The 69th Delusion
AI Can Suck It and KU Can Stay
These past few weeks there was a lot of talk about AI using our books to “train”. It’s disconcerting for sure but is it exactly surprising? It seems that Amazon is the culprit. Are they giving our books to the website that’s training AI? I have no idea. Is Amazon doing anything to tighten how their operation works so this sort of thing doesn’t happen in the future. The eight ball says it’s unlikely.
Our books have been pirated for years and years. Sometimes from Russian sites, other times American sites. I learned to accept and move on, figuring the type of person who grabs free eBooks from one of those sites is not the type who would be buying books from me in the first place. Thing is, this use of AI “training” is different. It feels icky, but I just don’t see a viable way of avoiding it without avoiding Amazon, and Amazon is the place most people go for their books. It isn’t a monopoly but damn near close to one.
Drew Stepek of Godless has reported that titles exclusive to Godless have not been affected by this AI “training” whatsoever, which is an indication that Amazon is the way pirates are getting access to eBooks. The problem, as far as I can see it, with Godless—and let’s be clear, I’m a fan of Godless and have several titles there—is there’s a new book or story published on there daily and the people who buy from Godless seem to be more interested in the newest releases. Once the flame of being a hot new release burns out, sales decline incrementally. At least that’s my experience. But still, what Drew had accomplished with Godless is something extraordinary, especially for extreme horror fans. Some authors take off on there and do really well. My books have done okay, I suppose, but I’m finding that having new releases on Kindle Unlimited is getting me access to new readers who in turn buy from my back catalogue after sampling eBooks . . . and that’s all from Amazon. I do not, in any way, want AI using my books to “train”, and yet eliminating eBooks from that platform doesn’t make business sense at all. It’s a lot to think about and certainly nothing I can make a solid decision on in a 24-hour news cycle.
Anyway, welcome to Confusions, Delusions, and Formidable Impressions!
My latest book is called Disco Rice. If you’re a regular reader of this newsletter then you probably already know that. The book came out at the beginning of March and I’m pleased to report that it has been doing well. That is such a relief and weight off my back. There is no guarantee that readers purchase what I put out. There is no magic number I can rely on. Not yet at least. I’ve heard that authors with established readership have a certain number of books they know will sell no matter what they release. The die-hard and instant-buy fans. I don’t have this but I certainly hope I’m developing that type of audience. I really don’t know. There’s this dire feeling that haunts me, a feeling that my next book will be a complete failure.
But for now, Disco Rice is doing well and I couldn’t be happier. So, thank you to everyone who has purchased a copy or read it on Kindle Unlimited.
That brings me to another thought. KU. I’ve been reading that some authors are abandoning Kindle Unlimited. This is something I’ve been seeing take place even before the whole AI business I opened the newsletter with. The typical argument is that KU pays shit per page, which is true, and the amount paid out for an entire book being read is a fraction of the royalty from either a digital or print copy, especially if the book is very short, such as Disco Rice. This is true.
I suppose If you’re an established author who sells a ton of physical and digital copies, you can rely on that to make money and get the word out, but someone like me who is, after all these years, still struggling to find a footing in this wishy-washy business needs a viable avenue to find readers. Disco Rice has had more KU page reads than my last five or six titles combined in under a month since release. That means a bunch of people have actually read the book who otherwise might have passed were they required to purchase a digital or physical copy. I’ve also seen the Amazon reviews rack up quicker than any title I’ve published before. As of this writing, it sits at twenty-nine reviews/ratings. There are books I released last year that sit in the single digits!
KU might pay for shit, bit it is helping me find an audience. It is helping Disco Rice grow. I have seen an uptick in sales across all of my backlist—poor Philth Pig and This Damned House II are so very neglected though. I’m certain the uptick in sales of back catalogue titles is due to people trying my popular titles and enjoying them, titles such as Disco Rice, Baby Fights, Broth House, and Sick! Sick! Sick! Those are not all available on KU, but two of them are, and I’m certain that, despite taking a cut in pay, those KU reads are instrumental in growing my audience. So, when I see newer authors taking the anti-Amazon stand and going wide, I certainly hope the best for them, but this is the way I have found to grow my brand, and I have to stick with it while it’s working. March has been my best month yet. I hope to continue that trajectory.
I’d hoped to talk about the Bentley Little book I just finished but I think I’ll save that for another newsletter. Looks like everyone had a great time at AuthorCon V this past weekend. I certainly felt FOMO not being there. Maybe I’ll make it back next year… If you’re in or around Knoxville, my first event of the year is the inaugural Knoxville Book Festival, not to be confused with TBR Con coming later this year. The Knoxville Book Festival will be held at the Knoxville convention center April 5th and 6th. I’ll be sharing a table with Chuck Buda. There will be authors representing all genres. It should be a good time, and I hope to see you there!
That’s all for now. Read horror and tell the world about it!