We had one of those moments this week. In fact we had a few. Those moments when you are given an insight or information that challenges your perception of the world or the work you do. One of those came during our interview with author Jodie Robins, whose debut novella The Off-Season was published earlier this month. Jodie adopted the Eastern Story Structure or Kishōtenketsu, which is traditionally divided into four acts and, in contrast with western story structures, does not require conflict to drive the narrative. As Jodie tells us, it was both challenging and liberating in equal measure. The result is a captivating story set in wintry Blackpool, described by one reviewer as a "darkly glittering fairground of a novella." It's been published by our friends at Wild Hunt Books as part of their Northern Weird series.

As for the other moments of insight, Rebecca and Adrian attended this year's Self Publishing Show Live 2025 in London this week. How has the show changed since we first attended five years ago? What are the latest trends in book marketing for independent creators? And how will a landmark legal ruling impact the long-running battle between copyright holders and big tech companies looking to fuel their AI systems?

Jodie Robins | Substack

The Off-Season by Jodie Robins The Northern Weird Project — wild hunt books

The Northern Weird Project — wild hunt books

The Self Publishing Show LIVE! 2024 - Digital Tickets

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