Changes + How AI will affect traditional publishing in 2026

- Tweet0
- 0
- Pin It 0
- 0
- Subscribe to RSS
Subscribe

Subject: Changes + How AI will affect traditional publishing in 2026

** This email may show up long in your inbox, so you may need to click to expand and to read the full email. Or read online.

Friday, Feb. 6, 2026

Hi Friend,

Lots in this email today as I missed last week.

In today's Creativity Sparks:

Things are a'changin' and how I'm also still supporting sci-fi/fantasy writers
Momentum = easy small steps
Find Your Creative Entreprenur Niche Bootcamp coming soon
Latest How To Write The Future podcast episodes

❤️

How Things are changing!

Yes, things are a changin' over here in my creative business.

I’ve been helping writers in my business over the last 20 years, while I write novels.

Now I’ve been expanding into helping other creatives, most specifically filmmakers and actors on film production projects, and other creative writers who want to serve other writers on building their businesses.

What does this mean for you?

I’m still dedicated to supporting science fiction and fantasy writers.

I do that through:

The weekly podcast, How To Write The Future. If you have an idea or a question, share that here. You can also send a voicemail via the Speakpipe widget.
Our group mentorship for science fiction and fantasy writers who have finished their first draft and are ready to polish that beauty into a publishable gem
One-on-one work, where I customize programs from three months to a year and beyond.

🌟 Hit reply if you'd like to talk about customized support on your science fiction or fantasy novel. We do deep work around here!

And of course, I help genre fiction writers through talks and workshops on other people’s platforms, summits, and programs.

If you know of a writers’ organization, group or community that is looking for a speaker, please send them my way.

My speaker page is here: https://bethbarany.com/speaking-media/

❤️

Momentum = easy small steps

One of my new film production clients said to me recently, "Momentum is your friend!"

And I really love it. It’s so simple.

When we start taking action on the thing we love, things change for the better.

I learned in my NLP training that anyone can learn anything if we break it down to its smallest step.

I constantly remind myself to take those small steps every day.

It doesn’t have to be hard to get to your writing.

It can be as easy as giving yourself five minutes to write.

Ezra, my husband, who’s a very prolific writer, even has a phrase he says to himself: “Just 3 words.”

He'll announce that to me, sit down, and start writing. And write way more than 3 words.

We all have busy lives and busy work commitments.

Here's the thing: I know that by the end of the day, you’ll most likely feel so much better when you look back and know that you have written.

I keep this in mind because I’m a happier person when I’ve worked on my fiction on any given day. And that gets me back to the page.

How about you?

What do you want to have accomplished by the end of any given day?

❤️

Find Your Creative Entreprenur Niche Bootcamp coming soon

Thinking about becoming a book coach, editor, author assistant, or creative entrepreneur who supports writers but not sure where you fit?

Our 4-day bootcamp will help you figure it out.

Find Your Creative Entrepreneur Niche

Date: March 20–24, 2026

Who: Hosted by Gala Russ + Beth Barany

Cost: $67

Across four days, you’ll:

• Assess your readiness

• Identify your skills

• Map your strengths to real services

• Take the Creative Entrepreneur Type quiz

• Get your personalized next-step roadmap

If 2026 is the year you want to step into a writing-related business, start with clarity and take action.

Details & registration coming Feb. 16th!

Get started by taking the Creative Business Style Quiz:

http://bethbarany.com/quiz

❤️

🎤

This week's episode is on the controversial topic of using AI as writer.

My take is use the AI tools to research, to analyze, to interrogate, but not to write.

Check out my interview with Ana, edited for the podcast.

"I think that if you sit on the sidelines and you choose to ignore these tools, you have no chance to compete in this new marketplace. You have no chance. I’m not gonna sugarcoat it." – Ana del Valle

This week's podcast is an interview with writer and technologist, Ana del Valle, a leading authority in ethical AI for creative writing on tips on how to get the most out of your ChatGPT questions, plus predictions on the future of AI.

Ethical AI for Writers with Ana del Valle

– How To Write the Future podcast, episode 190

Read | Listen | Watch

❤️

In last week's podcast, based on a listener's question, I break down how to draw your reader in by starting with your main character’s perspective, introducing key elements and essential details gradually.

