An author says AI is ‘writing’ unauthorized books being sold under her name on Amazon
edition.cnn.com – Thursday August 10, 2023
An author is raising alarms this week after she found new books being sold on Amazon under her name — only she didn’t write them; they appear to have been generated by artificial intelligence.
Jane Friedman, who has authored multiple books and consulted about working in the writing and publishing industry, told CNN that an eagle-eyed reader looking for more of her work bought one of the fake titles on Amazon. The books had titles similar to the subjects she typically writes about, but the text read as if someone had used a generative AI model to imitate her style.
“When I started looking at these books, looking at the opening pages, looking at the bio, it was just obvious to me that it had been mostly, if not entirely, AI-generated … I have so much content available online for free, because I’ve been blogging forever, so it wouldn’t be hard to get an AI to mimic me” Friedman said.
With AI tools like ChatGPT now able to rapidly and cheaply pump out huge volumes of convincing text, some writers and authors have raised alarms about losing work to the new technology. Others have said they don’t want their work being used to train AI models, which could then be used to imitate them.
Steed moves to Janklow & Nesbit
thebookseller.com – Thursday August 10, 2023
Hayley Steed is joining Janklow & Nesbit as a literary agent on 12th September, moving from Madeleine Milburn Literary Agency, where she has been since 2016.
Steed represents predominantly fiction writers, with clients including Clare Pooley, Alex Wilson, Leah Hazard, Heather Marshall and Yomi Adegoke. She was named a Bookseller Rising Star in 2019.
Steed said: “I’ve had such an incredible seven years at Madeleine Milburn. Being part of its growth from a team of four to the powerhouse it is now has been invaluable, as has working with Maddy herself. I’m going to miss the team there hugely, but am also excited for my next step at Janklow & Nesbit, where I know my authors will be welcomed and well supported. I can’t wait to find new talent. And to grow the commercial fiction list with my new colleagues.”
Publisher Simon & Schuster sold to private equity firm for £1.27bn
news.sky.com – Tuesday August 8, 2023
The sale of the publisher, which counts Stephen King and Britney Spears among its diverse portfolio of writers, comes after a US judge blocked a previous takeover attempt by rival Penguin Random House.
Simon & Schuster has been sold for $1.62bn (£1.27bn) to a private equity firm - just months after a takeover bid by rival Penguin Random House was blocked.
New owner KKR said the company, one of the so-called "big five" English language book publishers worldwide, would continue to operate as a standalone entity and vowed that its independence would be protected.
The deal must be approved by regulators, but commentators believe it is unlikely there will be any objections.
Simon & Schuster's writers include horror author Stephen King and journalist Bob Woodward. It is also preparing for the high-profile releases of Britney Spears' memoir The Woman In Me and Walter Isaacson's biography of Elon Musk later this year.
It comes after Penguin Random House, which is owned by German media giant Bertelsmann, announced in November 2020 that it planned to buy Simon & Schuster for £1.9bn.
Writers' Handbook 2024 now available to buy
firstwriter.com – Tuesday August 8, 2023
The 2024 edition of firstwriter.com’s annual directory for writers has just been released, and is now available to buy both as a paperbook and an ebook.
The directory is the perfect book for anyone searching for literary agents, book publishers, or magazines. It contains over 1,500 listings, including revised and updated listings from the 2023 edition, and 400 brand new entries.
New crime writing prize launched by A M Heath, Orion and Crime Monthly
thebookseller.com – Friday August 4, 2023
A M Heath literary agency, the Orion Publishing Group and Crime Monthly have teamed up to launch Criminal Lines 2023, a new £3,500 crime writing prize open to unagented, debut authors, born or resident in the UK and Ireland.
From psychological thrillers, cosy crime to serial killer thrillers, entrants are invited to submit the opening 5,000 words of a novel with “criminal intent”, plus a synopsis of no more than 1,000 words here.
Entries open on 3rd August 2023 and close on 7th December 2023. The winner will be selected by a panel of judges including A M Heath agents Euan Thorneycroft and Oli Munson, Crime Monthly assistant editor Lisa Howells, Orion Fiction editors Leodora Darlington and Sam Eades, and authors Vaseem Khan and Mari Hannah.
Penzler Publishers is launching Crime Ink
lunch.publishersmarketplace.com – Friday August 4, 2023
Penzler Publishers is launching Crime Ink, an imprint publishing literary true crime. Tom Wickersham will head the line as editor; he was formerly the manager of The Mysterious Bookshop. Charles Perry becomes publisher, adding to his role as publisher of other Penzler imprints (The Mysterious Press, American Mystery Classics, Scarlet, and MysteriousPress.com).
Mundy launches Lansdowne Literary
thebookseller.com – Tuesday August 1, 2023
Charlie Mundy has launched a new London-based literary scouting agency, Lansdowne Literary.
With a focus on the UK and international reach, it will work across fiction and non-fiction aiming to connect international publishers and film and TV production companies with the most suitable books for their individual lists, across translation and adaptation.
The agency has already secured its first clients, working with international publishers including Arche and Atrium Verlag – both part of W1-Media GmbH – in Germany, and HarperCollins Holland.
Prototype Publishing announces development programme for writers and artists
thebookseller.com – Wednesday July 26, 2023
Prototype Publishing has announced a development programme for writers and artists, in partnership with New Writing North, as part of the Northern Writers’ Awards.
The Prototype Development Programme will offer extended support and career development to eight emerging writers and artists who have not yet had a book published. According to the publisher, the scheme is being launched in response to the lack of opportunities and mentoring schemes for writers and artists whose work "sits between conventional literary forms".
Funded by Arts Council England, the six-month online programme forms part of a wider project focusing on multidisciplinary and hybrid-genre approaches to writing, including a new prize in partnership with Frieze magazine, which will be announced in the autumn.
Participants will be given learning and personal development opportunities through workshops and feedback sessions, as well as seminars led by curators, writers, publishers, editors and literary agents. There are eight places on the programme, of which three are ring-fenced for applicants from the North of England, and each participant will be paid a bursary of £500.
Wattpad to Launch its Publishing Scheduler – to Empower Authors
goodereader.com – Monday July 17, 2023
Wattpad is going to launch its Publishing Scheduler designed to redefine the publishing experience. The new tool, which will be available on July 19, will help webnovelists connect and engage with readers in a whole new way.
Here is how:
Studies show that 77% of Wattpad readers are more likely to read regularly updated ongoing stories. The Publishing Scheduler will allow authors to schedule story parts in advance, boosting readers’ engagement and excitement. Advanced scheduling will also save time so they can focus on writing rather than worrying about publishing at the right time.
Writers' Guild of Great Britain Publishes Report on AI
publishersweekly.com – Sunday July 16, 2023
The Writers' Guild of Great Britain, a union that represents writers in such professions as books, film, and TV, has revealed the results of a survey about artificial intelligence. Sixty-five percent of respondents said that they believed that the increased use of AI will reduce their income from writing, while 61% were worried that AI could replace jobs in their craft areas. In response, WGGB has published "Writers and AI," a policy position statement outlining the challenges caused by AI and the risks that go with it, as well as the potential AI has to benefit the writing profession.
Current concerns about AI in the report include decreased job opportunities for writers, the suppression of writer pay, infringements of copyright and the use of writers' work without their permission, and lack of adequate regulation from the government. Eighty-one percent of respondents to the survey felt that writers should be paid a fee when their work is used by AI systems.
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