AI re-gurgitation can be a call for YOUR unique creativity

So there's a lot of talk about "generative" AI. I think that's a misnomer. It's re-generative. It's not generating anything new. It might be even more appropriate to call it "regurgitative" AI, as it's digesting stuff and then bringing it back up in an altered form...

The Summer-Fall 2022 issue of The Authors Guild Bulletin included an article by Mary Rasenberger (the CEO of the Authors Guild) called "Artificial Intelligence: How Will Authorship Be Defined In An AI Future?"

These words, from the final paragraph, have been resonating with me since I first read it, and it seems worthwhile considering them as we head into 2024:

"Do we want humans or AI creating our literature and other arts? ... AI cannot feel, think, or empathize. It lacks the essential human faculties that move the arts forward. While it is remarkable that engineers could create a "new" Rembrandt that so closely resembles an authentic one, we do not need new Rembrandts; we need new art and literature to reflect where we humans are now, and where we might be going."

—Mary Rasenberger

I find in those words enormous inspiration, a call to creativity. Let's tap into the very things that make us remarkably human as we create works for kids and teens. Let's not regurgitate "new" classics, let's create new books that become classics—because of how human they are, how much they speak to kids and teens now, and how profoundly they give voice to each of us creators.

The advice has often been put in another way:

Tell the story in the way only YOU can tell it.

That's our voice - as writers, as illustrators*, we need to find our voice, and then tell stories in the way only WE can tell them.

And with that inspiration for your creative work ahead,

Illustrate, Translate, and Write On!
Lee

*Not to leave translators out. There's enormous creativity in translating, and two translators will create two different translations from the same text. But it seems that part of the art of translation is the effort to bring the original creator's voice to a new language while keeping not just the story but also the feel, the tone, and maybe we can use the word here, too: the voice of the original. Translation is fascinating, and if there's a translator reading this who wants to be a guest blogger about the art and craft of translating books for kids and teens, just reach out: leewind (at) roadrunner (dot) com

The Authors Guild Shares "Practical Tips for Authors To Protect Their Works from AI Use"

Our friends at the Authors Guild are doing some important education and advocacy around Artificial Intelligence, in particular the unauthorized use of copyright-protected content to train generative AI -- though I do think we should be calling it "re-generative" because these systems are not creating anything new, they're regurgitating and remixing human-created creative work.

This piece, Practical Tips for Authors To Protect Their Works from AI Use, is very instructive.

In it, the Authors Guild suggests a "No AI Training" notice be used, something like:

NO AI TRAINING: Without in any way limiting the author’s [and publisher’s] exclusive rights under copyright, any use of this publication to “train” generative artificial intelligence (AI) technologies to generate text is expressly prohibited. The author reserves all rights to license uses of this work for generative AI training and development of machine learning language models.

It's well-worth checking out.

Illustrate, Translate, and Write On,
Lee

Simon and Schuster Is Sold for $1.62 Billion

The new owner of the nearly century-old publisher is the private investment firm KKR. You can read about the deal here in Publishers Weekly.

This means we still have a "big five" of corporate publishers in the US, avoiding the consolidation of giant publishers which isn't particularly good for we creators of children's, tween, and teen books.

Part of being a creator is keeping up with the big news in our industry...

Illustrate, Translate, and Write On,
Lee

A New Business Model - Bindery's Influencer Curated Imprints Where The Influencers Get a Stake In the Success of the Books

On July 28, 2023, Sophia Stewart reported in Publishers Weekly about a new start up publishing house, Bindery.

The goal is to have micro-imprints where an influencer, in concert with their fans/followers, chooses one book that will get published by the publishing house that year. The success of that book, ostensibly driven by the influencer's authentic enthusiasm (a.k.a. promotion), is then shared 50% for the author, 25% for the publishing house, and 25% for the influencer.

From my perspective, this changes the game in a few ways: 

Seems that the way publishers interacted with influencers in the past was to try to get the influencer themselves to write a book. But they're not necessarily good at being authors. (No shade, it's a different skill set).

And previously, when influencers got behind a book they didn't write and the book succeeded, the influencer didn't share in that success in any material way.

