The Global Book Publishing Panic (2024–2026): What Self-Published Authors Should Do in an Era of Platform Volatility
By a long-time independent author and publishing consultant We Are Living Through a Global Publishing Panic Between late 2024 and early 2026, something unusual—and deeply structural—is happening in global self-publishing. This is not about one platform. Not about one author. Not about “AI books” alone. It is a systemic panic . Platforms are reacting defensively, unevenly, and sometimes irrationally—driven by fear, legal exposure, AI overload, and weak internal review systems. As authors, we feel the symptoms every day: Silent rejections Mass delistings Distribution blocks without explanation Account probation Books accepted on one platform and rejected everywhere else This is not coincidence. This is platform behavior under stress . The Core Problem: Not Content — Filtering The problem is not that authors suddenly became bad . The problem is how platforms filter, review, and distribute content. Let’s be clear: ❌ Weak platforms transfer risk to authors ✅ Strong platforms absorb...