Should You Record Your Own Audiobook?

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Self-published authors considering creating an audiobook version of their book should first understand the distribution options, with platforms like Amazon’s ACX offering broad reach but limited to certain countries, while others like Spotify allow direct uploads. Recording an audiobook requires meeting specific technical standards, a quiet recording environment, proper equipment, and potentially the help of an audio engineer for editing and proofreading. Although narrating your own audiobook can deepen listener connection and add value, the process involves significant performance effort and post-production work that might be challenging for some authors.

https://www.literatureandlatte.com/blog/should-you-record-your-own-audiobook

Has AI Already Killed How-To Nonfiction? Sales Trends, My Personal Data, and What It Might Mean for the Future

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Tim Ferriss shares his personal data, revealing a drastic decline in sales of his prescriptive nonfiction books since the rise of AI tools like ChatGPT and Claude, with print sales dropping over 80% from 2022 to 2026. He explores how AI’s capacity to provide fast, personalized advice is disrupting traditional how-to nonfiction formats and posits that this genre may be an early indicator (“canary in the coal mine”) for broader shifts impacting advice-based media such as YouTube tutorials, podcasts, and online courses. Despite this, Ferriss values the unique transformative power of long-form storytelling and advocates for creators to focus on cultivating genuine connections with dedicated fans amid the changing creative landscape.

https://tim.blog/2026/06/12/has-ai-already-killed-nonfiction/

Say It, Then Send It with Speech to Text

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Grammarly has integrated advanced speech-to-text functionality into its mobile keyboard, allowing users to dictate text directly into any app with automatically polished, ready-to-send messages. This feature handles various languages and accents, removes filler words, and corrects grammar while preserving tone, offering a convenient alternative to traditional typing on mobile devices. The microphone activates only when tapped, ensuring user control and privacy, with audio deleted after processing.

https://www.grammarly.com/blog/product/say-it-then-send-it-with-speech-to-text/

AI Won’t Replace Jobs Humans Are Good At. Now People Just Need to Prove Their Worth

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Journalists have long feared technology would render their profession obsolete, but AI is unlikely to replace the unique human skills involved in reporting, such as investigating, interpreting, and contextualizing the world. While AI can assist with tasks like research and transcription, accountability rests with the human journalist to produce trustworthy, insightful content, emphasizing the need for professionals to demonstrate their relevance amid technological change.

https://monocle.com/culture/media-industry/ai-wont-take-journalism-jobs/

Kurt Vonnegut Diagrams the Shape of All Stories in a Master’s Thesis Rejected by U. Chicago

Kurt Vonnegut’s master’s thesis in anthropology, rejected by the University of Chicago for its simplicity and playful nature, proposed that stories have shapes that can be graphed and that these shapes reflect cultural patterns as much as artifacts like pots or spearheads. His theory, illustrated through diagrams and examples, offers an insightful, accessible framework for understanding narrative structures, emphasizing clarity and directness that align with his writing style and philosophy. Vonnegut’s pioneering approach remains influential in discussions about storytelling, creative process, and the craft of writing.

https://www.openculture.com/2026/06/kurt-vonnegut-diagrams-the-shape-of-all-stories-in-a-masters-thesis-rejected-by-u-chicago.html

If You Are Asking for Human Attention, Demonstrate Human Effort

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Tom Bedor discusses the etiquette for sharing AI-generated content within teams, emphasizing that when requesting human attention, one should demonstrate human effort by reviewing and annotating AI output before sharing it. He advocates clearly labeling AI-generated material and adding personal commentary to respect teammates’ limited attention spans and maintain a human touch in collaborative writing and code review.

https://tombedor.dev/human-attention-and-human-effort/

Recent Books by Guests on the Write Now with Scrivener Podcast

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The Write Now with Scrivener podcast features several authors who have recently published notable books, including Veronica Roth’s dystopian fantasy “Seek The Traitor’s Son,” Kate Heartfield’s historical epic “Mercutio,” and David Goodman’s spy thriller “Solitary Agents.” Other highlighted authors include Jessica Payne, Fonda Lee, and science writer Carl Zimmer, each discussing their latest works and experiences on the podcast. The article offers links to their books and podcast episodes for further exploration.

https://www.literatureandlatte.com/blog/recent-books-by-guests-on-the-write-now-with-scrivener-podcast

Write Now with Scrivener, Episode No. 63: Lili Taylor, Actor and Birder

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Actor Lili Taylor, an avid birder, has written a book titled Turning to Birds: The Power and Beauty of Noticing, which explores how birding fosters mindfulness and listening skills. She connects her passion for birding with her acting career, emphasizing the importance of listening, and shares how technology like the Merlin Bird ID app and Scrivener software supports both her birding and writing processes.

https://www.literatureandlatte.com/blog/write-now-with-scrivener-episode-no-63-lili-taylor-actor-and-birder

Pandoc-Templates.org

Pandoc-templates.org is a comprehensive collection of diverse templates designed for use with Pandoc, a document conversion tool. The site offers various LaTeX, HTML, PDF, DOCX, and EPUB templates suited for tasks ranging from academic papers, theses, resumes, letters, to specialized formats like IEEE papers and grant proposals, facilitating the conversion of Markdown into professionally formatted documents with ease. These templates cater to different writing and publishing needs, supporting formats compatible with many academic and professional standards.

https://pandoc-templates.org/

STRAT_SCRAPS — The Strategy & Planning Scrapbook

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The Strategy & Planning Scrapbook is an expanded, curated collection of strategy frameworks, creative provocations, and planning tools drawn from years of experience in brand strategy and advertising, compiled by Alex Morris. It is divided into six sections covering problem definition, insights, brief writing, communication, practical brief usage, and creative evaluation, with more than 170 pages of content available online. The scrapbook has also evolved into a newsletter offering weekly strategic thinking, cultural observations, and creative provocation.

https://scrapbook.stratscraps.com/

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