Kathleen Schmidt
@kathmschmidt.bsky.social
President, KMSPR. Book publishing, marketing, consulting, strategy. I write Publishing Confidential on Substack.
The holidays can be tough. I wrote about what NOT to say to people experiencing depression or grief. open.substack.com/pub/kathleen...
Depression, Grief, and Turkey
Things are not always merry and bright for some people during the holidays. Here's what NOT to say to them.
open.substack.com
November 26, 2025 at 6:11 PM
The holidays can be tough. I wrote about what NOT to say to people experiencing depression or grief. open.substack.com/pub/kathleen...
A great story. Gift link: www.nytimes.com/2025/11/26/n...
The Key to Their 50-Year Marriages and Close-Knit Families? Friendship.
www.nytimes.com
November 26, 2025 at 1:01 PM
A great story. Gift link: www.nytimes.com/2025/11/26/n...
Something people need to understand: There’s no code to crack in book publishing.
November 26, 2025 at 3:11 AM
Something people need to understand: There’s no code to crack in book publishing.
I don’t even know what to say about this. www.artnews.com/art-news/new...
Vanity Fair’s Soon-To-Be-Published Hollywood Issue Includes an Intimate Portrait of Olivia Nuzzi
Vanity Fair plans to run an abstract nude portrait of Olivia Nuzzi in its upcoming issue along with an excerpt of Nuzzi's forthcoming book <em>American Canto</em>
www.artnews.com
November 26, 2025 at 3:09 AM
I don’t even know what to say about this. www.artnews.com/art-news/new...
They’re not wrong. washingtonian.com/2025/11/24/c...
Crisis PR Experts Have Advice for Olivia Nuzzi and Ryan Lizza - Washingtonian
PR experts rate responses to DC's latest sex scandal. How are Olivia Nuzzi, Ryan Lizza, RFK Jr., Cheryl Hines, Mark Sanford, and Keith Olbermann handling it?
washingtonian.com
November 26, 2025 at 3:08 AM
They’re not wrong. washingtonian.com/2025/11/24/c...
$1.2M advance down the drain. defector.com/john-fetterm...
John Fetterman's Memoir Is As Low-Effort As His Senate Tenure | Defector
John Fetterman’s just-released memoir, Unfettered, argues that he’s turned a corner and has everything under control. Fetterman was a “stubborn asshole” (his words), he was clinically depressed, he wa...
defector.com
November 23, 2025 at 12:35 PM
$1.2M advance down the drain. defector.com/john-fetterm...
This is heartbreaking. www.newyorker.com/culture/the-...
A Battle with My Blood
When I was diagnosed with leukemia, my first thought was that this couldn’t be happening to me, to my family.
www.newyorker.com
November 22, 2025 at 5:31 PM
This is heartbreaking. www.newyorker.com/culture/the-...
Are you an author who needs some help before your publication date? Do you know an author who needs help? I've created a 6-week cohort that will teach authors about the publishing process, marketing, and publicity. More here: open.substack.com/pub/kathleen...
Introducing: The Publishing Confidential Cohort
A 6-week program to get you and your book ready for publication.
open.substack.com
November 18, 2025 at 8:34 PM
Are you an author who needs some help before your publication date? Do you know an author who needs help? I've created a 6-week cohort that will teach authors about the publishing process, marketing, and publicity. More here: open.substack.com/pub/kathleen...
Just…wow. open.substack.com/pub/telos/p/...
Part 1: How I Found Out
Olivia had just returned from a reporting trip—at least that’s what she told me it was—and her Herschel backpack, the one with the flap that never quite closed properly, was tossed beside our bed, its...
open.substack.com
November 18, 2025 at 2:58 AM
Just…wow. open.substack.com/pub/telos/p/...
I can't see this working. www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/...
Shein Expands into Bookselling with Alibris Partnership
Ahead of the holiday shopping season, the used books retailer will offer more than 100,000 book titles across a variety of genres, as well as “affordable textbooks,” through Shein’s U.S. marketplace.
www.publishersweekly.com
November 14, 2025 at 4:32 PM
I can't see this working. www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/...
I haven't been here for a while, but I am popping on with this week's newsletter because I thought some of you would like to read it. open.substack.com/pub/kathleen...
Is the Publishing Industry in Crisis?
Let's do the math.
open.substack.com
November 13, 2025 at 10:00 PM
I haven't been here for a while, but I am popping on with this week's newsletter because I thought some of you would like to read it. open.substack.com/pub/kathleen...
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...