Girl Friday on AI

Our approach to AI in book publishing is predicated on the following facts: a) AI is a part of the writing landscape and is here to stay, b) the impacts of AI use on book publishing are rapidly shifting, and c) there is no one industry-wide set of rules or preferences for readers, writers, or publishers. Given the above, we see our role as encouraging best practices, educating authors on the potential liabilities of AI assistance, and, as always, evaluating good writing and seeking to enhance and improve every manuscript we touch. 

Authors’ Use of AI

We think that the Authors Guild offers excellent information for consideration for authors and encourage you to read through their AI guidelines thoroughly. To summarize, here are some paraphrased best practices: 

  1. As an author, your ideas, phrasing, and structure are your own unique IP. Don’t fall prey to thinking AI can do it better.  

  2. This bears quoting: “If you use AI for research or as a sounding board, be careful to use it as background only and not copy AI-generated output into your work, literally or non-literally, just as you would take measures to prevent plagiarism from third-party sources.” 

  3. ChatGPT cheerily told us that GFB stands for “Green Frog Books.” (Hint: It doesn’t!) Always fact check the information you receive from AI.

  4. Disclose any and all AI-generated and AI-assisted text. This can affect your ability to copyright your work as well as the right of publishing platforms to delist your work.  

  5. Ensure your editorial (and design) partners are not using AI-generated material without your permission. 

How GFP Uses AI

  1. We do not upload any author materials to open AI. We do have a closed AI system that we are experimenting with for operational use. We read your submissions, we write your promotional text, and we use top designers to deliver unique and original covers. We consider that to be our right and responsibility.  

  2. We use humans, internally and externally as resource partners, to perform writing, editorial, design, and marketing work on our books. AI-generated text and design will never be added to your work by our team during the publishing process.  

  3. We do not allow AI-generated material. Design ideas presented by authors will be treated as mood boards and the designs reworked. AI-generated text will be edited or rewritten in an effort to represent the author’s unique voice as well as sharpen and distinguish ideas and phrasing.