Everything I've always heard is that the books are absolutely required to be consistent with on screen cannon, no exceptions.
Well, yes, but I have the impression that Pocket doesn't have the license to use elements of the Bad Robot films in the novels. If that's so, then we wouldn't get to contradict what's in the movies, but wouldn't get to use it overtly either. We'd probably just avoid the issue.
Remember that it was only with the Totality trilogy that the Shatnerverse overtly began contradicting the main novelverse. Up to that point, they'd just been kind of politely avoiding each other -- the other books operated on the assumption that Kirk was dead, but didn't explicitly rule out the events of the Shatner novels happening off to the side somewhere. In the highly speculative event that Kirk Prime were somehow resurrected in the movies, the books would probably just avoid discussing it. I mean, as long as he isn't established as, say, taking over command of the Enterprise-E or becoming Federation president, it shouldn't be necessary to mention him. After all, 24th-century books usually get along just fine without mentioning TOS characters at all. It really shouldn't be an issue even if it did happen.
Even if Shatner makes a cameo, that does not necessarily mean that he will appear as James T. Kirk. I could see him pop up as some admiral or other Federation official, perhaps even as Pine-Kirk's older relative. He would have a few quick lines, a la Stan Lee in the Marvel movies, with a wink and a nod to the audience.
While he could certainly end up changing him mind, Shatner has been pretty clear in the past that he's not particularly interested in that kind of role.
The only thing in Trek Lit this could affect are the "Shatnerverse" novels. Which-
A) Aren't part of the novel continuity.
B) Haven't had a new book since 2007.
Not seeing how this is going to be an issue, even if it is true.
This isn't true. Everything I've always heard is that the books are absolutely required to be consistent with on screen cannon, no exceptions. IF the new movie resurrects Kirk in the prime universe within the time frame that the current Treklit is operating in, then those books will absolutely be operating in a world with a resurrected Kirk. Now maybe the books might just choose not to deal with Kirk, but the possibility remains that it could impact Treklit.
Aren't you getting ahead of yourself here? At this moment we only have a rumour regarding the possibility that Shatner might appear in the next movie. Even if he does, this does not automatically mean he will be Captain Kirk alive and active in the 2380s of the Prime Universe.
And even if, and I stress if that is how things play out, then the movie is going to have to address how he's come back from the dead, and I'm fairly certain it should be no problem for the novel continuity to mold around that. It's just another recent development. "Oh, so Captain Kirk's back from the dead? Splendid, but what does this have to do with our conference with the Typhon Pact? Nothing? Very good, proceed at maximum warp."
The only novels that Kirk Prime returning to life are going to be an issue for are the Shatnerverse, but that line is inactive and wasn't a part of the novel continuity to begin with so all is good.
I agree with all of this, I was just responding to Wormhole's statement that the only way it could affect the novels are the Shatner verse. My point is that's not correct, because even though we don't know anything for sure, there's still the possibility that Shatner is used in some way that could affect the current novelverse.