New BookFunnel Features CRUSH Amazon
BookFunnel just launched Multimedia Uploads, letting indie authors bundle ebooks with maps, character art, workbooks, templates, and bonus files for a direct-sales edition Amazon can’t replicate. New BackerKit integration now delivers full bundles to crowdfunding backers the moment they pledge. KDP’s Global Fund reached $64.3 million in April 2026—up 11% year-over-year—while traditional publishing revenue turned negative after inflation. Meanwhile, Kobo rejected 45% of Kobo Writing Life submissions last year due to low-quality AI manuscripts, in sharp contrast to Amazon’s disclosure-based approach. A Harper’s Bazaar UK short story winner was flagged 100% AI-generated. Apple raised MacBook and iPad prices by up to $300 amid an AI-driven DRAM shortage and Taiwan supply chain risks. Pope Leo XIV welcomed Nobel laureates and major novelists to the Vatican for its publishing centennial and delivered a message on imagination and storytelling that’s already gone viral in author circles. Larry Correia’s American Paladin hit #1 in Amazon Urban Fantasy while the banned film Citizen Vigilante cracked Apple TV’s top 10. We trace the 250-year history of the vigilante hero in American culture and what these simultaneous wins reveal about reader demand right now. Subscribe to Author Update for weekly publishing industry news and analysis every Friday at 4 PM Central on YouTube. Full show notes, podcast versions, and expanded articles at AuthorMedia.com. Times: 0:00 – Intro 1:30 – BookFunnel's New Multimedia Bundling Feature 10:53 – AI-Written Story Wins Harper's Bazaar Literary Prize 14:02 – Kobo Rejects 45% of Submissions Over AI Concerns 17:05 – Pope Leo XIV Tells Writers to Finish Their Books 19:53 – Traditional Publishing vs. Indie: April Stats (KDP Global Fund Up 11%) 25:44 – BookBub Launches New Kindle Unlimited Promotion 32:18 – Apple Raises Mac & iPad Prices Up to $300 40:28 – Did the Fable AI Ban Freeze Development? (OpenAI & Anthropic) 44:37 – Zeitgeist: Vigilante Stories Are Topping the Charts Author Arsenal Writing Challenge Sign-up (July): https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FA... Devil Dog (Chapter One): https://www.patreon.com/jonshuerger/p... Support us on Patreon: / novelmarketing Patron Toolbox (Author AI Tools): https://www.authormedia.com/patron-to... Novel Marketing Channel: / @novel-marketing Author Arsenal Channel: / @author-arsenal Join the AuthorMedia.social Community: https://authormedia.social/feed Hosted by Thomas Umstattd Jr. and Jonathan Shuerger. Subscribe for weekly publishing industry analysis, author marketing strategies, and tech insights you can actually use. Visit AuthorMedia.com for show notes, tools, and resources. #AuthorTube #PublishingNews #AINews

Shocking Truth About Book Content You NEED to Know!

How to Write Strikingly Well (Lee Child Interview)

Zig 2026: No-AI Policy, $670K Foundation, Left GitHub & Why Zig Isn’t 1.0 - Andrew Kelley Explains

A game dev shares what DEI really did to his company..

🩸Phlebotomy Certification Practice Test – 50 Questions to Help You PASS!

200 Books = How Much Money on Amazon KDP?

Richard Dawkins: AI, Memes, And Why I’m Angry About The Gender Debate

Learn How to Write Novels in 1 Hour (Andrew Hunter Murray Interview)

Kindle Unlimited Pays Indie Authors Record-Breaking Royalties

KDP Quietly Added New Beta Options | Self-Publishing News (June 25, 2026)

3 Things Every Author Must Do Before AI Floods Publishing

Audiobook Market Revenue Reaches $2.43 Billion

Publishing's Dirty Secret About New Authors

How to Write Absurdly Well — Adrian Tchaikovsky

Book Marketing: The 1 Strategy That Works

The Best Print on Demand Company in 2025 for Paperback Books - Comparing Self-Publishing Companies

I'm an Editor. Here Are 7 Signs Your Book Will Flop.

Why You Should Read Dungeon Crawler Carl by Matt Dinniman (Spoiler-Free)

How to Publish a Book on Amazon KDP (2026 Step-by-Step Guide)

