Writers voice concerns as startup aims to publish thousands of AI-generated books. Spines plans to publish up to 8,000 books next year using artificial intelligence (AI), but writers and publishers are criticizing the company’s lack of originality and quality.
Concerns about AI-Generated Content
Anna Ganley, chief executive of the UK’s largest trade union for writers, illustrators, and translators, expressed concerns about the lack of originality and quality of the service being offered by Spines.
Comparison with Traditional Publishing
Spines claims that it will reduce the time it takes to publish a book to two to three weeks, which is faster than traditional publishing. However, Microsoft has launched a book imprint aiming to achieve similar speed, and HarperCollins has reached an agreement with Microsoft to allow some of its titles to be used to train AI models.
Criticism from Writers and Publishers
Independent publisher Canongate said that Spines is “charging hopeful would-be authors to automate the process of flinging their book out into the world, with the least possible attention, care or craft.” The company is seen as a vanity publisher by many in the industry.
Author Suyi Davies Okungbowa described Spines as “opportunists and extractive capitalists” who don’t care about books or reading. Deidre J Owen, co-founder of independent micropublisher Mannison Press, also referred to Spines as a vanity publisher.
Concerns Over AI-Generated Content
Anna Ganley warned authors to think carefully before committing to any author-contribute contract involving a writer paying for their work to be published. She expressed concerns about the lack of originality and quality of the service being offered by Spines.
Spines plans to publish up to 8,000 books next year using artificial intelligence (AI). The company will charge authors between $1,200 and $5,000 for editing, proofreading, formatting, designing, and distributing their books with the help of AI.
Writers and publishers are criticizing Spines’ plans, calling them “opportunists and extractive capitalists.” They argue that the company is charging authors to automate the process of publishing their books without proper attention, care, or craft.
Quotes from Industry Professionals
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“These aren’t people who care about books or reading or anything remotely related,” said author Suyi Davies Okungbowa. “These are opportunists and extractive capitalists.”
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“Regardless of how they present their platform they ARE a vanity publisher,” wrote Deidre J Owen, co-founder of independent micropublisher Mannison Press.
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“They’re just trying to speed up self-publishing in a way that won’t work well, and of course, they don’t want to call it that,” said Marco Rinaldi, co-host of Page One – The Writer’s Podcast.
The use of AI-generated content raises concerns over originality and quality. Spines’ plans to publish 8,000 books next year using AI have been met with criticism from writers and publishers who argue that the company is prioritizing speed over proper attention, care, or craft.
