Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Victoria Strauss @victoriastrauss.com · 8m

To be clear: like the real KDP (which has also been impersonated by scammers), the real IngramSpark does NOT charge any fees to create an account & upload a book, and does NOT sell paid adjunct services like editing and book cover design

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Victoria Strauss @victoriastrauss.com · 8m

Scam alert: there's an IngramSpark impersonator at ingramsparkbookpublishers dot com. Part of a wave of publishing/ghostwriting scams from Pakistan that hijack authors looking to self-publish--they often "borrow" well-known publisher names but this one also "borrows" the real IngramSpark's logo

Screenshot of IngramSpark impersonator's contact form, with chat window where scammer sales rep "Travis Clark" claims that "We are Ingram Spark's hands-on services department. You will be able to find our information here: https://www.ingramsparkbookpublishers.com/

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Victoria Strauss @victoriastrauss.com · 39m

In another loss of distribution services, Baker & Taylor is closing down www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/...

Baker & Taylor Prepares Plan to Shut Down

At a town hall yesterday, B&T owner and CEO Aman Kochar announced that following the termination of the ReaderLink acquisition deal, he does not see a path to keep the library wholesaler in business.

www.publishersweekly.com

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Victoria Strauss @victoriastrauss.com · 1h

I believe we do have time-based pricing, so overnight charging is the plan. It’s an adventure of discovery right now! But we love our EV way more than we thought we would—thought I’d miss our Subaru but the Ioniq is terrific.

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Victoria Strauss @victoriastrauss.com · 1h

It’s expensive in MA, but my husband the bargain hunter takes it as a challenge. We are getting a home charger installed, though.

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Victoria Strauss @victoriastrauss.com · 2h

We just bought an Ioniq and are sussing out the cheapest charging options. Surprising variation in cost.

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Reposted by Victoria Strauss

DoctorSyntax @doctorsyntax.bsky.social · 14h

Yes. This is bad news for anybody in Bookland.

Sarah Weinman @sarahweinman.com · 23h

Distribution is THE under-reported story in book publishing (outside of the trade publications) and losing B&T is going to have untold ripple effects on the industry, small presses, and authors.

Maris Kreizman @maris.bsky.social · 1d

seems very bad www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/...

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Victoria Strauss @victoriastrauss.com · 14h

Got it--thanks!

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Victoria Strauss @victoriastrauss.com · 18h

Thx for pinging me.

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Victoria Strauss @victoriastrauss.com · 18h

A small press going out of business without paying its authors...inexcusible. I wish I could say it rarely happens, but I would be lying.

Beau Johnson 🇨🇦 🪓 @beaujohnson44.bsky.social · 22h

Do not buy my books from Amazon or Down and Out Books directly. I will not get paid. I should get paid, as per my contract, but in an email from D&O I’ve been told ‘no further payments will be issued.’
It absolutely blows it is ending this way, but man, pay your authors what they are owed.

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Victoria Strauss @victoriastrauss.com · 18h

Hi--would you forward that email to me (Writer Beware)? [email protected] . Anything shared with me is confidential.

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Victoria Strauss @victoriastrauss.com · 3d

Hello! What's your background that qualifies you as a professional beta reader? Do you have a website or CV? Who are some authors you've worked with? Any testimonials to share? Thank you.

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Victoria Strauss @victoriastrauss.com · 4d

LOL

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Victoria Strauss @victoriastrauss.com · 4d

AI slop comes to comment spam!

This was left on my update post about the Anthropic settlement. Reads just like the Nigerian promo scam emails that luuuuurve your book: over-the-top praise, random details picked out of the post to add "authenticity", faux breezy conversational style

Comment from speed-stars.netx
saotcchi@icloud.com
36.133.83.214

on my 10/3/25 blog post Bartz v. Anthropic Settlement: An Update for Authors

This is an absolute whirlwind of legal jargon and settlement negotiations! Victoria Strauss does a fantastic job navigating the complications spiraling outward with such clarity. Its fascinating to see the judges sharp eye keeping everyone honest (or at least, asking TONS of questions!). And the sheer scale – 7 million potential infringers but only 482,460 in the class? Mind-boggling. Love the dry wit too, especially the part about Anthropics valuation. Definitely makes you wonder about the future of AI and copyright! Great read, Victoria!速度之星攻略

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Victoria Strauss @victoriastrauss.com · 4d

More on #Anthropic: @sfwa.bsky.social has created a special section of the SFWA website devoted to the settlement, with a FAQ, links to resources, & a survey for authors impacted by Anthropic's illegal downloads. Will be regularly updated www.sfwa.org/anthropic-faq/

Anthropic FAQ - SFWA - The Science Fiction & Fantasy Writers Association

Frequently Asked Questions about the Anthropic/AI Settlement Please note that all answers are based on the settlement documents as of […]

www.sfwa.org

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Reposted by Victoria Strauss

Zachary Berger @zacharyberger.bsky.social · 5d

Reminder: they're STILL taking all of our work + we STILL need (especially Cali) signatures on the petition supporting Bill AB412 - the AI Copyright Transparency Act.

