Kathleen Schmidt
@kathmschmidt.bsky.social
President, KMSPR. Book publishing, marketing, consulting, strategy. I write Publishing Confidential on Substack.
I have come back here to retreat from Threads, which is insane right now.
September 10, 2025 at 10:03 PM
I have come back here to retreat from Threads, which is insane right now.
I think they need MORE employees at Goodreads, not fewer. That site is a hot mess. www.cnbc.com/2025/06/06/a...
Amazon cuts more jobs, this time in books division
Amazon has cut jobs in its books division, including at its Goodreads review site and Kindle units, the company said on Thursday.
www.cnbc.com
June 6, 2025 at 1:57 PM
I think they need MORE employees at Goodreads, not fewer. That site is a hot mess. www.cnbc.com/2025/06/06/a...
Call me crazy, but I don't think it's smart not to have a publishing person on their board. www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/...
Likewise Gets New Owners, Targets Book Discovery Market
Entertainment discovery platform Likewise has been acquired by Watchlist Inc, with Josh Epstein, formerly chief business officer at Likewise, named CEO. The company has several book promotion e-newsle...
www.publishersweekly.com
June 5, 2025 at 4:26 PM
Call me crazy, but I don't think it's smart not to have a publishing person on their board. www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/...
This is a good interview. I'm interested in the doc. www.hollywoodreporter.com/business/dig...
Ben McKenzie on His Crypto Doc ‘Everyone Is Lying to You for Money’: A “Human Story About Trust”
The TV star discusses his feature directorial debut world premiering at SXSW London, its timeliness in the age of Trump and tech bros, "lightly roasting" fellow celebs, and his hopes for overcoming di...
www.hollywoodreporter.com
June 4, 2025 at 1:35 PM
This is a good interview. I'm interested in the doc. www.hollywoodreporter.com/business/dig...
End of an era. variety.com/2025/digital...
Marc Maron to End Groundbreaking ‘WTF’ Podcast After 16 Years
Marc Maron announces he and producer Brendan McDonald will end the groundbreaking 'WTF' podcast this fall after 16 years and 1,600+ episodes.
variety.com
June 2, 2025 at 11:13 AM
End of an era. variety.com/2025/digital...
I didn’t dislike Sirens, but I’m also not sure what it’s actually about. Sisters? Rich vs Poor? Wealthy people’s summer homes? Josè was really the star of the show.
May 29, 2025 at 11:26 PM
I didn’t dislike Sirens, but I’m also not sure what it’s actually about. Sisters? Rich vs Poor? Wealthy people’s summer homes? Josè was really the star of the show.
They are "fully embracing AI." Yikes. www.thewrap.com/business-ins...
Business Insider Lays Off 21% of Staff
"There’s a huge opportunity for companies who harness AI first," CEO Barbara Peng says in a memo to staff.
www.thewrap.com
May 29, 2025 at 3:42 PM
They are "fully embracing AI." Yikes. www.thewrap.com/business-ins...
Holy cow. www.voguebusiness.com/story/beauty...
Rhode to be acquired by Elf Beauty for $1 billion
In the industry’s biggest deal in years, the beauty brand founded by Hailey Bieber has been acquired by Elf.
www.voguebusiness.com
May 28, 2025 at 8:06 PM
Holy cow. www.voguebusiness.com/story/beauty...
Come ON. futurism.com/fantasy-nove...
Readers Annoyed When Fantasy Novel Accidentally Leaves AI Prompt in Published Version, Showing Request to Copy Another Writer's Style
A scammer left glaringly obvious evidence of using AI to write portions of a fantasy novel and even tried to copy the style of a real author.
futurism.com
May 27, 2025 at 7:46 PM
Come ON. futurism.com/fantasy-nove...
Quite a read. www.cjr.org/feature-2/we...
Journalists Attest to Experiences of Sexual Misconduct with Wesley Lowery
Lowery rose to prominence as a reporter and media thinker. Women in the industry say he engaged in sexual harassment and assault.
www.cjr.org
May 22, 2025 at 1:59 AM
Quite a read. www.cjr.org/feature-2/we...
A lil tidbit from the summer reading AI culprit in an interview w WashPost.
May 21, 2025 at 2:28 AM
A lil tidbit from the summer reading AI culprit in an interview w WashPost.
So basically the guy who created it for King Features used AI, packaged the content, and sold it as his own work. AI-generated summer reading list gets published in major newspapers
www.npr.org/2025/05/20/n...
www.npr.org/2025/05/20/n...
