Watch as a full video episode on YouTube

This week, we discuss why the publishing industry is pointing fingers at libraries for declining author incomes, but we wonder about the reasons they aren't talking about. Plus, have you heard of Elias Thorne? We talk about AI's repetition problem and why that may be good news for authors. And we revisit the thorny issue of book lists - after we criticised the Guardian's first 'Best 100 books', is their Readers' list any better?

00:00 Intro

01:14 Declining Author Income - Libraries to Blame?

14:13 Thorne in the Machine - AI Running Out of Ideas?

23:38 Guardian Top 100 - Readers vs Critics

30:40 Stranger Than Fiction - Nadine's Idea Factory

38.23 The Final Chapter - Horrifyingly Good

Links:

Authors Guild Looks at Why Author Incomes are in Decline

Chatbots Keep Telling Stories about Lighthouse Keeper 'Elias Thorne'. We Might Know Why

Wikipedia may have built the best AI writing detection guide

The Guardian Readers top 100 novels of all time

Pokémon Go data trained AI that could assist military drones in war zones

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! Find all our shows here!

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Watch as a full video episode on YouTube

This week, we're expanding on our discussion from the last episode about the depressing HarperCollins report on children's reading habits. Author and teacher Cailean Steed joins us to break down the underlying data and explain exactly how hyper-fixating on rigid literacy metrics is actively destroying the sheer joy of reading for kids. Plus, we talk about - of course - AI, as we talk about the Commonwealth Short Story Prize winner scandal, and discuss Nobel Laureate Olga Tokarczuk response to the talk of AI involvement in her work. And we find time to talk about the Guardian's "Best books of all time" list - and make Tariq talk about football again.

00:00 Intro

01:08 Literacy vs Joy: Let Kids Enjoy Reading: Cailean Steed Interview

22:15 Snake Oil Award - Prize-winning Pile On

37:50 Tokarczuk Prize - An Ignoble Use of AI?

44:02 Stranger Than Fiction - Nadine's Idea Factory

52.26 The Final Chapter - Who are books lists for?

Links:

Literacy focus ‘actively undermining’ reading for pleasure, HarperCollins finds

‘Obvious markers of AI’: doubts raised over winner of short story prize

Read The Serpent in the Grove and decide for yourself

Olga Tokarczuk has responded to the controversy over her reputed use of AI

The Guardian 100 Best Books of All Time

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.

Watch as a full video episode on YouTube

On today's episode of Adventures in Publishing-land, we congratulate Tariq on not one but two new Longlistings, and struggle to understand a story about new research that suggests a heavy focus on literacy skills in schools is actively undermining the motivation to read for fun.

Plus, the TikTok books charts have launched! What effect will they have on the industry? And as copies of Shy Girl sell for more than £100 on ebay, Tariq wonders if he should buy up as many copies as he can to fund his retirement (spoiler: he shouldn't!)

00:00 Intro

05:00 The Reading Paradox - Literacy Skills v Joy

16:52 Top of the Toks - TikTok Book Charts Launch

31:31 From Shy Girl to Prom Queen? Cancelled Book Sales Soar

41:49 Stranger Than Fiction - Nadine's Idea Factory

Links:

Literacy focus 'actively undermining' reading for pleasure, HarperCollins finds

TikTok releases first monthly BookTok Bestseller List

Copies of Mia Ballard's Shy Girl listed online for over £100

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.