Latest NEWS from The Book Shepherd this week / Fair Use is in the Hot Seat … are you getting burned?

Practical Publishing Advice and Guidance for Authors

I create books authors never have to apologize for …

In this Issue

1. Discover … and PR Urgent News

2. Meet Author Help … Meet Patti & Patty and BlueInk Reviews

3. Author Success … TODAY—Webinar: 30+ tips in 60 Minutes

4. Celebrate Colorado Authors! … Come to the Hall of Fame Gala

5. Hot podcasts for August… Add to your calendar and listen

6. Author Salons … September is posted-get registered

7. Question of the week … Any ideas for blog topics?

8. Smile time … Robin Williams on Golf

Summer is coming to a close—I see it in my main backyard trees that are dropping leaves. I feel it in the morning air. And know that the Authors of Hall of Fame is 17 days aways … all I can think is, Where has the time gone?

Huge news yesterday for writing and fair use. Last week, the American Library Association, the Authors Alliance, and others filed an amicus curiae brief in the Bartz v. Anthropic copyright case. The brief sought a court review of the copyright class certification for the authors of nearly seven million titles. It does not endorse piracy of copyrighted books. The news—this is about theft … intellectual property … AI? Forward it goes. Fair use is in play.

The U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California court found that Anthropic infringed authors' and publishers' copyrights by downloading millions of books from the pirate websites Library Genesis (“LibGen”) and Pirate Library Mirror (“PiLiMi”) to train their AI model and also certified a class comprised of all rights holders of copyright-registered books downloaded by Anthropic from these sites.

The attorneys are reaching out. It’s a class action. If you believe your book(s) have been unlawfully downloaded by Anthropic, check them out. https://www.lieffcabraser.com/anthropic-author-contact/

If you believe your books may have been unlawfully downloaded by Anthropic to visit the website and provide the requested information. This is an important step in ensuring that as many authors as possible are compensated for the unauthorized use of their work to train AI.

Put TODAY 4 pm MT August 20th on your calendar— Over 250 authors already have. Get registered. It’s time for a 30 Tips in 60 Minutes webinar with the faculty of the 2026 Publishing at Sea cruise—info below … Register: https://bit.ly/30in60Min

The Colorado Authors Hall of Fame Induction is 17 days to go to our event. So much to be done this week including finishing the program and confirming the final dishes for the Gala meal. What fun to hear that one of our inductees, Rebecca Yarros will be honored on November 13 … the Colorado Avalanche are hosting Fourth Wing Night at Ball Arena in Denver. Think ice hockey and fantasy … why not!

Expect a “surprise” from one of our Inductees. Plan on joining us on Saturday, September 6th. It’s a dress up event. Stay at the hotel—many of us are for networking and schmoozing. Dom Testa will emcee once again with Phil Grindrod supplying predinner and introduction music for each Inductee. Hits in the past and back by request.

The week was about the final gathering for the Authors Hall of Fame Silent Auction goodies.It’s been another planning week for me. All things for the Colorado Authors of Hall of Fame. We are over 90% sold out … get your seat … I promise it will be a wonderful evening. Get ready to bid for a variety of items. We’ve now crossed over 200 in attendance love books and authors and their words, be there. Leave the sandals and jeans at home … this is dress up time!

It’s the perfect Saturday night date … whether just for you, your date of choice … even create a table of friends who love books and support the authors who create them. It’s time to get your tickets—it’s now moving to last chance … I’m excited to see what the evening unfolds and reveals—there is always a surprise … or two.
THIS event is now 90% sold out. Get your tickets now - https://bit.ly/GreatAuthors

We will be skipping the first Saturday of September program because the Hall event is on the same day. Later in the month, we will have a settle back into authorland.

1. August 20 30 Tips in 60 Minutes Webinar with Publishing at Sea Faculty

2. August 30 Barnes & Noble Colorado Blvd Judith & Linda Rae Schaal

3. September 6 AuthorU Monthly program

4. September 6 Colorado Authors' Hall of Fame Gala

5. September 13 AuthorYou Salons

6. September 19 Ask Judith anything about Publishing and Book Marketing

7. September 20 Speaking Unplugged – Online

8. October 1, 8, 15, 22 Amazon Bestseller

9. October 4 AuthorU Program

10. October 9 Author Talk

11. October 17 Ask Judith anything about Publishing and Book Marketing

12. December 7 Barnes and Noble Southlands Book Fair

Authors are creating press releases … here’s another free source.
PR Urgent News is kind to authors—it’s offers a tutorial/how-to write a press release. It’s a full service website where you distribute your news at no cost to places like Google, Bing, and MSN. Press releases are simple to create, and approval is done within 24 hours—it also has an express service for $9.95. Stuck for time … PR Urgent News will find a writer to get your words out if you don’t have time. https://www.prurgent.com/

Website: www.BlueInkReview.com

Services: Serious reviews of self-published books. BlueInk Review offers honest, objective book reviews of self-published titles. Founded by Patti Thorn, former book review editor of the Rocky Mountain News, and Patricia Moosbrugger, an internationally known literary agent, BlueInk offers reviews penned by professional critics and writers whose bylines have appeared in major newspapers such as the New York Times, Washington Post and Chicago Tribune and senior level editors from major New York publishing houses such as Viking and Crown. Completed reviews run on the BlueInk website, which has special features designed to help publishers and literary agents find promising new material and to help librarians and booksellers discover titles their patrons will be interested in, such as those written by local authors or set in their regions.

AuthorYOU members get a discount to Blueink

Are you an author or an aspiring author? Get 30+ Essentials Tips in 60 Minutes for author and publishing success. Participants will take away a variety of snap, crackle, and pop ideas to juice up their marketing, writing, publicity, and social media influence from the Publishing at Sea faculty. If that's on your TO DO list, get registered NOW. It's happening on Wednesday, August 20 at 4.00 pm MT.

Register for 30 + Publishing Tips in 60 Minutes from the Publishing at Sea Faculty on Aug 20, 2025 4:00 PM MDT at: https://bit.ly/30in60Min

There are only 25 seats left …

September 6 will be a special evening for 13 authors and for all who are in the audience. That could be you. Each Inductee or a representative will reveal insights of their paths—the ups and downs and amazing events that have happened to them in their author journey. Some have sold mega millions of copies of just a single book; some have streaming series on platforms like Netflix; some have more awards and recognition that your combined fingers and toes; and one has turned books into move magic.

Don’t miss out. This only happens in odd number years. It’s a dress up affair.
Be there … get your seat … gather your friends and create a table of eight!
Registration is here: https://ColoradoAuthorsHallofFame.org

This is how each call starts: I share a few strategies, tips, and tools that attendees can immediately start to use. All share … and ask plenty of questions. They get answers. Definitely an excellent way to start a Friday. Those of you who aren’t participating, you are making a mistake. I love the variety of books and authors who have chosen to participate. What’s also fun, is the energy that can be felt with what everyone is working on. Love it!

Here’s the link to take advantage of it and subscribe: https://thebookshepherd.com/author-friendly-fridays/

About Judith Briles, The Book Shepherd ™

Book Publishing expert Judith Briles, aka The Book Shepherd, has shepherded more than 1,000 authors and created 500 best-sellers and award-winning books. She knows publishing inside and out from both the traditional and independent sides. Judith is an advocate for authors within her blogs, podcasts and speaking engagements. What’s her pet peeve? Two words: publishing predators.

She hosts the podcast AuthorU-Your Guide to Book Publishing which generates over 250,000 downloads a month. Her website is www.TheBookShepherd, email: JudithBriles.com and phone: 303-885-2207.