Pen vs. Machine

Writing in the age of AI: Protecting Creativity While Embracing Change.

Dear Scribblers,

We’ve been planning a 1920s party in Glasgow, and we want you to get your gladrags on and join us…

You may fondly remember the 2023 feminist historical novel ‘The Unpicking’ by Donna Moore, which followed three generations of ‘hysterical’ (though we prefer ‘fabulous’ or ‘resilient’) women in Victorian Scotland. Whether you read it or not, you’ll be able to enjoy cosy crime ‘The Devil’s Draper’ (May 2025), as it stands alone as a novel, and follows the first policewoman in Glasgow’s investigations - a young woman who was adopted as a baby by a pair of suffragettes, so you can imagine she has a brave soul! Party time at Waterstones on the 30th of April - Tickets here!

Get cosy before The Devil’s Draper release with our Bookshop.org list of titles we feel would sit perfectly alongside it…

And a big thank you to all who made the first week of release for climate novel ‘The Wager and the Bear’ by John Ironmonger special - we’re already in our THIRD print run, and we can barely keep the novel in stock, thanks to brilliant bookseller support!

Watch John ruin a full piece suit in honour of his book promotion here - brilliant video!! You can’t fault this level of commitment…

Just a reminder of his full UK tour - tickets available via the respective bookshops below…

Now onto today’s topic: the looming threat (or opportunity??) for publishing and writers: AI.

AI is changing the book industry fast. Or is it? Honestly, it’s all a bit confusing.

We hear about AI systems writing books and learning from our creative writing. But how exactly? And who is feeding them the books to learn from?

Late last year, Literary Hub reported that HarperCollins was selling its authors’ work to an anonymous tech company. This is in stark contrast to Penguin Random House, who have published a statement saying it would ‘vigorously defend’ the intellectual property of its authors. This divide isn’t just in publishing—FT and News Corp have signed deals with OpenAI, while the New York Times and Mumsnet are suing it!

And then there is this ridiculous announcement:

But as PressGazette reports: While some publishers have agreed to licensing deals with OpenAI and Perplexity, the compensation seems to be minimal. These deals won’t save publishers, and they set a precedent for undervaluing content.

Now, let’s get one thing straight—