AI will get better and better, and before long there will be more to consume than the market has an appetite for (already there in some ways).
Eventually it will be so saturated that people will seek out the artisan authors because they want human connection. They will value the work and creativity of another person over the churn of soulless creation that never ends.
I’m a firm believer people will want reality over AI. They will want human connection and will seek out the good story tellers. The ones that will be found are the ones that will do what you say.
So many thoughts on this article that I can’t fit them all here. Thanks for sharing.
Definitely what I'm counting on! I think AI is mostly replacing pulp authors, which does suck for them but I have a hard time seeing it affect the authors who truly foster human connection. By definition, it's something AI can't replace.
Not a challenge, but I'd be curious how you feel about Tiktok channels like the Bush Legend.
These channels (made by AI) clearly are making a connection, and I'm 100% certain that there are several AI "forever" influencers. They may be played by people using face swap for now, but after a few interactions they can transition entirely to AI.
Forensic tools won't help here either. All forensics, in these instances, can tell us is that the footage isn't "original" which... obviously... it's on social media. Nothing on social media is "original" footage.
It just seems to me that, unless you built a connection pre-AI, you can't get started now. Companies can make brands out of entire people without the problems of finding out they're a drug addled mess, or a closet racist.
Even with significant changes to legislation and policy this will continue to be the case.
I think it will take "talented" AI workers to produce relatable content and identities but Bush Legend is a great example of this being entirely possible with the tech we currently possess.
Well, I've unfortunately got little to say here because I've literally never so much as looked at TikTok. I know that a lot of authors are very excited about it, but I'm not one of them. Just not my jam.
As to the question overall? I just don't know. It's going to get harder and harder to tell what's human and what's not, so I often go full Luddite and go places in person, meet up with real people, etc. Not saying that's what anyone else should do, but the currency I have is in being real. It goes beyond just the entertainment ... it's the connection implied by it as well, for at least some readers.
I'm of this mindset also: it won't be all people that want reality over AI, but it'll be enough. Much like people still paint realistic paintings, even though you can take a photo. People still make fancy, time consuming bread, even though you can get decent cheap stuff from the supermarket.
Humans like to do things, and connect with other humans who do things!
Yes! For me, as a reader, what is the point of reading a story if it's not written by a human? And as a writer, what would be the point of publishing a story if I didn't truly write every single word? Others feel differently about it, and they can, but that's how I feel about it after watching people on both sides go after each other.
Yeah ultimately who is an A.I. servicing? It isn’t the reader. The market ultimately will not sustain it because the market won’t WANT it. Actual readers who care about story won’t abide the slop for long.
Actually, the old dime novels from the 40' and 50's were rapid release, churned out stories, but they didn't stop in depth novels from being written at the same time. Some people devoured those books, even though they were essentially cookie cutter stories, they'd read them anyway. There are and always has been, two different markets
Sure but they were, at least, written by humans who understood drama and story form. They might have been melodrama but ultimately they worked as stories. No amount of A.I. supercomputing will understand what makes that happen.
I’d like to offer an alternative view, that the most interesting perspectives will win, whether AI generated, human artisan, or some combination thereof.
Definitely possible. I'm not so close-minded as to assume I'm definitely right and always will be. I will say, though, that as far as this article goes, my goal wasn't to espouse the superiority of humans over AI so much as it was to offer writers a way to deal, cope, and survive. (I know that you're replying to Nate's comment rather than the post as a whole, so you're not contradicting what I just said. Just tossing this out there anyway.)
That’s important and I think artisan authors have reason to be optimistic. In reality I think there will be space for both. Robert Gordon in Australia does beautiful but machine-produced ceramics that sell at high volumes. Artisan ceramicists still exist happily alongside this and are valued for their craftsmanship. What I wonder is, for writing, what will act as features or a signal of craftsmanship? The style? The author’s promise that no AI was involved? A piece of software that guarantees provenance? It will be interesting to see.
