Publishers Behaving Badly

LibGen or Library of Genesis is an illegal streaming site that's been around for some time. Why are we talking about them now? Well, because it would've taken too much time and money to legally obtain resources, Meta has illegally downloaded terabytes of books just to train their Gen AI. How is that ok? How is that allowed? Why does training an AI give someone the right to trample on someone else's copyright and creativity? Learn more about StoryForge at https://storyforge.comNot a member of StoryForge yet? You can join us for FREE at https://app.storyforge.com and use referral code PODCAST for an additional 50 free Quills!

Human Voices Only was a movement started by voice actors in response to Amazon's push for Gen AI-narrated audiobooks. Human voice actors took to social media to share clips of themselves narrating books and it was fantastic. More importantly, it was a show of how powerful human voices are and why we just do not need Gen AI narrating our books. Not a member of StoryForge yet? Learn more at https://storyforge.comYou can join us for FREE at https://app.storyforge.com and use referral code PODCAST to get an additional 50 Quills for free!

Reedsy, the writing platform, sent out an email encouraging people to use Gen AI for things like data analysis and ad image generation. The problem? They have the Reedsy Marketplace, where the entire purpose is to find people to do that for you. Just... just what are they doing? Reference Links:https://www.threads.net/@thornsnroses.co/post/DHLpO1ou9tThttps://www.threads.net/@dawn.writesstuff/post/DIAnJkwxUazhttps://reedsy.com/faq/common-questions/project-protection/generative-ai-copyrighthttps://blog.reedsy.com/guide/audiobooks/ai-narration/Not a member of StoryForge yet? You can join us for FREE at https://app.storyforge.com and use referral code PODCAST for additional platform currency!

Some authors use editors to help with scenes. Some use ghostwriters. And at least one, KC Crowne, used ChatGPT or some other AI. How do we know? Because the response to the prompt was LEFT IN THE BOOK. The use of AI in writing is becoming an epidemic. What kind of can of worms has been opened? What should people do instead of turning to AI?Publishers Behaving Badly is a series where the StoryForge team looks into issues that have come up in the publishing and writing industry. There's an unfortunate number of things to talk about.Not a member of StoryForge yet? You can join us for FREE at https://app.storyforge.comUse referral code PODCAST to get an additional 50 free Quills when you sign up.

On March 31, 2025, the National Novel Writing Month organization, or NaNoWriMo, announced they would be shutting down. There are lots of questions around the timing and messaging of it. Let alone that the announcements didn't even take place on the actual NaNoWriMo channel. The StoryForge team asks questions and tries to find answersPublishers Behaving Badly is a series where the StoryForge team looks into issues that have come up in the publishing and writing industry. There's an unfortunate number of things to talk about.Not a member of StoryForge yet? You can join us for FREE at https://app.storyforge.com

Use referral code PODCAST to get an additional 50 free Quills when you sign up.

Beta reading is a lot different than just reading. A beta reader is reading with a purpose. A beta reader is reading to give feedback to the author on their ideas and themes, to ensure that an author's ideas and themes are being conveyed to readers. StoryForge has some people experienced as beta readers so we take a crack at doing some beta of one of the stories on StoryForge, Will Cast Spells For Food: Down and Out in Dystopia, Book 1 by Liam Boyle.

Want to read along with us? You can check it out here: https://app.storyforge.com/read/stories/i29ww3vqr5agaouesfo79cznNot a member of StoryForge yet? Sign up today with the referral code PODCAST to get 50 additional Quills.

Generative AI has become an invasive species in the world of art and publishing. What is it bad, who is it hurting, and what can we do about it? StoryForge stands opposed to Gen AI so we have some very strong feelings about it. Do we have all the answers? Maybe not but we'd like to help you draw your own conclusions about Gen AI and what it means. See our AI statement here: https://storyforge.com/ai-statementLearn more about StoryForge:https://storyforge.comInterested in joining StoryForge? Sign up for your free account at: https://app.storyforge.comUse referral code PODCAST to receive an additional 50 Quills!

The StoryForge team is joined by Kathy from Bublish Publishing. Bublish is on a mission to empower self-published authors with the tools, resources, and programs they need to be successful in today’s competitive book marketplace. Interested in some of their services? Use code SF10 to receive 10% off all services at checkout!Website: https://bublish.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bublishme/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bublishme/Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/bublishme/Interested in trying out StoryForge? Head over to https://app.storyforge.com and use the referral code PODCAST for 50 free Quills!Read the StoryForge stance on Generative AI: https://storyforge.com/blog/about-ai-generated-art

Author of the book Etched In Stone, Sarah Al-Serhaid joins the podcast to talk about the journey of traditional publishing vs independent publishing as well as how she keeps a balance in her life. She's also a scientist which automatically makes her the smartest and coolest person on the podcast.Want to see what the process can look like? View the first draft of the prologue to Etched In Stone as well as the final version here: https://app.storyforge.com/read/stories/mi1n72s1508002ncjnjyil9i/fbw7grzhchedyydtp7qco2f9You can find Sarah at:https://thearchade.co/https://instagram.com/avania6x6https://tiktok.com/aviania6x6Interested in trying out StoryForge? Head over to https://www.storyforge.com and use the referral code PODCAST for 50 free Quills!

Joining the StoryForge team is Glen Weatherhead, founder of Creative Writing Wizard. The Creative Writing Wizard aims to highlight indie authors, provide author resources, and build a community of supportive creatives. Website: https://creativewritingwizard.com/Thread: https://www.threads.net/@glenweatherheadYouTube:  @CreativeWritingWizard  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/glenweatherhead/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@glenweatherheadInterested in trying out StoryForge? Head over to https://app.storyforge.com and use the referral code PODCAST for 50 free Quills!