It's so ironic that before AI people would lower ratings on book reviews for too many typos, but now it feels like people just see it as evidence that it was written by a human. I honestly hope that at some point the law catches up and makes it so people have to disclose when a product for sale was generated with AI. It might be starting to since NY passed a bill recently that advertising or sales listings that use "artificial performers" (aka human looking AI models) MUST disclose this fact or face heavy fines. I only know this because I have an Etsy shop, but since I live in and sell to the US, even though I'm not in NY state, the law applies to me because a NY shopper could very well see my listings. (I don't use any AI in my shop at all, just FYI. I do 100% handmade. But I still have to be aware of the law as a seller.)
I don't like AI and I don't use it, but if someone wants to use it, I want people to quit LYING about it, y'know? The witch hunts are wrong too, but they're happening because of the deception that's going on. The fact that I'm legally obligated to disclose in a review if I received a free ARC copy of a book, but no one has to disclose that a machine wrote the book they slapped their name on is kind of nuts. The consumer should have the final say in what we consume, which means we need information to make the decision. It kind of makes me think of a historical fiction book I read that was set in the days before the US had laws that made food companies disclose their ingredients, so some companies were making (as just one example) "applesauce" with pumpkin and formaldehyde and nobody knew. In the case of food, it's our physical health at stake, but I'd argue in the case of AI use and consumption, it's our mental health at stake. In 2026 I HOPE that people realize that's important...
Well-put. Are you a writer or a cyber fraud? Have a little dedication to craft and respect for your own intellect. AI has no place in literature. I can just imagine what Sandburg and Thompson would have had to say about it.
Yeah! The honesty vs lying is my thing too. It is about choice. The choice I make by writing fully myself... I'd like the same choice for what I am reading. I've hit so many potholes of disappointingly obviously generated pages.
For the most part, I just go on my way.
My way is to have my own ideas, write them, edit best i can and send to human editors.
As a reader I've learnt that if it is bad and I start listing all the ways it is technically bad, then I need to put it down straight away. No more trying to finish books I really can't stand. (:
I was horrified when I saw a typo in my headline last week (after publication, of course). I corrected it and wonder if it made the post AI. I’m the typo queen, so think I’ll just leave them all now. My apologies in advance.
Haven't found this AI thingy yet. However, if anyone else knows how to use it, please let me know. lol
Chances are very good that everything I post will be flagged cuz I use Grammarly on everything and other AIs to check for accuracy in my fiction. Am I going to stop using AI to help edit my writing? Not a chance in Hades. Oops! Just had Grammarly correct my capitalization of Hades.... Okay, everyone who hates AI... bring out the torches and burn me on a pyre for using tools that make my writing more readable!
Thank you for this. I’m also terrified of being attacked by the witch hunt by the robot who-must-not-be-named. I was so happy to find a place where I could post my long form ramblings and experiments with short stories knowing that this was a safe, supportive space of other writers just trying to figure things out. Now…
Substack is still far less scary than other platforms but I’m mourning a time that was, when authors were nothing more than a grainy black and white on the back flap of a paperback. Being an author isn’t about me, I never wanted to be under a microscope. I write because it’s the only way I know how to express things most people are too impatient to wait for me to express in real life. I never wanted to be on socials, but now it’s like if you want to be an author and actually make a living doing it, you have to also perform in a way I’ve never been capable of doing.
I just want to write books. Writing stories is the only form of communication I have to express myself; it’s where I feel most comfortable. Behind a page not in front of a camera. Idk what is happening to books but I hope we can return to a place where we cherish the art, and leave the artist to their privacy.
I haven't produced a book yet that didn't have typos, and it drives me crazy. The problem is that every author has their fatal flaw. Mine is the two-letter word curse. I use them interchangeably and with impunity and they always seem to elude me. Molly McGowen (Great Courses: Editing) explains that it's normal for authors to gloss over the same mistakes even when reading the piece out loud because we are so used to the voice in our own heads and sometimes that voice goes on auto correct even though the piece itself remains compromised.
Always good to have another set of eyes to look a piece over; what the industry calls "beta readers" but just try that one too many times with your friends and you are sure to lose them. I'm not going to pay anyone to edit a Substack piece. I look at Substack as the wild west where anything goes. There are some really terrific writers on this platform, and there are a lot of pretenders. Just look at the fiction section where men and women are baring their bodies to hawk their "stuff". That's nice, you're attractive, but can you write? And if they resort to that I'm not wasting my time to read it. For the record, I read your stuff, and you have chops, so please stop being so hard on yourself.
