmarketingconference.com/

Book Bans, Copyright Trolls Target Authors, and is Social Media Mostly Bots?04 May 202500:59:33

Blog Version: https://www.authormedia.com/book-bans-copyright-trolls/

https://novelmarketingconference.com/

https://novelmarketingconference.com/

How The Iran War Will Impact Authors21 Jun 202501:04:17

The Israel-Iran War, more AI impact on the workforce, zeitgeist discussion and more Patron Tools in the toolbox. All here with Author Update.Ā 

https://novelmarketingconference.com/

https://novelmarketingconference.com/

The Case of Authors Vs. AI28 Jun 202501:02:55

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.

https://novelmarketingconference.com/

https://novelmarketingconference.com/

Zeitgeist: The Age of Ruthless Heros 19 Jul 202501:05:41

Feast your ears as Jonathan and Thomas discuss the direction fiction is taking, and how societies deal with major turns.

https://novelmarketingconference.com/

https://novelmarketingconference.com/

Barnes and Noble, Bots, Bankruptcy and Beyond: The Big Beautiful Episode11 Jul 202501:16:00

Donate to disaster survivors at ADRN.org.



https://novelmarketingconference.com/

https://novelmarketingconference.com/

GPT-5 Is Here09 Aug 202501:00:47

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.

https://novelmarketingconference.com/

https://novelmarketingconference.com/

Audible Reduces Author Royalties, Trad Sales Plummet, Indie Sales Rise 02 Aug 202501:14:52

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.

https://novelmarketingconference.com/

https://novelmarketingconference.com/

Substack, GoodReads and MORTAL KOMBAAAAAAT!!!26 Jul 202500:27:19

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.Ā 


https://novelmarketingconference.com/

https://novelmarketingconference.com/

New International Shipping Rules Hit Authors and Libraries Acquire KU Books?29 Aug 202501:03:47

Join us on Author Update as we talk the latest news in publishing!

https://novelmarketingconference.com/

https://novelmarketingconference.com/

Spotify Upgrades Audiobook Accessibility and George R.R. Martin Told To Step Down22 Aug 202501:07:34

Check out our commentary on the past week's events with news on Spotify, Harper Collins and WorldCon.

https://novelmarketingconference.com/

https://novelmarketingconference.com/

The End of Rapid Release and the Advent of Breadgeist15 Aug 202501:12:02

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.

https://novelmarketingconference.com/

https://novelmarketingconference.com/

Christian Author Assassinated, Mailer Lite Adjusts Its Free Plan and Kit Raises Prices12 Sep 202500:57:52

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.

https://novelmarketingconference.com/

https://novelmarketingconference.com/

Anthropic to Pay Authors $3000 Per Book, Zeitgeist, and Author Arrested for Tweets08 Sep 202501:15:58

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.Ā 

Plus, discover exciting developments in AI audiobook publishing with ElevenLabs' new 60% royalty marketplace, learn about AuthorCraft.ai's manuscript analysis tools, and dive deep into the zeitgeist of Mary Poppins.Ā 

Patron Toolbox: https://www.PatronToolbox.com/
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/novelmarketing
Conference: https://www.NovelMarketingConference.com/

https://novelmarketingconference.com/

https://novelmarketingconference.com/

Amazon KU Allowed in Public Libraries, the TikTok Deal and Cancel Culture19 Sep 202501:02:24

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.Ā 

https://novelmarketingconference.com/

https://novelmarketingconference.com/

Ā© My Podcast Data