I wasn’t aware Amazon’s put a three book per day cap on self-publishers on KDP because they’ve allowed the AI to flood its marketplace. Other publishers have shut the doors on submissions from being assaulted by AI books. Self-publishers will probably be the ones losing this war.
And asshole me is in the corner not feeling that sorry for y’all. KDP made it too easy to do this, it’s therefore been exploited. Smashwords might be another victim, I don’t know. But allowing people do put anything anywhere and sell it, of course it’s been exploited. Amazon’s done nothing about the audiobook scam that came up, I saw someone trying to advertise this “service” after I assumed they’d cracked down. They don’t care because it’s still potential money in their pockets from duped consumers. That’s the shitty part.
But it’s affecting new authors, and I’m sorry if you’ve decided to join the party at this point since it’s objectively worse for you now. That’s shitty, but again, I’m an asshole so I feel like nobody deserves that much pity for being naive enough to try and find a publisher. And even if you did, they might still con you into giving them one book they can regurgitate with AI in perpetuity while you get nothing but the sale of your original book. You’re the bigger target for publishing scams because you don’t know things are supposed to work. I don’t know where the agents stand in this other than being caught in a crossfire where you’re not able to sign authors or get them deals to make sure you get paid. But you were all banding together to exploit artists as well. You can only extend so much sympathy as it is.
Am I paranoid my shit will be stolen by AI? Yeah, I have had work stolen and redistributed on other websites but I didn’t care. I do now because I could make money off this, it’s the fact I don’t that makes me too jaded. The one reviewer got back to me and offered a promo post in lieu of a review, and I accepted. That short story website is clearly dead and I’ve forgotten about it. I don’t want the headache of takedown notices etc. I hate contesting my rights to stuff. It sucks since I don’t have a lawyer to do it for me. Most I could do is network harder and try to get my stuff out there, but I’ve been through this, I made shitty business cards and ran a website and all I got was phone calls from people thinking I was a business they could contact to sell to or ask for space to promote a charity (I think, it was that long ago I barely remember but I stupidly left my phone contact). I don’t know who to talk to who could make this happen. I don’t want an agent, just a promoter, I guess. Someone who’d just get me some sales. It would suck for it to take off then have people beg for audiobooks which I’ll never produce, and shamefully I was willing to find an AI avenue for this to resolve it with my publisher because I was so desperate not to have to physically read my book out loud. You do not understand the physical pain this would cause me. If I could pay someone relatively cheaply that’s the other option, but the sad part is I would need to review for quality and even someone else doing this and me hearing it would hurt me. It hurts me so much I’ve run screaming at people to stop. I hate it. I’m not your average author, and I know my estate would not be doing deals with Amazon after my death to make a new show based on my work because Amazon can sell the original books easier than other streaming platforms. (I was surprised to hear Tolkien did want to option the books, I always think of him being a turn of the century guy not a mid-century guy who was born in 1892). These guys had connections and contemporaries and some level of confidence in their ability, none of which I possess. They didn’t have to fear artificial intelligence stealing their shit.
No comments:
Post a Comment