Amazon's latest updates are raising concerns for self-published authors, as hundreds of new KDP categories may actually be hurting book discoverability instead of helping it. In this Self-Publishing News update, we break down the growing issue of ghost categories, along with what authors can do to stay visible. We also cover Amazon's push into AI-powered ads, new metadata guidance from Barnes & Noble Press, and a cover design case study from CraveBooks with surprising results.

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• Barnes & Noble Press: 7 Steps to Spring Clean Your Book Metadata! - https://press.barnesandnoble.com/bnpress-blog/spring-clean-your-book-metadata/
• CraveBooks - https://DaleLinks.com/CraveBooks (affiliate link)
• CraveBooks Marketing Hub (on Discord) - https://discord.gg/AYYbKKWGDJ
• The Alliance of Independent Authors - https://DaleLinks.com/ALLi (affiliate link)
• ALLi: The Indie Author Bookstore - https://bookstore.allianceindependentauthors.org/
• My ALLi Author Page - https://bookstore.allianceindependentauthors.org/author/dale-l-roberts

Rapid Fire News Flash

• Writer Beware: Deadline Approaching to File a Claim in the Anthropic Settlement - https://writerbeware.blog/2026/03/13/deadline-approaching-to-file-a-claim-in-the-anthropic-settlement/
• Authors Guild: From Manuscript to Marketplace: WE DESERVE TO HEAL - https://authorsguild.org/event/from-manuscript-to-marketplace-we-deserve-to-heal/
• Book Brush - https://BookBrush.com
  • Platinum members: Contact Book Brush about the Level Up Your Author Business webinar with Seth Norris & Mel Jolly
• Reader Views Book Awards - https://readerviews.com/literaryawards/winners/sponsored/
• Outstanding Creator Awards 2025 Clash of Champions - https://www.outstandingcreator.com/winners--2025-clash-of-champions.html
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Where noted, some outbound links financially benefit the channel through affiliate programs. I only endorse programs, products, or services I use and can stand confidently behind. These links do not affect your purchase price and greatly helps to building and growing this channel. Thanks in advance for understanding!

- Dale L. Roberts

Draft2Digital is finally explaining why dozens of nonfiction categories were blocked last year, and the answer points to a growing issue with AI flooding parts of the nonfiction marketplace. We also look at fresh market insights from PublishDrive, issues surfacing around the BookBounty review exchange platform, and several updates authors should keep on their radar across distribution, tools, and publishing platforms.

• Author Nation After Party (digital replay) - https://DaleLinks.com/AuthorNationReplay (affiliate link)
• PublishDrive's Market Intelligence Report 2026 - https://publishdrive.com/publishdrives-market-intelligence-report-2026
• PublishDrive - https://DaleLinks.com/PublishDrive (affiliate link)
• Bookshop.org and Draft2Digital Partner - https://www.draft2digital.com/blog/bookshop-org-and-draft2digital-partner-enabling-independent-bookstores-to-profit-from-self-published-ebooks/
• D2D and Bookshop Team Up: Your Ebooks Reach 4 Million New Readers (video) - https://youtu.be/DR5ixdGItWE?si=KqZgeuEoSgolvL5p
• Draft2Digital - https://DaleLinks.com/D2D (affiliate link)
• Indie Author Magazine: Draft2Digital CEO Details How AI Is Actually Affecting the Industry - https://indieauthormagazine.com/draft2digital-ceo-kris-austin-details-how-ai-is-actually-affecting-the-industry/
• Book Bounty - https://DaleLinks.com/BookBounty (affiliate link)

Rapid Fire News Flash

• Amazon Ads - https://ads.amazon.com
• Voices by INAudio - https://www.voicesbyinaudio.com/
• Novel Report - https://DaleLinks.com/NovelReport (affiliate link)
• IngramSpark: Book Marketing for the Self-Published Author - https://ingramspark.learnworlds.com/course/book-marketing
• Barnes & Noble Press: Bank Beneficiary Address - https://help-press.barnesandnoble.com/hc/en-us/articles/45981327203483-Bank-Beneficiary-Address
• ProWritingAid presents: Novel Beginnings - https://prowritingaid.com/novel-beginnings?afid=6615 (affiliate link)

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• My Books - https://DaleLinks.com/MyBooks
• Wanna tip me? Visit https://dalelroberts.gumroad.com/coffee.

Where noted, some outbound links financially benefit the channel through affiliate programs. I only endorse programs, products, or services I use and can stand confidently behind. These links do not affect your purchase price and greatly helps to building and growing this channel. Thanks in advance for understanding!

- Dale L. Roberts

Draft2Digital and Bookshop just opened a new path for indie authors to reach bookstore-first readers, with Bookshop serving around four million customers. We talk through what this partnership changes, how ebooks show up on Bookshop, how local bookstores benefit, what authors earn through the normal retail split, and how Bookshop affiliates can add extra upside. We also cover expectations, discoverability signals that reward recent sales, and why clean metadata plus DRM-free choices can help readers shop and read on the devices they prefer. (Feb. 4, 2026)

• Draft2Digital x Bookshop Press Release - https://www.draft2digital.com/blog/bookshop-org-and-draft2digital-partner-enabling-independent-bookstores-to-profit-from-self-published-ebooks/
• Draft2Digital - https://DaleLinks.com/D2D (referral link)
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• Join Channel Memberships - https://DaleLinks.com/Memberships
• Join Me on Discord - https://DaleLinks.com/Discord
• Check out my main YouTube channel - https://www.youtube.com/@dalelroberts
• My Books - https://DaleLinks.com/MyBooks
• Wanna tip me? Visit https://dalelroberts.gumroad.com/coffee.

Where noted, some outbound links financially benefit the channel through affiliate programs. I only endorse programs, products, or services I use and can stand confidently behind. These links do not affect your purchase price and greatly helps to building and growing this channel. Thanks in advance for understanding!

- Dale L. Roberts