
Author Update Ingram Goes To War With AI
24 snips
Jan 23, 2026 They unpack Ingram's new AI opt-out and why resale laws may blunt its power. They cover Tor's Wildthorn Books imprint and the risks of genre blending for writers. They discuss Hudson News' magazine crisis and how airport sales are changing. They explore AI's effect on ghostwriting, a rising need for human editors, and the business-book opportunity about humans working with AI.
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Ingram's AI Sales Opt-Out Is Largely Symbolic
- Ingram Spark is the dominant route for indie books into bookstores and wide distribution.
- Ingram's opt-out to block AI companies buying books is mostly symbolic because first sale lets buyers resell physical copies freely.
Don't Rely On Performative Distributor Promises
- Avoid assuming corporate opt-outs fully protect your copyright; legal principles like first sale still matter.
- Monitor legal precedent and distributor policies, but don't rely on performative statements as security.
Trad Publishing Is Following Indie Genre Trends
- Tor launching Wildthorn shows trad publishing now chases indie genre-blending trends.
- Genre blending is risky and usually fails unless an author already masters at least one genre.

