Interesting to say the least! Personally, I think that "no AI was used" is sort of a hollow metric, because it stays at the surface of the question rather than actually thinking deeply about it. It's also a fuzzy line, because there's AI in a lot of the tools we already use without even meaning to use it, or even knowing. If someone brainstorms with AI, I don't think that invalidates the book at all, for instance.
If I could be so presumptuous as to venture a guess, I think it's about the effective transmission of an author's intent, authentically, to the reader. Which is basically another way of asking, "Is this book art?" I think that art is a distant form of telepathy: I want you to feel the genuine emotions that originated inside me.
I believe an A.I. cannot possibly possess an “interesting” perspectives on anything. Because it’s programmed either with someone else’s unique perspective on things, or no unique perspective at all, because it can only offer a multitude of different ones.
This is probably not the right venue for this discussion, but isn't it up to the reader which perspectives are interesting? I find fractals beautiful, and they're just math. Also consider death of the author. Yes, the authors we could bring up as examples are human. My point is I appreciate each one's work without regard to its source. I personally see no reason a machine can't teach me something interesting about the human condition. My cats do it all the time.
IMO, Johnny is bang on that fast fiction, whether supported by AI or not, is is no threat to slow, human authors. I'm old enough to have lived through the rise of microbreweries and multiple trends toward, away, and back toward traditional bakeries. The current trend in literature is much of a muchness.
Oh good ess, do I ever relate! I have never been able to get in board with the rapid release trend. I love to take my time with my stories. Live in it. Dwell in it. Soak in it. I need to know readers will want to do the same when it goes out into the world. I don't sell many books at the moment but I am focusing on publishing the best stories I can and I will go from there. I really needed to read this. Thank you for seeing and being one of us artisan authors ❤️❤️❤️
Haha - yeah, I use a fair amount of AI art, but only in cases where I'd otherwise use a free stock photo from Unsplash. I'm not anti-AI in most ways ... I just don't want to write books with it, and at the same time I know that many do. My job is to find a way to differentiate myself, not to cast judgment or draw any hard lines. This is just what works for me.
I should clarify that I'm not actually suggesting getting 1000 people on a mailing list. I'm suggesting striving for 1000 True Fans, which is much, much harder. Yes, it's a long road, but it can start with one person. That's the yin and yang of this: the best way is often the hardest way. The only way to get there is to begin somewhere ... and life won't be terrible until those 1000 arrive. 10 True Fans can be a huge blessing.
This resonates with me a great deal. I've just launched a new Substack blog that (at least so far) has been using AI generated artwork, while, at the same time, I am staunchly against using AI in my writing process (and would never do so).
In my first blog, I took the time to learn and use Inkscape to manually create all of the artwork, but that ended up taking (nearly) as much time as writing itself. So, at this point its a matter of economy, and I actually like the AI artwork created by Midjourney, but I find myself pondering whether there may be some hypocrisy in this practice. Also, I ask myself whether some people would automatically assume that AI is being used in my writing just because I've opted to use it for the artwork. Any thoughts on this?
I think it's only hypocritical if you decry something publicly and then embrace it for yourself. Personally, I try not to crap on the use of AI. Even for writing. Writing with AI is very much not for me, and I don't want to get lost in the deluge of AI-written books, so THAT much standing out matters -- about trying to be the signal instead of the noise, and all that. But I'm not AGAINST it per se. I just want to be able to survive on my own and not be choked out by it.
If either of us were talking about how bad AI is and then using the art, that would be crappy. As to assumptions? Eh, I don't think they go together. I could be wrong, but I don't really think my readers thought "AI post" when they saw the AI image. Who knows ...
Thanks for the response! I think that's very insightful, and a good reminder to be self-aware about potential hypocrisy. The age of AI is undoubtedly daunting but, at the same time, presents an intriguing opportunity for writers willing to seize it. Namely, finding a way to rise above the flood of AI-altered or AI-generated content--to become the signal and not get lost in the noise, to use your language. Given that there is so much noise (and only more to come), the potential for developing oneself as a guiding signal is exciting. All the best in your endeavors!
