Writers' Forum - October 2025

The month's important publishing news, helpful writing craft tips, and savvy book marketing and publishing advice curated for you!

Hello, Everyone!

Happy Halloween! We’ve obviously hit the end of October! (AND once again . . . I’m kind of thinking “how did that happen so quickly??”) I originally amassed nearly 50 articles to share with you, but I’ve whittled it down to the 40 most important / interesting / helpful items. This Forum is always a mix of book marketing information, writing craft help, publishing industry news, and how-to articles on indie publishing and more.

FEATURED ARTICLES:

• Ongoing info about the Anthropic Settlement (multiple articles) and more on the Class Action Suit against Open AI

• 30 Books Being Adapted for the Screen

• Do Free Book Promos Work Anymore?

• Who Will Fill the Gap Left by Baker & Taylor’s Shut Down?

• What Does a Writer Actually Do? — A 500+ Author Survey

• The Great Author Central Lock Out

• We’re in a Book Affordability Crisis

There are multiple articles and summaries of the Anthropic Settlement case—where $1.5 billion in damages are set to be paid to authors and publishers for the unauthorized use of books to train AI. Here are the latest.

• Judge Gives Preliminary Approval to Anthropic Settlement - Jim Milliot for Publishers Weekly (Sept 26, 2025)

• Two summaries of the entire case: Writer Beware’s Summary from September 26 / Author Guild’s Summary from October 2

Plus, there’s another case worth paying attention to . . . that one is against OpenAI’s ChatGPT as detailed in this article by Jim Milliot for Publishers Weekly from October 28: Author’s Class action Lawsuit Against Open AI Moves Ahead.

30 Books Being Adapted for the Screen

This is a fun list compiled by Kirkus of book to move adaptations we can look forward to. Are any of your favorites on this list?

Do Free Book Promos Work Anymore?

Oh, this is awesome . . . Bridget E. Baker gives a real by-the-numbers look at whether free book promos are worth pursuing. The take away here is that this is a strategy that should only be employed if you have a series. Read it here from BookBub.

Who Will Fill the Gap Left by Baker & Taylor’s Shut Down?

First, if you didn’t hear the news that Baker & Taylor (the USA’s largest library wholesaler) is shutting down, then you’ll want to start with this article by Jim Milliot at Publishers Weekly. The next article (also by Milliot for PW) details how libraries are looking to fill the gap left by Baker & Taylor’s departure with some wholesalers like Ingram Content Group and Bookazine “ramping up their operations to take over parts of B&T’s business.” Additionally, Barnes and Noble has announced that they are also expanding into this space with their &Classwork e-commerce portal.

What Does a Writer Actually Do? — A 500+ Author Survey

Audrey Derobert sums up this BookBub Partners survey of more than 500 authors on how they approach their writing career, what kind of marketing they do, what sort of work they outsource and more. Interesting stats for sure, but it’s always good to see how others are making things work in their writing world. Read it here.

The Great Author Central Lock Out

I hadn’t heard of this happening until I saw the article from Penny Sansevieri. Have you been locked out of your Amazon Author Central account? I sure hope not! But here are the tips to fix any issues you may be having.

We’re in a Book Affordability Crisis

Compared to a lot of things, I still believe that books are a very reasonably priced entertainment, but I did find the comparison of book pricing between previous years and 2025’s costs quite interesting, although I found R. Nassor’s assertion that we’re in a book affordability crisis tenuous at best. Yes, the cost of print books has gone up, but the alternatives available — ebooks or ebooks through subscription models like Kindle Unlimited — do offer a lower cost entry point to read many titles. I’m not sure why there’s the hang up on whether you ‘own’ the book forever, especially when we’re talking about mass market paperbacks, which are hardly collectors’ items. Maybe I’m just being ornery. See what you think in the article on Book Riot here.

12 Ways Not to Start a Novel vs. 25 Ways to Start a Story

I had to laugh when I realized I bookmarked two articles with the opposite approaches on the same topic. I wondered if they would contradict each other. The good news is that they don’t! 12 Ways Not to Start a Novel by Anne R. Allen tells us not to use dreams, alarm clocks, travel, funerals/death, personal introductions and more. Solid advice for sure—although, ahem, I’m pretty sure that I have a ‘grandmother’ clock chiming in the first line of one of my books. In 25 Ways to Start a Story from Writers Digest we don’t read general plotting advice. Instead, we’re treated to story prompts—also fun, particularly if you’re in need of a little writing exercise or two (or 25.)

Ditch the Oldest Rule in Writing

B.A. Durham from the Chicago Writers Association gives us five reasons why “write what you know” is terrible advice, and I agree with him!! He says it stifles the imagination and discourages personal and artistic growth amongst other things. I like this approach a lot!!

Pacing for Emotional Impact in Fiction: Building Tension and Release in a Novel

I love bestselling author RaeAnne Thayne’s tips for managing pacing in your novels. In her article for Writers Digest she advises authors to “vary sentence and scene lengths and strategize where to place scene and chapter breaks.” Additionally, she advises how to “mix fast and slow scenes and withhold key details to maintain mystery, keeping readers invested with the gradual reveal.” These are great tips!

The Recipe for Fantasy World Building

Do you write fantasy stories? This is an excellent podcast where Marisa Churchill presents her “Recipe for Fantasy World Building” in conversation with Mary Kole.

