Indies Win! Harlequin to Close Historical Romance Line

This week (2/20/2026) in publishing and tech, the headlines are dramatic, but the real impact for authors is more nuanced.

Here’s what we’re covering on YouTube and in the blog version:

• The Supreme Court strikes down Trump’s tariffs, but don’t panic. Your book prices are not about to spike or crash.

• Harlequin shuts down its historical romance line, effectively conceding ground to Kindle Unlimited authors who have reshaped the category.

• BookFunnel rolls out digital ebook signings with personalized voice messages for audiobooks potentially on the horizon.

• AI updates you need to understand, including:

  • ElevenLabs pushing further into audiobooks

  • A new Perplexity Pro trap flagged by the Nerdy Novelist

  • Google’s emerging Web MCP standard, which could fundamentally change SEO as we know it

Let’s break down what matters, what doesn’t, and what smart authors should be watching right now. Read the blog version to find sources and links.