Since no one's been able to harness the viral enthusiasm of book influencers on social platforms like TikTok (even folks who've had their books succeed in that way aren't exactly sure how it happened, and no one has the formula to do it on demand) this is new attempt to leverage that influence and set a book up for the kind of viral success #booktok has become famous for.

However this shakes out, it will be fascinating to follow!

Illustrate, Translate, and Write On,
Lee

Maureen Johnson Shares a "Rough and Ready Alarm" About AI and Publishing...

Check out this Maureen Johnson Instagram post from Thursday Jul 13, 2023. In it, she shares that a well-known author working with a big publisher reached out to tell her that their contract currently in negotiation is hung up over AI. 

As Maureen tells us that author said:

"because they're trying to put AI in my contract that says my work can be taken and fed to a program... to basically spit out more of this person's stuff -- without that person being involved."

Then, Maureen says,

"Authors, it's here. We knew it was coming, but it's actually here. And this is the moment."

Maureen connects this to the SAG Actors Union strike, as one of the issues they're fighting is the use of their "forever image" even though they're just getting paid for just one day's work... As SAG Actor Billy Minshall put it on his Instagram, 

"...If I accept a job as a background performer for a single day, the powers that be want to pay me for that one day (less than $200), scan my face and use my likeness in perpetuity without additional compensation. Come on now. You can do better than that."

As Maureen says, we authors need to talk - to our agents, to our editors, and to each other. We need to know what it means if AI is in our contracts, and what it means if it's not in our contracts.

And what's really telling is that an author with a lot of clout, and their agent, can push back -- but what about creators who aren't in that position? Like the actors, and writers of Hollywood, we need to come to solutions about this together. 

Illustrate and Translate and Write On,
Lee

Opportunity to Sign the Authors Guild Open Letter to Generative AI Leaders

Our friends at the Authors Guild have sent an open letter to the leaders of the major Generative AI developers, saying:

"You’re spending billions of dollars to develop AI technology. It is only fair that you compensate us for using our writings, without which AI would be banal and extremely limited."

The letter has three requests of these companies, that they should:

1. Obtain permission for use of our copyrighted material in your generative AI programs.

2. Compensate writers fairly for the past and ongoing use of our works in your generative AI programs.

3. Compensate writers fairly for the use of our works in AI output, whether or not the outputs are infringing under current law.

You can read the full letter and, if you choose, add your name as a signatory here.

Illustrate, Translate, and Write On,
Lee

Margot Atwell shares "What to Watch in Book Publishing in 2023"

Margot Atwell, previously Director of Outreach and International for Kickstarter, is now the Executive Director and Publisher of Feminist Press.

In Margot's recent On The Books newsletter, she summarizes five areas to watch in the year ahead: 

#1: Consolidation and Monopolization
#2: Cash Flow Uncertainty
#3: Labor Justice
#4: Moving Beyond Representation to Equity and Inclusion
#5: The Rise of Fascism in the United States

Margot quotes Ursula K. Le Guin, who said: 

“Any human power can be resisted and changed by human beings. Resistance and change often begin in art. Very often in our art, the art of words.” —Ursula K. Le Guin

And it is also a call to action, to be proactive:

“As leaders in an industry that is so powerful in shaping and disseminating ideas, we need to take a stand and take risks as we’re able. The more power we have, the more privilege we have, the more crucial it is for us to take risks, and to put ourselves on the line for our beliefs.” —Margot Atwell

Read the full piece here.

Illustrate, Translate, and Write On,
Lee

Disability in Publishing Launches with a Virtual Town Hall and Website Resources

 

Last month saw the virtual town hall announcing the formation and launch of Disability in Publishing! The group is cooking up lots of great things for disabled folks working in publishing...

Their mission reads: 

Our mission is to create community, provide resources, and increase accessibility across the industry in order to increase disability visibility and retain the talent of disabled publishing professionals. We will support each other through advocacy, education, networking, and community. We are committed to working from an intersectional perspective. 

And their website already includes some helpful resources that will grow over time, including:

An Agents Directory, "A list of agents who are interested in representing authors who have disabilities, and books with disability representation."

An Editor Directory, "A list of editors who are interesting in acquiring books with disability representation and working with writers with disabilities."

