Authors Guild Issues Updated AI Best Practices for Writers
publishersweekly.com – Tuesday May 12, 2026
As questions continue to swirl around how to ethically and legally use AI in the writing and publishing of books, the Authors Guild has updated its guidance to help authors better navigate the changing landscape.
The revised guidelines feature two new sections that break down the specific legal and professional risks writers should be aware of when using AI tools, along with a framework for understanding that not all AI use raises the same concerns, according to the announcement released by the Guild.
The Guild first published best practices for AI use by writers in February 2024. The newly updated best practices—the result of conversations with many writers and deliberations by the Authors Guild Council—"seek to add some context and clarity around the best practices and are provided in response to the many inquiries we have received around AI issues,” the Guild writes in its "AI Best Practices for Writers" advisory, adding “these are guidelines, not rules.”
The revised guidelines are broken down into four short sections: Guiding Principles; Risks to Be Aware of When Using AI; Categories of Use; and Recommended Best Practices.
The Periodical, NYC-Based Art and Literary Magazine, Launches
openpr.com – Monday May 11, 2026
The Periodical is a non-profit publisher and magazine dedicated to creative writing, criticism, and conversation about literature and the arts, including poetry, fiction, theatre, music, photography, film, and new media. Each issue brings together new writing and portfolios on the past, present, and future of artistic expression. Based in New York City, the magazine was founded in late 2025 by its editors Margarida Assis, Lachlan Brooks, Geoffrey Lokke, Eduardo Pavez, and Ali Yalgin. The magazine will publish its inaugural print issue in 2027. Preorders and annual print subscriptions can be purchased on the magazine's website, theperiodical.org. Readers can also support the non-profit through Patreon-paid subscribers will have access to the magazine's exclusive digital-only content including weekly reviews, essays, and recommendations.
Literature and Translation
The magazine's founding editors first met in graduate school at Columbia University and bring their diverse interests, experience, and expertise to the publication. Lachlan Brooks, an actor and poet, is the magazine's poetry and fiction editor. "My taste as a reader is eclectic: I gravitate toward poems and stories that use language in surprising ways, and will as happily read an experimental, avant-garde work as a conventional one. E. M. Forster, Machado de Assis, Daniil Kharms, and Anne Carson are equally welcome on my bedside table, and may be happy antidotes to one another." According to Brooks, the simple pleasure of reading is still the be-all and the end-all, whether it comes from a work's emotional effect, or (conversely) its undercutting of an emotional effect, its edifying power, "or simply the remarkable feeling I sometimes get that an author is enlightening me. The poetry and short fiction section of The Periodical magazine will have room for new works in the modern and postmodern traditions and works that cleave to traditional forms, as well as writing that forges its own path."
Defendant Pleads Guilty in $48 Million Nationwide Book Publishing Scam Targeting Hundreds of Seniors
justice.gov – Saturday May 9, 2026
Michael Cris Traya Sordilla, a 34-year-old citizen of the Philippines, pleaded guilty in federal court today, admitting that he conspired to perpetrate a book publishing scam that caused losses of over $48 million to more than 800 victims throughout the United States.
Sordilla is the first of four defendants to admit his role in a scheme that targeted authors — most of them seniors — by promising to elevate their work to major publishing deals and Hollywood film adaptations, all in exchange for millions of dollars in fraudulent fees.
According to his plea agreement, Sordilla was the founder and CEO of Innocentrix Philippines, which purported to be a “business process outsourcing” company in the Philippines. Sordilla admitted that he and his co-conspirators created and registered phony business entities in the United States, including:
- PageTurner Press and Media LLC (“PageTurner”), which was incorporated in California in September 2017 and claimed to be a book publishing business located in Chula Vista, California
- The Metro Films LLC (“Metro Films”), which was incorporated in California in April 2022 and claimed to be a motion picture and sound recording business located in Los Angeles, California
- WP Lighthouse LLC (“WP Lighthouse”) was registered in Indiana in July 2024 and claimed to be a book publishing business in Indianapolis, Indiana.
Pitt’s Writing Program launched a new literary journal
pittwire.pitt.edu – Thursday May 7, 2026
Diana Khoi Nguyen, associate professor and interim director of the Writing Program in Pitt’s Kenneth P. Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences, has launched 3 Sisters, a new online literary journal publishing poetry, fiction, nonfiction, essays, art and hybrid work.
The inaugural issue features contributions from a wide range of writers — including a Pitt undergraduate and a folio from students at Carlow University. The journal was built and edited by a team of current Pitt MFA students and alumni who aimed to publish work that crosses or defies traditional genre categories.
Martin Literary Management Changes Hands
publishersweekly.com – Wednesday May 6, 2026
Sharlene Martin, president and longtime owner of Martin Literary Management, has announced the sale of the agency to Jennifer Newens. It will be rebranded as Martin-Newens Literary Management.