How an AI-generated summer reading list got published in major newspapers
Newspapers around the country, including the Chicago Sun-Times and at least one edition of The Philadelphia Inquirer, published a syndicated book list featuring made-up books by famous authors.
www.npr.org
May 21, 2025 at 12:43 AM
So basically the guy who created it for King Features used AI, packaged the content, and sold it as his own work. AI-generated summer reading list gets published in major newspapers
www.npr.org/2025/05/20/n...
www.npr.org/2025/05/20/n...
I wrote about the AI-generated Summer Reading list. open.substack.com/pub/kathleen...
The Curious Case of the AI-Generated Summer Reading Roundup
It's maddening, demoralizing, and all too real.
open.substack.com
May 20, 2025 at 7:45 PM
I wrote about the AI-generated Summer Reading list. open.substack.com/pub/kathleen...
So, it wasn't just the Chicago Sun-Times. The Philadelphia Inquirer ran the same AI-generated summer reading list, per Publishers Lunch. This is so demoralizing.
May 20, 2025 at 5:10 PM
So, it wasn't just the Chicago Sun-Times. The Philadelphia Inquirer ran the same AI-generated summer reading list, per Publishers Lunch. This is so demoralizing.
If the Chicago Sun-Times is going to use ChatGPT to come up with fake summer reading titles, but real authors, it is 100% doing a disservice to its readers and the authors. Like, who the hell made that decision?
May 20, 2025 at 1:30 PM
If the Chicago Sun-Times is going to use ChatGPT to come up with fake summer reading titles, but real authors, it is 100% doing a disservice to its readers and the authors. Like, who the hell made that decision?
This is so fucking depresssing.
I went into my library's database of Chicago area newspapers to confirm this isn't fake, and it's not.
@chicago.suntimes.com Why the hell are you using ChatGPT to make up book titles? You used to have a books staff. Absolutely no fact checking?
@chicago.suntimes.com Why the hell are you using ChatGPT to make up book titles? You used to have a books staff. Absolutely no fact checking?
May 20, 2025 at 1:27 PM
This is so fucking depresssing.
My friend Katie Rosman did great reporting here. www.nytimes.com/2025/05/20/s...
Bill Belichick Was Always in Control. Then He Met His Gen Z Girlfriend.
www.nytimes.com
May 20, 2025 at 12:30 PM
My friend Katie Rosman did great reporting here. www.nytimes.com/2025/05/20/s...
What a mess over there. www.hollywoodreporter.com/business/bus...
Wendy McMahon Resigns as Head of CBS News: “Company and I Do Not Agree on the Path Forward”
She follows ‘60 Minutes’ producer Bill Owens out the door.
www.hollywoodreporter.com
May 19, 2025 at 2:56 PM
What a mess over there. www.hollywoodreporter.com/business/bus...
A little bit of everything in this week's newsletter. open.substack.com/pub/kathleen...
Do We Need Celebrity-Branded Books?
And other publishing stories that caught my attention
open.substack.com
May 16, 2025 at 6:34 PM
A little bit of everything in this week's newsletter. open.substack.com/pub/kathleen...
I am watching a lecture about Medieval Welsh and Tolkien for my grad school linguistics class + it's making me want to poke my eyes out.
May 15, 2025 at 1:39 PM
I am watching a lecture about Medieval Welsh and Tolkien for my grad school linguistics class + it's making me want to poke my eyes out.
All I want from the Celtics is a game 7.
May 15, 2025 at 1:45 AM
All I want from the Celtics is a game 7.
It always amazes me how much money media CEOs make for doing largely uninspired work.
May 14, 2025 at 2:33 PM
It always amazes me how much money media CEOs make for doing largely uninspired work.
Between this and ESPN's DTC streamer being named...ESPN, there is just so much creativity in branding rn. www.hollywoodreporter.com/business/dig...
Warners Reverses Course: Changes Max’s Name Back to HBO Max
WBD CEO David Zaslav announced the move, with the company declaring, "no consumer today is saying they want more content, but better content."
www.hollywoodreporter.com
May 14, 2025 at 2:29 PM
Between this and ESPN's DTC streamer being named...ESPN, there is just so much creativity in branding rn. www.hollywoodreporter.com/business/dig...
This will not go over well with human narrators at all. www.thebookseller.com/news/audible...
Audible to use AI technology to produce audiobooks
Audible is set to offer "end-to-end" AI production technology – including translation and narration – for audiobooks.
www.thebookseller.com
May 13, 2025 at 1:36 PM
This will not go over well with human narrators at all. www.thebookseller.com/news/audible...