I barely joined your Substack. But I’ve actually been a fan of you and the self publishing guys for a long time. I was listening to your podcast, like a decade ago?, Where has the time gone lol I had no idea that you had so many life changes, but it is so good to see you back. (I’ve also been living under a rock for the past few years lol I also went to one (your first ?) summit in Austin one year)
These words have hit particular home for me and I’m grateful that you decided to jump onto Substack. I’m wishing you all the best. I’m looking forward to hearing more from you because I’ve always felt like your words have deeply resonated with me, and it continues to be true today.
In fact the other day, I was listening to one of the self publishing books that you narrated, and it’s always at the light to hear your voice. Thanks so much for all you do!
Wonderful comment! Thank you. I haven't been posting much on here lately, but I'm starting to find that I need a place to talk about some of the stuff that didn't fit into my newly-rearranged professional life. Might take me a bit to come all the way back, but I do love this part of things more than I sometimes realize.
I'm not a prolific producer, and I feared I was wasting time on something I couldn't stop doing, whether it was selling or not. Why bother? haunted my thoughts. So, I decided to do it my way and not worry about everything I was doing "wrong.". And three months later, you validated my choice. I am still sifting through the Author Nation videos.
Thanks for this! Remember, this isn't a guarantee of success or a full-time author income. It is, however, one of the few remaining paths that will be viable long-term in my opinion ... and it's so rewarding while you build it.
I write serial fantasy stories and have for a few weeks been able to sustain myself financially in part because of Substack and have in spite of my lack of a name sold 200 copies of my first serious volume and just republished another. Also hard at work on another 6-7 due this year.
Tortoise vs. hare. That's how I think more and more ... even if I start going fast again. It isn't really about speed; it's about your capacity and attention and care relative to how much you end up producing. In other words, you be you!
Thanks for this. I think I am (and always was) an artist type. But for the last few years, that seemed wrong. I'm glad to realize that it may have been right (for me, anyway) all along.
Take a hint from J Robert Kennedy and Lauren Street as well as others. A series with the same characters draws people to keep buying books in the series. It certainly works for me.
Sure, but I'd qualify that by saying that at least in my opinion, even repeating characters can be drowned in the deluge of similar content. If you're doing this and it's working well, my guess is that your characters are providing that consistent human element that I'm talking about delivering as an author. Your characters are being "distinct and interesting and human enough to stand out" for you! :)
Moments before I read this, I was sitting here, saying to myself “My book is a flop. The only people who like it are people who know me in real life. And they LOVE it (or so they’ve told me). What to do?!” I was thinking of asking AI for suggestions on thinking outside of the box because the Amazon model is ill-fitting and pricey. And then this article popped up in my Substack feed. Thank you thank you!! 🙏🏻
“I pictured someone just starting out, who’s wanted to write all their life.
I pictured a craft-heavy author with an emotional story they just want told.” My, this describes me to a T! Love this perspective and plan to utilize it wholeheartedly as I start sharing on Substack consistently for the first time. Thank you!
AI will get better and better, and before long there will be more to consume than the market has an appetite for (already there in some ways).
Eventually it will be so saturated that people will seek out the artisan authors because they want human connection. They will value the work and creativity of another person over the churn of soulless creation that never ends.
I’m a firm believer people will want reality over AI. They will want human connection and will seek out the good story tellers. The ones that will be found are the ones that will do what you say.
So many thoughts on this article that I can’t fit them all here. Thanks for sharing.
Definitely what I'm counting on! I think AI is mostly replacing pulp authors, which does suck for them but I have a hard time seeing it affect the authors who truly foster human connection. By definition, it's something AI can't replace.
Not a challenge, but I'd be curious how you feel about Tiktok channels like the Bush Legend.
These channels (made by AI) clearly are making a connection, and I'm 100% certain that there are several AI "forever" influencers. They may be played by people using face swap for now, but after a few interactions they can transition entirely to AI.
