The Chosen Ones and Other Tropes

Jamie, Melissa and Naomi are back. Naomi's shares her first FantasyCon experience before they get into the publishing news, which this week features curious revenue increases, political red tape and AI controversies.

In this episode:

Book Sales vs. Revenue: Fresh data shows UK book market revenue increased by 1.5% in the first half of 2026, but the actual volume of books sold fell by 1.1%. The hosts discuss how expensive special editions are driving profits and debate whether buying books and reading books have become two completely separate hobbies.

Playing It Safe in Publishing: With Hachette UK attributing a 4% revenue growth largely to mega-authors like Rebecca Yarros and Freida McFadden, the hosts explore how publishers are abandoning the "shiny debut" in favour of risk-averse, established IP. They also look at how this trend is bleeding into retail, with Waterstones increasingly opting for older, proven hits for their Book of the Month.

Defining "New Adult": Following Grace Walker's win of the inaugural New Adult Book Prize for The Merge, the hosts try to pin down exactly what the "New Adult" genre actually is. They explore how it differs from YA and whether it serves as a "second coming of age" for characters navigating independent life.

AI Accusations & The Caine Prize: A prestigious African short story prize has instituted human-centered vetting after its recent winner faced high-profile AI accusations. Melissa highlights the near impossibility of proving AI usage and the danger of these accusations being weaponised for racial profiling.

The Sally Rooney & Faber Controversy: The hosts untangle the complicated bureaucratic mess surrounding Faber ceasing the UK distribution of Sally Rooney's books. They discuss the anti-terrorist charter that sparked the mutual decision after Rooney pledged financial support to Palestine Action, a group designated as a terrorist organization by the UK government.

Author Q&A - Are Writing Courses Worth It?: A listener asks for the hosts' collective opinion on paid writing courses like Curtis Brown Creative. Naomi and Melissa share their experiences, concluding that while courses are wonderful for building community and finding structure, they are absolutely not a mandatory expense for securing a traditional publishing deal.

Naomi Gibson, author of Every Line of You, Game Over Girl, Man Muse Monster

Melissa Welliver, author of The Undying Tower, My Love Life and the Apocalypse, Soulmates and Other Ways to Die, To the Death

Jamie Greenwood, creator & host of The Write and Wrong Podcast

This week, Jamie and Melissa hold down the fort while Naomi attends FantasyCon. They dive straight into a massive week of publishing industry news, exploring how the balance of power is shifting for modern authors.

In this episode:

• The Self-Publishing Boom: Recent industry analysis from the Frankfurt Book Festival reveals that top UK self-publishers now rival the largest traditional publishing houses in scale. The hosts discuss how heavy-hitters like Matt Dinniman and Susie Tate are using their massive platforms to secure traditional print deals while retaining their lucrative eBook rights.
• The UK's First AI Book Certification: The UK Intellectual Property Office has registered the "Books by People" certification mark to formally stamp books as completely human-authored. Jamie and Melissa debate the mechanics of checking manuscript metadata and why generative AI still lacks the vital ingredient of a unique authorial voice.
• Surviving "Super Thursdays": October and November are historically dominated by legacy authors and massive consumer spending. The hosts explore how release slates packed with names like Ian Rankin, V.E. Schwab, and Sarah J. Maas make it incredibly difficult for debut authors to break through the noise.
• The NetGalley Sale: Firebrand Group, which includes the popular early-review platform NetGalley, was recently sold for just 1.07 times its annual revenue. The hosts break down why this low valuation is raising eyebrows about the platform's long-term profitability.
• Goodreads Adds Half-Stars: Goodreads has officially introduced half and quarter-star rating options. The hosts explain why this highly requested feature is likely to pull average book ratings down, and share the surprising reminder that Amazon has actually owned Goodreads for years.
• Author Q&A: A listener wonders if it is a red flag for a traditionally publishing debut author to work with an agent who specialises in transitioning indie authors. Melissa explains why an agent's success is ultimately a win for all their clients and why writers need to stop viewing each other as competition.