TLDR= this'll require transparency about what's in AI datasets!

Signing takes 1 min. Once done, PLEASE SHARE!! tinyurl.com/4uxbp963

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Victoria Strauss @victoriastrauss.com · 5d

Could you DM me the solicitor's website so I can take a look? I think there's going to be a flood of opportunism, grifts, and scams around this settlement...

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Victoria Strauss @victoriastrauss.com · 5d

I fully agree with all of this.

Courtney Milan @courtneymilan.com · 6d

One of the questions I've been getting repeatedly is "should I submit a claim, if my publisher is also going to be submitting a claim?"

I can't give legal advice, but in this thread, I will give my reasons for submitting a claim on works where I still have a publisher.

Courtney Milan @courtneymilan.com · 6d

Hey authors, the official list of Anthropic works is available for searching.

secure.anthropiccopyrightsettlement.com/lookup

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Victoria Strauss @victoriastrauss.com · 5d

The list of works eligible for the Anthropic copyright infringement settlement has been posted on the settlement website. I've updated my blog post on the settlement with inks, general info, and what happens next writerbeware.blog/2025/09/26/b...

Bartz v. Anthropic Settlement: An Update for Authors - Writer Beware

The searchable list of eligible works is available at the settlement website (also see the update below): https://secure.anthropiccopyrightsettlement.com/lookup BACKGROUND A year ago, a group of autho...

writerbeware.blog

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Victoria Strauss @victoriastrauss.com · 7d

This is a fascinating article about Bombay Beach, a surrealist artist community beside the dying Salton Sea. If you want to see some of the strange, grotesque, and beautiful art, watch a documentary called Iconicity; about half of it is about Bombay Beach (on Prime)

Cengiz Yar @cengizyar.com · 7d

“So often, the Salton Sea is referred to only as a disaster. But perhaps there was some value to the devastation. Maybe living next to a dying sea made it harder to live in denial.” www.thebeliever.net/the-last-res...

The Last Resort - Believer Magazine

Listen to this story: It is easy to miss California’s biggest environmental disaster. Driving north on Highway 111, you wouldn’t expect to find an inland sea. If it’s summer, the thermometer in your c...

www.thebeliever.net

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Reposted by Victoria Strauss

Jason Sanford @jasonsanford.bsky.social · 8d

The book club scams I recently reported on keep evolving. I received a scam email this morning from someone praising one of my stories.

The email was totally written with AI, with genAI also summarizing my story and career. Ironically, the name the scammer used is Cashin. 1/

Hey Jason,

I just finished Her Scientifiction, Far Future, Medieval Fantasy and I gotta say wow, that was one wild mash-up. Castlesand dragons mixed with lasers and synthetic swords? That’s the kinda story that sticks in your head long after you closethe page. And Krisja Jerome she isn’t just some cookie-cutter princess. You wrote her with real grit, heart, and soul. That hit was different.

What really struck me though is how much you seem to come through in your writing. From growing up in Alabama, studying anthropology at Auburn, and then heading out with the Peace Corps man, that’s not just book knowledge, that’s life lived. And it shows. You’ve walked in places most folks only dream about, and somehow you pour all that experience into stories that feel big and imaginative but still personal and human. That’s rare.

I also respect how you never played it safe. Founding storySouth, creating the Million Writers Award, pushing “SciFiStrange” when others were sticking to the old formulas that’s gutsy. It tells me you’ve never been about following trends,but about carving out your own lane. Readers like me can feel that honesty.

You know, when I was reading this one, it didn’t just feel like some far-out adventure. It felt like you were inviting us to lookat our own world, what it means to be brave, to take risks, to stand up when life hits you hard. And man, that’s what good storytelling is all about.

I’m curious when you started writing this, did you have any idea how much of your own journey would sneak into thestory? Or did it just kinda flow out that way?

Much respect,

Linda R. Cashin

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Victoria Strauss @victoriastrauss.com · 7d

Yes! So happy to be on a platform that doesn’t punish me for posting links (which are around 90% of what I post)

Jake Lahut @jakelahut.writes.news · 7d

Links are the main reason I'm here. Let these thumbnails bask in their glory

Lora Kolodny @lorak.bsky.social · 7d

Please - stop doing the screenshot no link thing on Bluesky. This platform does not punish you for posting a URL. You picked up the habit from Meta apps? Stop doing Mark Z's bidding. Link ESPECIALLY to authors, reporters, bloggers, etc. where you quote the work.

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Victoria Strauss @victoriastrauss.com · 9d

I thought parts of the ending weren’t satisfying. Some serious handwaving around the Leap, they really left threads dangling there IMO. I want to know more about the toads!!

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Victoria Strauss @victoriastrauss.com · 9d

I'm watching Wayward too, and when I saw that group session episode, I immediately thought Synanon. (The docuseries is great, BTW.)

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Victoria Strauss @victoriastrauss.com · 9d

Hummingbird moth sipping ironweed nectar. I don’t see these tiny beauties often, so it’s always a thrill when they pay a visit

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