A Freelancer Directory, "A list of individuals who are open to freelance or work-for-hire work  and identify as a Person with Disability"

There will be a listing for jobs and an accessibility guide for employers as well!

You can learn more about Disability in Publishing here.

Illustrate, Translate, and Write On,
Lee

Will the Proposed Merger of Penguin Random House and Simon & Schuster Happen? The Department of Justice Trial Has Begun...

As reported in Publishers Weekly and elsewhere, the trial to block or not block the merger of Penguin Random House with Simon and Schuster has begun. It's expected to last three weeks.

From the PW piece by Andrew Albanese,

“On November 25, 2020 Bertelsmann, the parent company of Penguin Random House, emerged as the winning bidder for Simon & Schuster from ViacomCBS for $2.175 billion. On November 2, 2021, the U.S. Department of Justice sued to block the acquisition.”

The Department of Justice's view is that “Penguin Random House’s proposed acquisition of Simon & Schuster would further entrench the largest publishing giant in the United States (and the world) and give the merged company control of nearly half of the market to acquire anticipated top-selling books from authors.”

Penguin Random House lawyers argue that “this acquisition will benefit readers, booksellers, and authors alike.”

The Authors Guild, in a position statement from November 2021, is against the merger, writing, “The proposed merger would enable the merged firm and the few competitors left to pay less and extract more from authors who often work for years at their craft before producing a book. By reducing author pay, the merger would make it harder for authors to earn a living by writing books, which would, in turn, lead to a reduction in the quantity and diversity of books—which subsequently harms consumers.”

Porter Anderson at Publishing Perspectives offers this analysis:

“In the States, antitrust challenges often are based on questions of monopolies—companies that become the sole or main providers of certain products or services. But this one is positioned by the Department of Justice as a question of what the government says is a risk of monopsony—in which a company might become the sole or main buyer of certain products or services. The question at its most simplistic level, then, becomes whether a PRH-S&S merger would create a company so large that it would control the vast majority of “top-selling” authors’ payments.”

It's important news to be aware of - will our US Publishing industry go down from a "Big Five" corporate publishers to a "Big Four"? Stay tuned...

Illustrate and Translate and Write On,
Lee

What's The Future of Author Events? Online? In-Person? Hybrid? - Shelf Awareness Reports on Last Week's ABA Children's Institute Panel

Reporting over at Shelf Awareness, Alex Mutter writes about the American Booksellers Association's August 31, 2021, Children's Institute panel discussion, Ci9: The Future of Events.

Moderated by Brein Lopez, manager of Children's Book World in Los Angeles, California, the panelists were: Lara Phan, director of account marketing at Penguin Random House; Erica Barmash, senior director of marketing and publicity at Bloomsbury; and Melissa Campion, senior director of author events at Macmillan.

The recap of the discussion touches on hybrid tours as distinct from hybrid events, adjusting sales expectations for online events, and even what times work best for what kinds of events. Lara Phan shared data drawn from 1,700 online events Penguin Random House authors did between March 2020 and March 2021 that led them to conclude:

“For children's events, afternoon sessions at around 2 or 3 p.m., which on weekdays would be around the time that virtual schooling concluded, did well, and Mondays and Saturdays were solid choices for days of the week.”

If you're wondering about the future of your author/translator/illustrator events, the full article is well worth reading.

Illustrate, Translate, and Write On,
Lee

People of Color in Publishing and Latinx in Publishing Release their "Publishing Racism Survey" (blog post 2 of 2)

If you haven't yet, you can download and read the full survey report from the People of Color in Publishing or Latinx in Publishing websites.

The Racism in Publishing report is packed with statistics and first-person accounts that everyone in the industry should read. It also includes two end sections: the first is "Take Action Now", the intro for which reads, in part:

Our recommendations below can be employed by everyone, but we wrote them specifically with our white colleagues in mind. One of the most frequently recurring comments in our survey was that the additional labor expected of BIPOC employees is not also expected of white employees. That needs to change.

If you are a white employee in publishing, please review the list below for ways to be an anti-racist accomplice. The recommendations in this list were provided by survey participants as well as members of the POC in Pub and Latinx in Pub planning committees.

And then there's a really helpful resource list, covering Organizations and Programs, Statistics, Books, Videos, and Articles. There's even a way to suggest additional resources you know about it they're not listed.

