How Does One Succeed as an Author in the AI Era?

Nothing is ever easy. First, writers were competing for the attention of a massive publishing machine that served as gate keepers. They chose writers that could find their way to print, and even then only a privileged few rose to the level where they could make a living from their penmanship. Many writers spent a career pouring their hearts into their pages, knowing the odds those pages would be read by anyone but an intimate few were remote to non-existent. We were competing just to be seen and remained mostly invisible.

The technological revolution that opened the door for us to take our work directly to the public was a revelation. Platforms like KDP were gateways we could navigate with a little self-discipline and moxie. Suddenly, there was nobody limiting our ability to get our work into the public sphere.

The downside of those vast new opportunity was the ease with which we could publish books. Some writers never learned the discipline to edit their work, couldn’t afford to hire a professional editor, and sent their work to the public too soon. Others didn’t care about writing quality work and routinely published and promoted sub-standard fare. (Remember all the “get rich quick” guides that encouraged one to self-publish books on Amazon?)

These quality issues meant that authors who escaped the gatekeeping of the publishers faced a new challenge. Some authors needed to learn the skills to polish their manuscripts. (Writing and editing are two distinct disciplines. A writer can absolutely learn to edit, but the writer who says ‘my writing doesn’t need to be editing’ is like the defendant who hires himself as a lawyer). The biggest challenge was distinguishing our work against the deluge of other independently produced books. We had to demonstrate that our books are of good quality and that they were worth buying. We had to learn new skills around marketing and promotion. Ironically, it turned out that the new technology that got our books to market did not improve our earnings potential very much. If at all.

Now, there is AI. Readers looking for books “in the style of Agatha Christie” will find a torrent of options to choose from. Many of them will be written by AI and many readers won’t know the difference. Some won’t care. How do we compete with a machine that can produce a manuscript every few minutes when we might take months to finish ours? If we are writing part-time because, you know, bills, it might take years? How can we ever develop our writing career?

Harrison Ford said that he realized early on that success in Hollywood was about being the last one to give up. As someone that wants to make a living writing, I am determined to follow that advice. As I look around, it seems to me the key to success in the 21^st century is not relying on your writing alone. The people who are succeeding are the ones creating an online “persona.” People sharing their personality as much as the fruits of their labour.

This means videos. Putting oneself out there. This does not come naturally to writers. Except for unicorns like Norman Mailer, most of us prefer a life in the shadows where we communicate with the outside world through our writing.

When I turn the camera on myself, I choke. I lose my words. I feel awkward. This comes across in the videos. I look to myself like a droopy dog who’s been caught stealing food from the cat. Is this a face people will care to see? What kind of content should I create to try and navigate this brave new world?

As a trained historian, I understand the world is going to change the way it’s going to change. For the individual, the choices are about finding ways to navigate the change or giving up and falling by the wayside. For those inclined to fight or resist change, history teaches us this seldom has any lasting effect. The best we can hope for is to move forward and find our path to the future and perhaps shine a light into the darkness that can help others find their way.

So as soon as I find the courage to start posting video content, I hope you will share this part of my journey with me. I can share what’s working and what’s not working. You can tell me what you found interesting and where you thought I … I was going to say “fell on my face” but I prefer you to be gentle when offering critique. Let’s instead suggest you offer advice when you see me stumble.

There. I have committed to this plan. You can start pushing me if you don’t see video content soon. You can hold me accountable, just as my Archie Cavendish fans have been pushing me to get book 3 ready for the light of day!