World-Building Without Information Dumping

- How To Write the Future podcast, episode 189

Read | Listen | Watch

Binge the podcast on Youtube or Buzzsprout.

190. Ethical AI for Writers with Ana del Valle - How To Write The Future podcast with Beth Barany

World-Building Without Information Dumping – How To Write the Future podcast by Beth Barany, episode 189

Happy Writing!

Best,

Beth

a little creativity spark for you - hint: it's musical. Loving K-Pop Demon Hunters and also Julie Fowlis. (Youtube)
another spark for you! Cool city map mapping resource for your stories. (Paywall)

PS. Here are some of the upcoming events!

🌟 I'll be sharing The Art of Self-Editing Challenge by Tara R. Alemany -- coming in a few weeks. Stay tuned!

🚀 In March, Gala Russ and I will be running our first bootcamp "Find Your Creative Entrepreneur Niche" to help people who want help writers to get clear on which services you can offer that align with your skills, your interests, and that writers will gladly pay for. -- March 20-24. Registration opens Feb. 16th!

📚 I'll be teaching in Lorin Oberweger's Free Expressions: Settings that Wow Your Readers. Get on her list to get all the details. Save the dates!

April 9, 4:30pm PT
May 14, 4:30pm PT

🎙️ And I'm excited to announce that I'll be speaking at Alexa Bigwarfe's Marketing Bootcamp for Authors and Publishing Professionals, June 12-13, 2026.

🌟 If you find my resources helpful, please forward them to a friend who may need them too. Thanks!

Beth Barany
Creativity Coach for Writers

Teacher, Speaker, Workshop Facilitator
bethbarany.com

I not only teach and coach novelists, I am one too!

*Magical Tales of Romance, Mystery, and Adventure* author.bethbarany.com

Including the award-winning, Henrietta The Dragon Slayer (Book 1), and Into The Black, about Janey McCallister space station investigator (Book 1)

__________________________

❤️ - Here to empower you with core principles, mindset tools, and doable roadmaps to build your sustainable, thriving creative career on your own terms.

🚀 🐲 - Passionate about supporting science fiction, fantasy, and speculative fiction writers; and creative entrepreneurs serving writers.

🎬 - Filmmaker with a BIG mission: to celebrate warrior women!

Writer's Fun zone blog by and for creative writers, published by Beth Barany

Subscribe to be notified when each blog post goes live. Or wait for the weekly round-up in this newsletter. *Write for us.

Latest WFZ posts

☕️

Support This Creative Entrepreneur

My mission is to support your adventure as a creative and step into your next best self.

If you want to support my mission, I invite you to:

📚 buy my books: Fiction | Nonfiction

☕️ buy me a coffee

🎬 support my Henrietta The Dragon Slayer short film

Or share my work with your friends. Thanks!

Beth Barany is an award-winning science fiction and fantasy novelist, and certified creativity coach for writers.

She specializes in helping writers experience clarity, so they can write, revise, and proudly publish their novels to the delight of their readers.

Here be the legalese: In connection with the operation of this newsletter and business, Creativity Sparks includes affiliate links to trusted partners. Barany Consulting earns a commission from the Affiliate Links which commission is based on the number of sales that are made as a result of users of the Newsletter clicking over to the Affiliate Link and purchasing from the Affiliate Link a product and/or service. Thus endth the legalese.

I live in the territory of Huichin, part of the stolen land of the Chochenyo Muwekma Ohlone, the successors of the historic and sovereign Verona Band of Alameda County, in Oakland, California, the San Francisco Bay Area. Northern Hemisphere. Earth.

The Solar System. → Carina–Sagittarius Arm in the Milky Way galaxy. Milky Way subgroup → Local Group → Local Sheet → Virgo Supercluster → Laniakea Supercluster → Local Hole → Observable universe → Universe.

I stand with people of Ukraine and all peoples 🎗️ in their fight for freedom from oppression and the right to self-determine. Yes, all peoples. Not just some.

No longer want to receive these writing and publishing tips? I totally understand. Blessings on your path. You can unsubscribe below. However, please do not report us as spam. This negatively impacts our ability to send emails to your fellow subscribers -- the 3,800+ people who enjoy these tips each week -- and I'm sure that's not your intention.