One of the many takeaways is that there's lots of ongoing work to dismantle racism in publishing – and the responsibility of that work is something all of us should take on – it should not be seen as something just BIPOC folks in the industry are responsible for. Happily, this report offers a lot of insight and resources for white folks in the industry “to be an anti-racist accomplice,” and a window into the realities of racism lived by our BIPOC colleagues.

And, to riff off the famous words of Rudine Sims Bishop, it offers a mirror to BIPOC folks in the industry, to know they're not alone in the racism they've experienced.

There's a vision here as well (maybe that's the sliding glass door) - and perhaps we can all walk through it as we do this important, ongoing work together. As the report advises its readers, 

Dismantling racism in publishing requires your conscious, active involvement for the rest of your career.

Get the full report at People of Color in Publishing or from Latinx in Publishing websites.

Illustrate, Translate, and Write On,
Lee

People of Color in Publishing and Latinx in Publishing Release their "Publishing Racism Survey" (blog post 1 of 2)

You can download the full survey report from the People of Color in Publishing or Latinx in Publishing websites.

From the introduction:

People of Color in Publishing and Latinx in Publishing are both grassroots organizations founded with the shared goal of uplifting racially marginalized people in publishing. In July of 2018, we conducted an anonymous survey gauging the extent to which BIPOC book publishing employees experienced racism in the workplace. 

We received over 200 submissions and more than 50,000 words in written responses from professionals who had worked in various departments at indie presses and the Big 5... we found that every single participant shared a specific experience of racism.

Racism is so socially normalized that, in some forms, it is not recognized as racism. Many participants prefaced their statements with a variation of "not sure if this counts" or "not sure if I'm being oversensitive.” A word to our participants and fellow BIPOC colleagues: Your words count. You are not being oversensitive. You are not alone.

To our white colleagues: read these words attentively and share them widely. We ask that you do not approach any of your BIPOC colleagues to discuss this information, but instead call on your white colleagues. We have included an Actionable Takeaways and Resources section and recommend creating your own living list as well...

The entire report is well-worth reading.

Illustrate, Translate, and Write On,
Lee

The Trouble with #OwnVoices

 This Twitter thread/conversation is getting a lot of attention...

YA Author Rin Chupeco wrote,

"I am no longer using #ownvoices for my books and I encourage others to do the same. Originally conceived to celebrate us, it’s now instead used by publishers as a cudgel to deny bipoc authors book deals, forcing them to come out to defend the truths in their books.

I suggest you read the full thread. It's upsetting (especially if you didn't know this was happening) and important to listen to.

Illustrate, Translate, and Write On,
Lee

Will the "Big Five" Become the "Big Four"?

As reported this week by Edmund Lee in The New York Times, among the top bidders for Simon & Schuster are:

"News Corp, which already owns HarperCollins," and 

"a leading bidder is Penguin Random House... the largest book publisher in the United States, [which] is owned by the German media giant Bertelsmann." 

Additionally, "The French firm Vivendi, a minority owner of Hachette through the publisher Lagardère, has also made a bid." 

It should all be settled (or not - if there's no deal) in the next few weeks. "Final bids are due before Thanksgiving, and ViacomCBS could announce a winner some time after that."

Ongoing consolidation affects the overall business - and is important to know about. You can read the full article here.

Illustrate and Write On,

Lee

Chris Jackson on why a multicultural imprint matters

61 weeks and counting on the New York Times' best-seller list

From the October 14, 2016 issue of The Hollywood Reporter, Chris Jackson, editor-in-chief and publisher of Random House imprint One World, had these wise words to share:

"Not to overstate it, but I think current events -- from ongoing issues with police violence to the election to terroristic violence -- demonstrate a failure across our journalistic, storytelling and culture-making industries. In so many basic ways we still don't understand each other -- we don't ever really see each other. That's what multicultural storytelling is about. So I think it's more urgent than ever."

Illustrate and Write On,
Lee

Barnes & Noble's Future, and the ecosystem of Publishing

This New Republic article by Alex Shephard, "Pulp Friction: If Barnes & Noble goes out of business, it will be a disaster for book lovers," is a fascinating perspective.

