Kindle Unlimited’s payouts to participating authors are approaching $5 billion, according to an October 24 report by the Alliance of Independent Authors (ALLi). The milestone is expected to arrive when October’s payout figures are announced in November. ALLi’s report draws on publishing analyst Mark Williams’s tally of the subscription program’s payments to self-published authors and small presses in The New Publishing Standard. Read ALLi's report here.

Through September, Kindle Unlimited payments—made to participating authors enrolled in the KDP Select program—totaled about $4.994 billion, according to Williams. September’s fund was $65.9 million, and the monthly average so far this year was $64.9 million. The total is tallied separate from individual ebook sales made through KDP. The milestone comes after last week’s announcement that Kindle Unlimited would be rebranded to Kindle+, reflecting the platform’s expansion to begin offering ACX and virtual voice audiobooks as part of the subscription.

This week also marks less than a month until Indie Author Training’s AI Tech Summit, which takes place November 20 and 21. Day 1 is free to attend and explores AI tools for every stage of an author’s business. Day 2 tickets are $499 and include hands-on workshops and walk-throughs for putting those tools to work. Learn more and register for the event at https://summits.indieauthortraining.com/ai-tech.

Note: Indie Author Magazine, Indie Author Training, and our other sister sites maintain a neutral stance on artificial intelligence. In our coverage, we seek to provide an objective, informative take on the technology, and we encourage authors to make decisions about whether to use AI platforms based on their personal values and what’s best for their business.

This Week’s Indie Author Magazine Articles

Publishing wide can look different from one author’s catalog to the next. In IAM’s report from the October 9 and 10 Wide for the Win Summit, speakers discuss choosing the formats and sales channels that fit an author’s business, including options for authors whose ebooks remain exclusive. Read the article for lessons from the event, co-hosted by Indie Author Training and the Wide for the Win community.

Publishing Wide, Your Way: Wide for the Win Summit Teaches Authors How to Build Their Own Mix
Wide is not all or nothing. Speakers at the October summit showed how to choose the mix of retailers and formats that fits a catalog, with numbers authors can use before their next release.
Indie Author MagazineIndie Author Magazine

Following ALLi director Orna Ross’s discussion earlier this month of AI accusations within the writing community, this month's ALLi Exclusive encourages authors to consider AI use calmly and without judgment of other authors. The Alliance of Independent Authors shares what more than 1,200 indie authors said in its recent AI survey and how authors can communicate their own stance on the tools to their readers.

ALLi Exclusive: Why Every Indie Author Needs an AI Policy
Earlier this month, ALLi director Orna Ross wrote about AI accusations dividing the writing community. Here's what more than 1,200 indie authors said in ALLi's recent AI survey and how to share your own position on AI.
Indie Author MagazineThe Alliance of Independent Authors

At Fundamental Changes, a smaller release schedule reflects a decision about the work, people, and obligations the music publisher wants to sustain. As part of a series that focuses on the CEOs behind businesses that shape the indie publishing industry, Chelle Honiker speaks to Joseph Alexander about his approach to building a sustainable indie publishing business.

Joseph Alexander on Building a Sustainable Indie Publishing Business
At Fundamental Changes, a smaller release schedule reflects a bigger decision: choosing the work, people, and obligations the successful music publisher wants to sustain.
Indie Author MagazineChelle Honiker

Teachings from Indie Author Training

Webinar: "Finish the book you keep starting"

Writing a book takes more than a good idea. It takes craft, sustainable habits and the ability to keep going when the process gets difficult. In this talk, writer, editor and ProWritingAid Brand Manager Scarlett Sangster explores the challenges authors face at every stage of the writing journey, drawing on her own experience and her work with other writers to share practical ways to move forward, strengthen your story and finally reach the end.

Watch the replay of https://webinars.indieauthortraining.com/talks/stop-collecting-halffinished-drafts.

Upcoming Webinars

November 3, 11 a.m. CDT: “Direct Sales for Authors at Any Stage” with Greg Keogh of Curios
Sign up at https://webinars.indieauthortraining.com/talks/direct-sales-for-authors-at-any-stage.

November 18, 11 a.m. CDT: “What's big, what's happening, what should you be paying attention to in your indie author career right now?” with Chelle Honiker
Sign up at https://webinars.indieauthortraining.com/talks/whats-big-whats-happening-what-should-you-be-paying-attention-to-in-your-indie-author-career-right-now.

December 9, 11 a.m. CDT: "From word count to view count" with Bradley Charbonneau
Sign up at https://webinars.indieauthortraining.com/talks/from-word-count-to-view-count.

Indie Author Tools Directory

Have you visited Indie Author Tools lately? Our tools and services directory rounds up essential resources for indie authors at every stage of the publication process, from outlining to marketing and everything in between. Check out our listings in the following categories, or let us know which tools we’re missing at https://www.indieauthortools.com.

Indie Author Tools Spotlight: Edit Out Loud

Listening to a manuscript can help authors notice awkward sentences or pacing problems they miss on the page. Edit Out Loud turns an uploaded draft into audio you can listen to on your phone. As you listen, you can tap to flag a passage or add a typed or spoken comment, then return to those notes in a Word document when you’re ready to revise. Beta readers can also listen and leave comments. Learn more at https://www.indieauthortools.com/writing-plotting/edit-out-loud.

More Indie Publishing News

Here’s a look beyond our pages at the latest headlines and happenings in the publishing world.

  • Reedsy’s November Novel Sprint begins Sunday, November 1, with a goal of writing 50,000 words during the month in Reedsy Studio. Barnes & Noble Press highlighted the challenge in its October 21 newsletter. Participants can join live workshops and writing sprints, and those who reach the word-count goal can submit an excerpt to a separate contest. Reedsy’s rules require the new words to be written in Studio and exclude AI-generated writing. Read the details at https://reedsy.com/studio/challenges/reedsy-novel-sprint-2026.
ProWritingAid’s Novel November writing challenge also begins Sunday and lasts through November 30. The inaugural challenge took place last year, offering participants a range of features to support and encourage their writing habits throughout the month and beyond. In October 2025, IAM explored what inspired the challenge and how ProWritingAid supports participants as they work on their drafts throughout the month; you can read the article below. Registration for this year’s challenge is free; learn more at https://prowritingaid.com/novel-november.
ProWritingAid’s NovNov Steps In Where NaNoWriMo Left Off
With NaNoWriMo gone, ProWritingAid’s NovNov fills the void for indie authors—offering 150+ expert-led prep sessions, seamless in-app word-count tracking, daily community sprints, and rewards to help you hit 50,000 words in November.
Indie Author MagazineGrace Snoke
  • A new certification program aims to identify human-written books. In an October 20 report, ALLi covered the launch of Books By People, which works with publishers to review evidence of how a manuscript was created before awarding a reader-facing mark. Its process includes reviewing manuscript history. The organization describes its membership and review process at https://booksbypeople.org.

Anything we’ve missed that you think we should cover? Any topics or questions you’d like our team to explore? Let us know at feedback@indieauthormagazine.com. Your suggestion may just make it into an upcoming article.

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