Publishers are unprepared for A.I. fiction (This week in books)

This week! Books!

First, a quick programming note, prompted by a personal note. I’m getting married in April, and, as you can imagine, things are a bit hectic! Posting may be a bit sporadic for the rest of March, and then I’m planning to take an extended break from April through mid-May.

But! I’m still very much open for business. Please continue contacting me for your editing and consultation needs.

Now then, on to the links!

A.I. Is Writing Fiction. Publishers Are Unprepared. – Alexandra Alter, New York Times – Well, here we go. Hachette has canceled publication of an originally self-published horror novel that has been accused of largely being A.I.-generated. In an industry that largely relies on author attestation alone when it comes to plagiarism and fact checking, needless to say publishers are on their heels.

Tracy Wolff Did Not Plagiarize ‘Crave’ Series, Court Finds – Katy Hershberger, Publishers Lunch – In a closely watched trial involving dueling romantasy manuscripts and overlapping personnel, a judge ruled that Tracy Wolff did not plagiarize author Lynn Freeman and the overlap involved common tropes and phrasing. To arrive at the ruling, the judge heroically read six drafts of Wolff’s manuscript and the four Crave novels, which should come with hazard pay no matter how good the books are.

Layoffs, Moves at Penguin Young Readers as Dial Imprint Shuttered – Emma Kantor, Publishers Weekly – In sad news generally and disorienting for me personally, Dial Books for Young Readers at Penguin, which published my Jacob Wonderbar series, is shuttering. Some editors are being laid off, others reassigned to new imprints. Not exactly comforting news for the state of the children’s book world.

HarperCollins Union Wins New Contract – Sam Spratford, Publishers Weekly – Big win for the brave unionizers at HarperCollins, who have won a new contract with industry-leading base pay.

‘It Ends With Us,’ but It Starts With Her – Alexis Soloski, New York Times – Colleen Hoover’s novels are all the rage in Hollywood.

There’s No Substitute For Reading: A Roundtable With Four Literary Magazine Editors – Alia Hanna Habib, Delivery and Acceptance – Agent Alia Hanna Habib sits down with lit magazine editors to discuss how they approach their jobs and think about what they acquire.

Typos Have Plagued Us for Centuries. Just Ask the Publishers Who Printed the Seventh Commandment as ‘Thou Shalt Commit Adultery’ in 1631 – Sonja Anderson, Smithsonian – Inject it itno my viens!

Experiment: Claude as My Lead Gen Boyfriend – Lauren Hamlin, Move 37 – How good is A.I. model Claude at generating leads for a literary agent? So good it convinced a self-professed luddite of its utility.

This week in bestsellers

Here are the top five NY Times bestsellers in a few key categories. (All links are affiliate links):

Adult print and e-book fiction:

1. Judge Stone by Viola Davis and James Patterson
2. Theo of Golden by Allen Levi
3. Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir
4. The Wings That Bind by Briar Boleyn
5. The Correspondent by Virginia Evans

Adult print and e-book nonfiction:

1. Kids, Wait Till You Hear This! by Liza Minnelli
2. Getting Naked by Valerie Bertinelli
3. Stripped Down by Bunnie XO
4. Nobody’s Girl by Virginia Roberts Giuffre
5. You With the Sad Eyes by Christina Applegate

Young adult hardcover:

1. Fake Skating by Lynn Painter
2. The Sun and Starmaker by Rachel Griffin
3. Divine Rivals by Rebecca Ross
4. The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
5. The Ruins Beneath Us by Sasha E. Sloan

Middle grade hardcover:

1. Wonder by R.J. Palacio
2. The Complete Cookbook for Young Chefs by America’s Test Kitchen Kids
3. The Court of the Dead by Rick Riordan and Mark Oshiro
4. Pocket Bear by Katherine Applegate
5. Growing Home by Beth Ferry

This week on the blog

In case you missed them, here are this week’s posts:

• N/A

And keep up with the discussion in all the places!

• Follow me on Bluesky and Threads
• Check out the Bransforums – on hiatus!

And finally:

Benjamin Franklin Was One of Many Early Americans Who Spread Genocidal Propaganda About Indigenous Nations – Paul C. Rosier, Lit Hub – The more things change…

Have a great weekend!

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