In particular, the idea that

"The irony of the age of cultural abundance is that it still relies on old filters and distribution channels to highlight significant works."

is worth considering.

And, as the article explains, if B&N is the old financial support for risk-taking in publishing, what might be the newer supports?

Will it be the old model of chain bookstores placing huge initial orders, or will it be something else? 

Will it be crowd funding, along the lines of the recent success of "Good Night Stories For Rebel Girls?"

What do you think?

On The Future Of Publishing: Emma Dryden

Emma Dryden

Freelance Editor and Children's Literature Legend Emma Dryden, in this latest episode of the SCBWI Conversations podcast series, speaks to Theo Baker about her journey into and with children's books.

In a conversation that covers editing, voice and even tips on revision, this moment of wisdom, on the future of publishing (at 33 minutes in), called out to be shared:

"...Here's the thing about changes in publishing. You know what? This is becoming the new normal. I don't think that at some specific date, everything is going to calm down and we will then be in a new age of publishing with all the rules clearly stated. I think we are in a state of flux, as the world is, as we are as people. And so it's a given, let's say, there's going to be a lot of different theories about e-books, about digital, and about best practices..."
                           --Emma Dryden

You can learn more about Emma at her Drydenbks website here.

Emma will also be on faculty at the upcoming 2015 SCBWI Summer Conference, co-facilitating a Friday morning workshop with Rana Diorio and Alison Weiss, "Small Presses: Though They Be Small They Be Fierce." Emma will also be giving a Saturday afternoon workshop on "Self-Publishing: Ten (or More) Things To Consider When Considering Self-Publishing." Her "Robust Revision" writers intensive (that she mentions in the podcast interview) is sold out.

If you'd like the chance to learn from Emma and all the amazing faculty at #LA15SCBWI, join us from July 31-Aug 3, 2015 in Los Angeles. You'll find details and registration information here.

Illustrate and Write On,
Lee

What Kids Want In Books... Scholastic's 2015 Reading Report Teaser

The Kids & Family Reading Report is a national survey of children ages 6–17 and their parents exploring attitudes and behaviors around reading books for fun.

All the numbers are really interesting, but what stunned me was:

73% of kids ages 6-17 say "I would read more if I could find more books that I like."

There's opportunity there, for librarians, teachers, parents, bloggers, and yes, especially for those of us who illustrate and writer works for children and teens!

You can read more about the study's methodology here. And Thanks to Darcy Pattison for sharing the infographic.

Illustrate and Write On,
Lee

William Morris Endeavor's GIMME BOOKS Pop-Up Holiday Bookstore

Because it's so timely, and fascinating...

The talent and literary agency William Morris Endeavor just announced its first holiday pop-up store:

 

The idea (and innovation) of Gimme Books (announced back in June 2014) is that a talent/literary agency is seeing the events their clients are already appearing at (like Fashion Week and Wimbledon) as opportunities to sell their clients' books.

And in the case of this holiday season, they've added a new spin, with this New York pop-up store that features:

"...books hand-selected and sold by our very own WME literary agents" 

and

"Live in-store events" with some of their author clients.

Some points to consider:

Will branding authors for the public by their agency representation work? 

Will agencies themselves become branded selling points?

The moving roles of literary agencies, some towards producing, some towards publishing, and some, towards bookselling, is fascinating to witness.

Illustrate and Write On,
Lee

Product Placement in books?

"Find Me I'm Yours" is a new e-book (and cross-platform story) that was funded, in part, by $1.3 million dollars from the people behind the artificial sweetener Sweet'N Low.

Yep, you read that right.

The New York Times article about product placement in e-books

According to this recent New York Times article, in the e-book, the main character paints her nails to look like Sweet'N Low packets, and in one scene defends her use of the product to a friend, citing the company's research.

While it's targeted to adult readers (mainly women), it is a fascinating foray into what one possible future of publishing might look like. We've come to accept -- and expect -- that when a character on a TV show drinks a Coca-Cola, it's sponsored. We accept/expect it in movies, too.

And now, it would seem, this is becoming true for books as well.

Can teen novels be that far behind?

Illustrate and Write On,
Lee

p.s. - This blog post was NOT sponsored by either Sweet'N Low or Coca-Cola. Just so you know.