An emergency arbitrator ruled in an interim award on Wednesday that author Sarah Wynn-Williams must cease promotion of her book CARELESS PEOPLE, her whistleblower account of the culture at Facebook. The arbitrator writes that Meta will suffer “immediate and irreparable loss…in the absence of emergency relief,” according to a copy of the filing posted by the company. In a claim brought against Wynn-Williams and publisher Flatiron Books/Macmillan, Meta argued that the book violated a non-disparagement contract the author signed as part of her severance package after being fired from Facebook in 2017. Wynn-Williams is enjoined from making any “disparaging, critical, […]
Archives for March 2025
AI At London Book Fair
Industry panels discussing AI are a staple of book fair programming these days, and the London Book Fair has followed suit. One session reviewed policy developments in the US and UK and there have been multiple discussions of the ethics of AI in audiobooks. On Tuesday, Porter Anderson with Publishing Perspectives spoke with Maria Pallante, president and ceo of the Association of American Publishers, and Dan Conway, ceo of the Publishers Association, about the state of AI policy-making. The takeaway was that both the US and the UK are in holding patterns as they wait for court decisions and legislation. […]
Wiley Offers AI Guidelines For Writers
Wiley released guidelines for book authors about how to use AI in their work. According to the company, publisher guidance around AI use has been requested by the majority of researchers in a recent study the publisher conducted “and were informed by extensive interviews with authors, editorial staff and AI experts.” “Writers and researchers are already using AI tools, whether publishers like it or not,” Wiley evp & general manager, research & learning Jay Flynn said. “At Wiley, we’d rather embrace this shift than fight it. Our recent study shows these technologies will be everywhere within two years, and we […]
Spotify Audiobooks Solicits Short Audio Content from Independent Authors
Spotify has launched a new website for authors to submit short English-language content for possible audiobook creation and publication by Spotify. Authors are encouraged to submit adult romance, mystery/thriller, or sci-fi/fantasy stories of 10,000 to 20,000 words that are “written specifically for audio.” The program is open to authors who control their own audio rights. Spotify will pay an advance and royalties for any selected book, and manage production. Authors can distribute the book in print or ebook on any platform. “Spotify Audiobooks is thrilled to be opening submissions for short-form content written by independent authors who are as passionate […]
Ceiling Debris Falls At LBF International Rights Center
To some people in the book business, the sky is always falling. On Wednesday at the London Book Fair’s International Right Centre they were proven right, as part of the ceiling literally fell from above. Agents reported seeing debris falling from the ceiling, but no one was hit. Tables were relocated and business resumed as usual afterward. The IRC remains open on Thursday. A spokesperson for the fair told PL, “We were made aware yesterday morning of the presence of debris in part of the IRC due to the ongoing construction works at Olympia. We take this issue very seriously […]