Court docs show OpenAI and Microsoft knew book copying was illegal (This week in books)

This week! Books!

Unsealed Files Show Open AI/Microsoft Knew Copying Was Illegal and Could Hurt Authors – Jim Milliot, Publishers Weekly – Unsealed court documents show OpenAI and Microsoft employees knew their book piracy operations were illegal and could harm authors, which should have plaintiffs’ attorneys salivating over penalties and a potential settlement. Pay up!

The Rise of Parasite Authors (gift link) – Alexandra Tremayne-Pengelly, The Atlantic – The latest scam that Amazon and its broken child site Goodreads are seemingly doing little to stop: scammers are uploading fake AI books “by” real authors, duping their fans into buying them.

The World’s Most Reliable AI Detector Has a Human Problem (gift link) – Vauhini Vara, Bloomberg – Novelist Vauhini Vara profiles the rise of controversial AI-writing detection tool Pangram. She put it through the paces and seemingly came away impressed with its lack of false positives, even if it seems possible (even easy) to dupe.

Ukraine’s Publishing Industry Nears Breaking Point Amid War – Ed Nawotka, Publishers Weekly – The Ukrainian publishing industry is struggling under the onslaught of Russian attacks, with over 10 million books destroyed.

He Scammed the Book Business for Years. Is He Back? (gift link) – Miguel Salazar, New York Times – Enigmatic scammer Filippo Bernardini impersonated real publishing employees to purloin more than a thousand unpublished manuscripts for confusing reasons. Someone is at it again. Is it him?

SoCal’s Vroman’s, Book Soup Find New Owner – Sam Spratford, Publishers Weekly – Legendary Pasadena bookstore Vroman’s has new ownership, led by Robert Hoffman, who has worked in public policy.

Where Are All the Young Writers? [2026 Redux] – Sean deLone, Dear Head of Mine – Why do young literary writers seemingly have a less prolific output than comparable peers of yore? Sean deLone digs in.

The Roots of the Novel Are Parody, Pastiche, and Play – Lincoln Michel, Counter Craft – Author Lincoln Michel read Don Quixote and considers a great question: If the book that’s considered a foundational text for the novel in Western culture is a parodic pastiche, what does that say about the roots of novels?

CYOA Unbound – Choose Your Own Adventure – The publishers behind Choose Your Own Adventure announced the launch of CYOA Unbound for adult readers. I, for one, can’t wait to turn to page 158 to find out what happens when I decide to stay at the bar for an ill-advised drink instead of going home.

How do you define success as a writer? – Dan Blank, The Creative Shift – I always appreciate Dan Blank’s take on the creative life, and this week, he encourages writers to move beyond sales as the key metric for success.

Hijacking Your Vision – Kristen Weber, Inside an Editor’s Brain – Editor Kristen Weber tackles a great, nutty question: How do you know when to trust an editor’s feedback, and when do you stay true to your vision?

Maestoso, doloroso – Sophie Newman, Attunement – As the days shorten and the weather chills, some of us have a tendency to fall into the doldrums. Writer Sophie Newman has a lovely post about appreciating the growing darkness, with an assist from Louise Glück.

This week in bestsellers

Here are the top five NY Times bestsellers in a few key categories. (All links are affiliate links):

Adult print and e-book fiction:

1. Hollow Bones by Jodi Picoult
2. Theo of Golden by Allen Levi
3. The Thoroughbreds by Elin Hilderbrand and Shelby Cunningham
4. The Calamity Club by Kathryn Stockett
5. Dead Beat by Leigh Bardugo

Adult print and e-book nonfiction:

1. The Perilous Fight by Colin Kaepernick with Nick Chiles
2. End Times Fascism by Naomi Klein and Astra Taylor
3. One Man In by Christian Craighead
4. Confronting America by Bill O’Reilly and Josh Hammer
5. The Nerd Reich by Gil Durán

Young adult hardcover:

1. Styx by Nikita Gill
2. Barbie: Dreamscape by Alex Aster
3. Our Strange Duet by Erin A. Craig
4. Winterveil by Ava Reid
5. Anger is Only a Shadow by Elizabeth Acevedo

Middle grade hardcover:

1. Spooky Rivers by Geo Rutherford
2. Wonder by R.J. Palacio
3. Kiki’s Delivery Service by Eiko Kadono
4. The Secret Bookstore Sleuth Society by Lindsay Currie
5. Kiki and the New Magic by Eiko Kadono

This week on the blog

In case you missed them, here are this week’s posts:

• 10 things that don’t belong in a query letter

And keep up with the discussion in all the places!

• Follow me on Threads, Facebook, Bluesky, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Twitter

And finally:

Season 51, Episode 1: New Beginnings – Alison Coffey, Coconuts & Castaways – Season 51 of Survivor kicked off this week, and if you’re looking for a great recap site to revel in all the fun and games and backstabbing, subscribe to Alison Coffey’s Coconuts & Castaways!

Have a great weekend!

Need help with your book? I’m available for manuscript edits, query critiques, and coaching!

For my best advice, check out my online classes, my guide to writing a novel, and my guide to publishing a book.

And if you like this post: subscribe to my newsletter!

Photo: The Huntington, San Marino, CA. Follow me on Instagram!