Literary scandals have been with us since Christopher Marlowe got sassy in a sketchy pub, and no doubt for centuries before. And this week, one almighty scandal erupted into the mainstream media (I confess that before this week, I hadn't noticed it bubbling away). At the same time as another literary brouhaha released its latest chapter (in which it turns out the author of the allegedly less-than-accurate memoir "The Salt Path" had actually published beforehand under a different name and was therefore not entitled to the debut prize that launched the book), publishing giant Hachette pulled one of its books from shelves after AI claims.

In this Self-Publishing Advice Conference highlight, Ben Hughes, senior manager for UK and AU at IngramSpark, leads a panel discussion with bestselling authors Adam Beswick and Samantha Young, along with indie publisher Will Dady, on how independent authors are reaching readers beyond traditional retail channels. While the IngramSpark platform enables distribution to more than 80,000 bookstores worldwide and supports direct sales through author websites, the panel focuses on how authors are building global brands, connecting with reader communities, and driving sales through social media and other strategies. Together, they offer practical insight into expanding visibility and readership through the IngramSpark platform.

How many books are published in a year? Is the number going up or down? How many copies are sold? We know these figures are, and have been for a long time, very controversial. Because there are so many books that do not count in these figures, especially self-published titles on places like Amazon that don't require an ISBN. Which makes calculations about the indie sector particularly tricky. Which is why the latest set of figures is so interesting. Hat tip to Jane Friedman for pointing me to this.