How to Turn Your Family Folklore into Historical Fiction

Now, this is intriguing! Melora Fern shares her three-step process for taking facts from her family background to create a framework for her fictionalized stories. These are the types of novels that might say “based on true events.” I like the idea of this a lot, and now it’s pushed me to think more about stories from my family’s past that could make for the great beginnings of a story.

How to Write Intimate Scenes Without the Cringe

I’ve never been able to figure this one out, so — of course — I had to read these tips from Natali Simmonds for Writer’s Digest. She first walks us through whether you need sex in your book and if so — how much? She goes on to address writing intimate scenes for different audiences and meeting those expectations as well as the pacing of these scenes. Helpful tips for sure, but for now I think I’ll just keep fading everything to black. (ha ha)

How to Write a Book in Microsoft Word (2025 Tutorial for Authors)

If you like to use Word for your writing, check out this short ten-minute video tutorial from Kindlepreneur.com.

Best Book Editing Software for Authors in 2025

The BookBaby blog compares SudoWrite, Claude Pro, Grammerly, Fictionary, ProWirtingAid, and the Hemingway Editor. Helpful summary of each editing program along with costs and pros/cons.

Estate Planning for Authors and Creatives

I wasn’t sure what section to place this article in—but I definitely wanted to include it. Brenda W. Clough for Science Fiction & Fantasy Writers Association gives advice on how NOT to leave a mess for our heirs when it comes to our intellectual property management. It’s a little complicated but a necessity to address. I’m adding it to my to-do list.

Why Every Author Still Needs a Website in 2025 (And How to Make Yours a Reader Magnet)

Harshini Fernando from Written Word Media first explains that websites are essential as your digital business card, putting you in control of the content. He then lists what every author website needs along with instructions on getting it right. If you’re not employing a website designer (and maybe even if you are), his website checklist along with things to avoid is super helpful. Read it here.

Search is Changing: Here’s How Authors Can Benefit

You may have noticed that Google is presenting the way authors and their books appear in search results. This article from Rick Burnes for the BookBub Partners Blog sees the changes as both an a challenge and an opportunity. He carefully presents the old way search worked and the new way results are being presented and, most importantly, gives authors tips for making sure we’re adapting to these changes to remain at the top of search results. Super important article— bookmark this!

5 Ways to Improve Your Digital Presence

And in a somewhat related article/infographic, Barb Drozdowich gives tips to improve how well you’re represented in the online /digital world. The short infographic is good for an overview, but there’s a longer article that’s worth reading, too.

The WisMissus Podcast! In this episode we cover post-launch marketing, specifically diving into:

• Social Media efforts

• Advertising on BookBub, Facebook, and Amazon

• Promo Stacking

• Library and bookstore efforts and more!

• How award contests can fit into your marketing plan

The Momentum Method: Smart Book Marketing Strategies for Self-Published Authors

Harshini Fernando for Written Word Media has another great checklist of items to help you improve your book’s visibility and sales. I especially like the comparison between promos and paid advertising with the examples of each. I agree with his final assertion that marketing is a marathon not a flash sale. If you’re struggling with a marketing plan for your book, this is a good place to start.

The Secret Places Your Readers Hang Out—And Why Most Authors Never Look There

I’m like - wait - what? Where ARE my readers hanging out?? A few of these tips from Susan Friedmann I certainly knew and employ on a regular basis but there were some that made me say—of course, why didn’t I think of that? The obvious ones were social media groups on Facebook and LinkedIn as well as Podcasts—these work well for both fiction and nonfiction. But for nonfiction, in particular, Industry or Association Newsletters or Course Communities & Masterminds can be very good spots to be visible with the expertise you’ve written on. And if you’re headed onto the speaking circuit, corporate or nonprofit partnerships can result in the bulk purchase of your book. Read it here.

Amazon Verified Purchase Reviews: Fact vs Fiction

Every so often, I repeat an article like this because it seems like myths resurface just to confuse everyone. Read the real rules here. (Thanks Sandra Beckwith for running this again.)

BookTok for book marketing: Here’s how to decide if it’s a must or a maybe

I need this article and I’ve already pretty much determined that I need to learn BookTok, even though I don’t relish the thought of learning a new platform. See if this ought to be on your to-do list by reading Sandra Beckwith’s wise analysis here.

Facebook to Remove the Option to Allow Public Followers on Personal Profiles

This Social Media Today article is from late 2024 BUT it appears that it’s only been in the last few months that Facebook started to enact this change. I’m not sure why they ever allowed public followers on personal profiles in the first place . . . most of us were just cued into the idea that we had ‘friends’ on our personal profiles and ‘followers’ on our professional / business / author pages. So this might not be a b ig deal to you, but it’s worth the quick read of this article so you can see how to switch your personal profile to professional mode to keep these ‘followers.’

Instagram Tips from Barb Drozdowich at Bakerview Consulting

• How to Create a Strong Instagram Bio (do you need to update yours?)

• Instagram Shares Tips on How to Grow Your Following with these easy to follow, actionable steps.

Why Pinterest Works for Me as an Author, and Tips for You

Melissa Bourbon shares her Pinterest marketing strategies that quickly made that platform the top source of most of her website traffic. The best take away here is to use Pinterest as another spot to promote your lead magnate to grow your email list. Lots of great details here that might work well for you, too. And if you’re a little confused as to how Pinterest works, Barb Drozdowich has you covered with this nifty infographic.

Thanks for reading to the end and I hope this information is helpful to your writing life and career!! Happy Writing!! - Valerie