Forensic tools won't help here either. All forensics, in these instances, can tell us is that the footage isn't "original" which... obviously... it's on social media. Nothing on social media is "original" footage.
It just seems to me that, unless you built a connection pre-AI, you can't get started now. Companies can make brands out of entire people without the problems of finding out they're a drug addled mess, or a closet racist.
Even with significant changes to legislation and policy this will continue to be the case.
I think it will take "talented" AI workers to produce relatable content and identities but Bush Legend is a great example of this being entirely possible with the tech we currently possess.
Well, I've unfortunately got little to say here because I've literally never so much as looked at TikTok. I know that a lot of authors are very excited about it, but I'm not one of them. Just not my jam.
As to the question overall? I just don't know. It's going to get harder and harder to tell what's human and what's not, so I often go full Luddite and go places in person, meet up with real people, etc. Not saying that's what anyone else should do, but the currency I have is in being real. It goes beyond just the entertainment ... it's the connection implied by it as well, for at least some readers.
I'm of this mindset also: it won't be all people that want reality over AI, but it'll be enough. Much like people still paint realistic paintings, even though you can take a photo. People still make fancy, time consuming bread, even though you can get decent cheap stuff from the supermarket.
Humans like to do things, and connect with other humans who do things!
Yes! For me, as a reader, what is the point of reading a story if it's not written by a human? And as a writer, what would be the point of publishing a story if I didn't truly write every single word? Others feel differently about it, and they can, but that's how I feel about it after watching people on both sides go after each other.
Yes!!! There’s a reason why Literature is part of the Humanities.
That's my thinking. I'm sticking with old school litfic to connect with readers as a human.
This is what I hope for!
Yeah ultimately who is an A.I. servicing? It isn’t the reader. The market ultimately will not sustain it because the market won’t WANT it. Actual readers who care about story won’t abide the slop for long.
Actually, the old dime novels from the 40' and 50's were rapid release, churned out stories, but they didn't stop in depth novels from being written at the same time. Some people devoured those books, even though they were essentially cookie cutter stories, they'd read them anyway. There are and always has been, two different markets
Sure but they were, at least, written by humans who understood drama and story form. They might have been melodrama but ultimately they worked as stories. No amount of A.I. supercomputing will understand what makes that happen.
I agree. Heck, I even wrote a substack article about this very topic, titled "The Human Connection in Writing."
I’d like to offer an alternative view, that the most interesting perspectives will win, whether AI generated, human artisan, or some combination thereof.
Definitely possible. I'm not so close-minded as to assume I'm definitely right and always will be. I will say, though, that as far as this article goes, my goal wasn't to espouse the superiority of humans over AI so much as it was to offer writers a way to deal, cope, and survive. (I know that you're replying to Nate's comment rather than the post as a whole, so you're not contradicting what I just said. Just tossing this out there anyway.)
That’s important and I think artisan authors have reason to be optimistic. In reality I think there will be space for both. Robert Gordon in Australia does beautiful but machine-produced ceramics that sell at high volumes. Artisan ceramicists still exist happily alongside this and are valued for their craftsmanship. What I wonder is, for writing, what will act as features or a signal of craftsmanship? The style? The author’s promise that no AI was involved? A piece of software that guarantees provenance? It will be interesting to see.
Interesting to say the least! Personally, I think that "no AI was used" is sort of a hollow metric, because it stays at the surface of the question rather than actually thinking deeply about it. It's also a fuzzy line, because there's AI in a lot of the tools we already use without even meaning to use it, or even knowing. If someone brainstorms with AI, I don't think that invalidates the book at all, for instance.
If I could be so presumptuous as to venture a guess, I think it's about the effective transmission of an author's intent, authentically, to the reader. Which is basically another way of asking, "Is this book art?" I think that art is a distant form of telepathy: I want you to feel the genuine emotions that originated inside me.
I believe an A.I. cannot possibly possess an “interesting” perspectives on anything. Because it’s programmed either with someone else’s unique perspective on things, or no unique perspective at all, because it can only offer a multitude of different ones.