Naomi Gibson, author of Every Line of You, Game Over Girl, Man Muse Monster

Melissa Welliver, author of The Undying Tower, My Love Life and the Apocalypse, Soulmates and Other Ways to Die, To the Death

Jamie Greenwood, creator & host of The Write and Wrong Podcast

The podcast returns with a new weekly, news-led format as we get into whether Booker Prize books are brilliant or just intimidating, why Amazon has slashed KDP upload limits, and whether fixed book prices would actually protect authors and indie bookshops. We also round up some publishing oddities, from Netflix library donations to  a pair of shoes that plays audiobooks for some reason.

• Naomi Gibson, author of Every Line of You, Game Over Girl, Man Muse Monster
• Melissa Welliver, author of The Undying Tower, My Love Life and the Apocalypse, Soulmates and Other Ways to Die, To the Death
• Jamie Greenwood, creator & host of The Write and Wrong Podcast

A deep dive into literary agents, meeting them, signing with them and the continued relationship.

• Naomi Gibson, author of Every Line of You, Game Over Girl, Man Muse Monster
• Melissa Welliver, author of The Undying Tower, My Love Life and the Apocalypse, Soulmates and Other Ways to Die, To the Death
• Jamie Greenwood, creator & host of The Write and Wrong Podcast

We are chatting about book covers, being asked to make mood boards, cover art "leaking" early online and Naomi gives an exclusive reveal about which of her covers she really doesn't like!

• Naomi Gibson, author of Every Line of You, Game Over Girl, Man Muse Monster
• Melissa Welliver, author of The Undying Tower, My Love Life and the Apocalypse, Soulmates and Other Ways to Die, To the Death
• Jamie Greenwood, creator & host of The Write and Wrong Podcast

We are talking about acquisitions, how they happens, who is involved and which bits authors are let in on and which bits they are not.

• Naomi Gibson, author of Every Line of You, Game Over Girl, Man Muse Monster
• Melissa Welliver, author of The Undying Tower, My Love Life and the Apocalypse, Soulmates and Other Ways to Die, To the Death
• Jamie Greenwood, creator & host of The Write and Wrong Podcast

We chat about the realities of doing events, launch parties and just walking into bookshops and asking to sign your books. A great episode for authors who are in the process of publishing and aren't sure how interfacing with booksellers works.

• Naomi Gibson, author of Every Line of You, Game Over Girl, Man Muse Monster
• Melissa Welliver, author of The Undying Tower, My Love Life and the Apocalypse, Soulmates and Other Ways to Die, To the Death
• Jamie Greenwood, creator & host of The Write and Wrong Podcast

It's all marketing and PR this week as we get into the realities of it, talk about how different books get different budgets and the things that authors can do themselves to help spread the word about their books and themselves.

• Naomi Gibson, author of Every Line of You, Game Over Girl, Man Muse Monster
• Melissa Welliver, author of The Undying Tower, My Love Life and the Apocalypse, Soulmates and Other Ways to Die, To the Death
• Jamie Greenwood, creator & host of The Write and Wrong Podcast

It's time to chat about editorial, the relationship between editor and author and how much power editors have over an author's manuscript.

PSA: Kesia Lupo is discussed in this episode who was previously an editor with Chicken House, she then became a literary agent in the US and after recording this she has actually returned to editorial in the UK (and Naomi has a new agent for her adult writing).

• Naomi Gibson, author of Every Line of You, Game Over Girl, Man Muse Monster
• Melissa Welliver, author of The Undying Tower, My Love Life and the Apocalypse, Soulmates and Other Ways to Die, To the Death
• Jamie Greenwood, creator & host of The Write and Wrong Podcast

We're diving into what it means to be a full-time author, the realities of reaching that point and why most authors have another source of income.

• Naomi Gibson, author of Every Line of You, Game Over Girl, Man Muse Monster
• Melissa Welliver, author of The Undying Tower, My Love Life and the Apocalypse, Soulmates and Other Ways to Die, To the Death
• Jamie Greenwood, creator & host of The Write and Wrong Podcast