Business and marketing updates for authors: November 17, 2025

The publishing experts we follow have plenty of business and marketing advice and news to offer.

Here are the ones that we thought were can't-miss for our authors:

• More money and meaning: Orna Ross invites authors to understand their own individual definitions of both "success" and "enough" in their writing life and lists some steps to help them move toward those goals (Alliance of Independent Authors). 

• Anatomy of an impersonation scam: Victoria Strauss unpacks two versions of the same scam, in which a fraudster pretends to be a well-known author who just so happens to want to help you (Writer Beware). 

• Update on those flattering AI book marketing scams: Anne R. Allen — one of the figures whose name is used in many of these scams, even! — refreshes authors' memories on the red flags and genres of various book marketing scams, out of fear that their prevalence means authors are being caught up in them (Anne R. Allen's Blog...with Ruth Harris).

• How to make more human (and successful) pitches: Author and podcaster Matty Dalrymple explains how to spot and steer clear of spammy AI pitches, and also how to ensure that your own pitches are not just compelling, but are also clearly authentic and distinct from AI slop (Writer's Digest).

• What award panels really look for: While every judge will be somewhat different, Hannah Jacobson shares some areas that most panels agree are important in determining a book award winner (Alliance of Independent Authors).

• News summary: Dan Holloway reports on two overseas artificial intelligence updates — one from France, where publishers are suing Meta over AI concerns, and one from Australia, where tech firms have lost their AI copyright loophole (Alliance of Independent Authors).