This is probably not the right venue for this discussion, but isn't it up to the reader which perspectives are interesting? I find fractals beautiful, and they're just math. Also consider death of the author. Yes, the authors we could bring up as examples are human. My point is I appreciate each one's work without regard to its source. I personally see no reason a machine can't teach me something interesting about the human condition. My cats do it all the time.
IMO, Johnny is bang on that fast fiction, whether supported by AI or not, is is no threat to slow, human authors. I'm old enough to have lived through the rise of microbreweries and multiple trends toward, away, and back toward traditional bakeries. The current trend in literature is much of a muchness.
I quit doing the genre books for money. I’m writing books I would want to read.
I remember back in 2012 when we all said "few readers follow the author."
That might still be true, but "few" is relative, and there are A LOT of readers.
So we'll said. Quality, not quantity.
Oh good ess, do I ever relate! I have never been able to get in board with the rapid release trend. I love to take my time with my stories. Live in it. Dwell in it. Soak in it. I need to know readers will want to do the same when it goes out into the world. I don't sell many books at the moment but I am focusing on publishing the best stories I can and I will go from there. I really needed to read this. Thank you for seeing and being one of us artisan authors ❤️❤️❤️
I do my best. :)
Thanks for this excellent piece which I find inspiring.
I also find it ironic that you use AI generated art in your article.
We cannot escape from AI. It is ubiquitous and will only become more and more pervasive.
You advise getting 1,000 people for a newsletter. That is wishful thinking for many people especially beginners or older people like me.
We will continue to write. Most of our output will go unnoticed. It is like monks in some isolated monastery doing what they are called to do.
Easy come, easy go.
Life passes and then the body dies.
Meanwhile, the human race races on to the lowest common denominator.
Hey there, Harold!
Haha - yeah, I use a fair amount of AI art, but only in cases where I'd otherwise use a free stock photo from Unsplash. I'm not anti-AI in most ways ... I just don't want to write books with it, and at the same time I know that many do. My job is to find a way to differentiate myself, not to cast judgment or draw any hard lines. This is just what works for me.
I should clarify that I'm not actually suggesting getting 1000 people on a mailing list. I'm suggesting striving for 1000 True Fans, which is much, much harder. Yes, it's a long road, but it can start with one person. That's the yin and yang of this: the best way is often the hardest way. The only way to get there is to begin somewhere ... and life won't be terrible until those 1000 arrive. 10 True Fans can be a huge blessing.
This resonates with me a great deal. I've just launched a new Substack blog that (at least so far) has been using AI generated artwork, while, at the same time, I am staunchly against using AI in my writing process (and would never do so).
In my first blog, I took the time to learn and use Inkscape to manually create all of the artwork, but that ended up taking (nearly) as much time as writing itself. So, at this point its a matter of economy, and I actually like the AI artwork created by Midjourney, but I find myself pondering whether there may be some hypocrisy in this practice. Also, I ask myself whether some people would automatically assume that AI is being used in my writing just because I've opted to use it for the artwork. Any thoughts on this?
I think it's only hypocritical if you decry something publicly and then embrace it for yourself. Personally, I try not to crap on the use of AI. Even for writing. Writing with AI is very much not for me, and I don't want to get lost in the deluge of AI-written books, so THAT much standing out matters -- about trying to be the signal instead of the noise, and all that. But I'm not AGAINST it per se. I just want to be able to survive on my own and not be choked out by it.
If either of us were talking about how bad AI is and then using the art, that would be crappy. As to assumptions? Eh, I don't think they go together. I could be wrong, but I don't really think my readers thought "AI post" when they saw the AI image. Who knows ...
Thanks for the response! I think that's very insightful, and a good reminder to be self-aware about potential hypocrisy. The age of AI is undoubtedly daunting but, at the same time, presents an intriguing opportunity for writers willing to seize it. Namely, finding a way to rise above the flood of AI-altered or AI-generated content--to become the signal and not get lost in the noise, to use your language. Given that there is so much noise (and only more to come), the potential for developing oneself as a guiding signal is exciting. All the best in your endeavors!
lot of wisdom there Harold.