Newens has served as VP of MLM since 2023. As a part of the change in ownership, Newens will relocate the agency from Seattle, Wash. to Oakland, Calif., overseeing day-to-day operations of the business and focusing adult nonfiction.
Rocket Books Ltd. announced as a new independent UK publishing house specialising in video game-related publications
gamespress.com – Thursday April 30, 2026
The company’s first release is “One More Win”, a Ridge Racer Type 4 fanzine by veteran video game writer Andy Kelly.
Bromstairs, UK (May 1st, 2026) – Rocket Books Ltd. was unveiled today as a new independent UK publishing house, specialising in video game-related publications.
The company has been established by Andy Roberts, a veteran game developer and journalist with over 35 years’ industry experience. Cutting his teeth on the legendary Commodore 64 magazine Zzap!64 in the late ‘80s, Roberts went on to write for dozens of UK magazines including Commodore Format, TOTAL!, Future Gamer, PC Format, Planet PC, Planet Game Boy, PlayStation Max, Xnet, Freeloader, and Internet Magazine, as well as the renowned Visual Compendium series of books.
The company has ambitious plans and aims to bring together new and established writers alike with one core tenet: to celebrate video games as an art form. “Rocket Books will focus on unique and captivating perspectives from writers with an intense passion for the medium,” stated CEO Andy Roberts. “We’ve set our sights on fusing passionate and exuberant writing with exceptional design sensibilities, to create products as beautiful as they are compelling.”
Call for Submissions: Literary magazine, The Offing, Is Open and Free to Submit
brittlepaper.com – Thursday April 30, 2026
The Offing, the online literary magazine publishing work at the edges of genre and form, is currently open for submissions. There are no submission fees for 2026, and contributors whose work is accepted are paid between $25 and $100 depending on the department and length of the piece.
The categories currently open are Essay, Insight, Back of the Envelope, and Translation (Poetry). The Essay department welcomes personal essays of any length. Insight seeks creative nonfiction that fuses personal experience with cultural criticism; essays that weave together two unlikely topics to explore what interacting with art, literature, or ideology changed in the writer; the word limit is 5,000. Back of the Envelope is for writing that draws on science and the natural world, in any genre and any length, and is open to writers from both inside and outside the scientific community. The Translation (Poetry) category accepts translated poetry, up to six poems per submission.
New UK Literary Agency Selby Howard Sets Out Its Editorial Mission
firstwriter.com – Thursday April 30, 2026
The launch of the Selby Howard Literary Agency marks the arrival of a new, deliberately boutique presence in the publishing landscape – one built on editorial depth, long‑term author development, and a clear commitment to championing distinctive voices across fiction and nonfiction.
A new agency with an old‑school ethos
Selby Howard enters the industry at a moment when writers are seeking more attentive, strategically minded representation. Rather than chasing scale, the agency positions itself around a traditional, hands‑on model: careful list curation, close editorial collaboration, and a belief that a strong author–agent partnership is the foundation of a sustainable writing career.
Its launch statement emphasises a focus on craft, clarity of vision, and the kind of tailored advocacy that can be difficult to find in larger, high‑volume agencies. The agency aims to work with writers at all stages – debut authors looking for guidance, mid‑career writers seeking renewed direction, and established names wanting a more personal approach.
50 Word Fiction competition: write a story featuring a computer
scottishbooktrust.com – Wednesday April 29, 2026
Each month, we'll provide a prompt to get you started, but where the story goes from there is entirely up to you.
The 50 Word Fiction competition includes four categories: adult writers, all-age Gaelic writers, young writers aged 5–11 and young writers aged 12–18. The entries will be judged by a panel and the four winning stories will be published on our website roughly two weeks after the closing date.
A prize will be awarded to a writer in each category, should they be located in the UK, and we're very happy to offer a certificate (printed or digital, depending on your preference) as well as the below:
Explore creativity and take your children’s book idea to the next level
news.suffolkvillage.info – Tuesday April 28, 2026
Budding children’s writers are invited to develop their craft as an author or illustrator.
The Writing Children’s Literature Day event has been organised by the University of Suffolk’s English team in partnership with The Hold, in Ipswich, home of Suffolk Archives.
Specialist workshops, talks and Q&As with authors, illustrators and literary agents from Darley Anderson Children’s Book Agency, the largest specialist agency for children’s books in the UK, will help those attending hone skills, gain insider tips and learn more about the children’s book industry.
Lindsey Scott, the course leader for MA Creative and Critical Writing at the University of Suffolk, said: “Children’s literature has a unique power; the right book at the right moment can ignite a curiosity in a young reader that can help shape who they become. That’s what makes writing for children so important, and so thrilling.
“Many talented writers have a story inside them but don’t know how to take it to the next level. Having the guidance of an experienced literary agent can be transformative; helping them refine their pitch, find their audience and turn that idea into a published book.
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