I barely joined your Substack. But I’ve actually been a fan of you and the self publishing guys for a long time. I was listening to your podcast, like a decade ago?, Where has the time gone lol I had no idea that you had so many life changes, but it is so good to see you back. (I’ve also been living under a rock for the past few years lol I also went to one (your first ?) summit in Austin one year)
These words have hit particular home for me and I’m grateful that you decided to jump onto Substack. I’m wishing you all the best. I’m looking forward to hearing more from you because I’ve always felt like your words have deeply resonated with me, and it continues to be true today.
In fact the other day, I was listening to one of the self publishing books that you narrated, and it’s always at the light to hear your voice. Thanks so much for all you do!
Wonderful comment! Thank you. I haven't been posting much on here lately, but I'm starting to find that I need a place to talk about some of the stuff that didn't fit into my newly-rearranged professional life. Might take me a bit to come all the way back, but I do love this part of things more than I sometimes realize.
I’m looking forward to hearing more from you then!
I'm not a prolific producer, and I feared I was wasting time on something I couldn't stop doing, whether it was selling or not. Why bother? haunted my thoughts. So, I decided to do it my way and not worry about everything I was doing "wrong.". And three months later, you validated my choice. I am still sifting through the Author Nation videos.
Thanks for this! Remember, this isn't a guarantee of success or a full-time author income. It is, however, one of the few remaining paths that will be viable long-term in my opinion ... and it's so rewarding while you build it.
Me too! But Johnny's workshop at AN was worth the cost of the entire conference, just in the advice he's sharing here!
I remember when I was waiting for an elevator and you did a drive-by to tell me that. Made my day!
Definitely agree that we're entering a new age.
I write serial fantasy stories and have for a few weeks been able to sustain myself financially in part because of Substack and have in spite of my lack of a name sold 200 copies of my first serious volume and just republished another. Also hard at work on another 6-7 due this year.
Tortoise vs. hare. That's how I think more and more ... even if I start going fast again. It isn't really about speed; it's about your capacity and attention and care relative to how much you end up producing. In other words, you be you!
Agreed, I write very slowly and am thinking it’s just best to go at my own speed than to try to match that of others.
Thanks for this. I think I am (and always was) an artist type. But for the last few years, that seemed wrong. I'm glad to realize that it may have been right (for me, anyway) all along.
Take a hint from J Robert Kennedy and Lauren Street as well as others. A series with the same characters draws people to keep buying books in the series. It certainly works for me.
Sure, but I'd qualify that by saying that at least in my opinion, even repeating characters can be drowned in the deluge of similar content. If you're doing this and it's working well, my guess is that your characters are providing that consistent human element that I'm talking about delivering as an author. Your characters are being "distinct and interesting and human enough to stand out" for you! :)
Man this was motivating
thanks for the encouraging point of view!
Moments before I read this, I was sitting here, saying to myself “My book is a flop. The only people who like it are people who know me in real life. And they LOVE it (or so they’ve told me). What to do?!” I was thinking of asking AI for suggestions on thinking outside of the box because the Amazon model is ill-fitting and pricey. And then this article popped up in my Substack feed. Thank you thank you!! 🙏🏻
Sweet! Serendipity for the win. Good luck with your Artisan Authoring! :)
Totally serendipitous! I am reading your book now! It's very motivating. I encourage others reading this thread to grab a copy.
I’ll just leave this here… https://open.substack.com/pub/timpm/p/will-human-created-stuff-be-the-vinyl?r=2boqvu&utm_medium=ios
Great post!
Thanks Johnny 🙏
“I pictured someone just starting out, who’s wanted to write all their life.
I pictured a craft-heavy author with an emotional story they just want told.” My, this describes me to a T! Love this perspective and plan to utilize it wholeheartedly as I start sharing on Substack consistently for the first time. Thank you!
Oh, fantastic! I love hearing that it’s helpful. :)