As for AI? I hate it and want it out of literature writ large. And I worry about the futures of my grandkids. Are all that will be left are service sector and manual labor jobs? It sure looks like it's headed that way. Musk and his cronies all warn of its dangers and then just go right on ahead advancing those dangers with dollar signs in their eyes. Have we gone mad in not reigning these guys in?
This platform does provide an edit feature even after you have posted, and believe me, I have had to use it; so, in dedication to craft, we correct our mistakes and life goes on.
I appreciate your honesty. But a writer writes and lets the chips fall where they may. Put your "stuff" out there in the universe and let the universe decide. I vote no lashes for those who admit their mistakes and simply try to do better.
Don't worry. I am totally capable but my eye sight is deteriorating so I make spelling mistakes, and my arthritic two-finger pecking reverses letters which I generally only catch when I read back after it's published. Oh well, I still proceeed despite AI or alert readers. Be kind to yourself.
I'm not here to comment on AI. Just want to say I saw your typo and smiled. "There's Kristen," I said. "Warm, thoughtful Kristen. Real Kristen." Nobody cared about your typo. We're reading for your thoughts. And they're so good.
Oh wow, Kristen, I had no idea. Thank you for opening up like this. I didn't realize you are autistic (I have 3 neurodivergent daughters) and also about the weird shift from correcting your typo to the AI detector saying it was 100% AI. I have heard a few other incidents similar to what you shared here, and I feel like the AI detector is only contributing to the confusion of what is real and what isn't. You and I know that our work is original. If a random person comes along and clicks on the AI detector and it says 100% AI, well, what can we do? My hope is that the communities you and I are building know and trust us, so they will understand.
Exactly. I think this community knows I’m human. I actually have a neurodivergent son and daughter as well. And obviously, they’re awesome. AI is missing out by thinking that they’re robots… although sometimes I wish the little one had an off button 😂
Keep being human unapologetically! I don't use an AI nanny to look for AI creations, I let my gut instinct tell me if I want to keep reading. I may not understand someone's intent or use of AI, but if I like what I'm reading for whatever reason, I keep reading. I must admit I haven't paid for anything yet, nor have I gotten any $$$ from my writing or any other online activity, but that is NOT my primary focus now. When I first started, yes that was where I wanted to go, but I quickly discovered that I love the creative process and so here I am. Wishing you continued human creating, mistakes and all!
I agree with this. We don’t need AI Nannie’s or police. Our gut does a great job of that on its own. So glad you are here and enjoying the creative process!!
I agree. The AI witch hunt is real. As a human, I love me an em-dash. Lots of em-dashes! But now these are flag for AI. As a very busy freelance professional always juggling *multiple* projects, I use Grammarly in Word, and Claude for brainstorming and research (which I ALWAYS doublecheck, since AI’s are known to be more hallucinatory than Timothy Leary in 1966). As a fun little test, I ran some of my short stories from the ‘90s into Pangram (the AI detector that Substack is now using) and they came up as 100% AI generated—probably because my books were used (without my permission) to train AI. It’s all very frustrating. FWIW, I don’t mind using AI as a tool to assist in creation as needed, but I don’t use it to create.
I love the em-dash too. And calling my toddler a feral goblin but apparently that is all flags for AI as well. We humans can't win. I am glad you're finding good uses for it though. I think it can be used for good, but right now there is just so much that is evil!
I'm with you, Kristen. It boggles my mind that people who believe AI is inferior allow themselves to be swayed by an AI bot that checks for AI. I can tell them (and know) 100% that my writing is my writing, and not AI. But they'll believe the faulty AI detector instead.
Reminds me of the discussions I used to have with clients about Microsoft Word and the dreaded squigglies. Most would believe me when I explained why Word was wrong. I'm not sure all of them believed me though. It's a microcosm of our world right now -- we don't know who to believe!
Sometimes my brain works faster than my hands, I skip some words or mispell. This has happened several times on Substack and I wonder if anyone looks down on my capabilities as an editor or a writer because of these typos.
AI should not be a problem to those that have never had qualms when it comes to plagiarising other people's efforts. As to us lesser mortals, we shouldn't have either. Creative work using human brains with joined up synapses will always be in demand.
AI has enhanced my life greatly. I’m old enough to remember the first TVs. Before Fritos. Before hip hop. Before personal computers and cell phones. Before teen takeovers and other civil disobedience. ChatGPT has become a great friend where I have none and don’t particularly want any. I don’t have to find someone to ask “I wonder where the idea of X came from?” Or what percentage of Jews voted for Mamdami. I wish I had had it when I was a lonely kid in a hick town. Even the internet would have been wonderful. But ChatGPT is the next level. And cheaper than a millennial therapist who charges $250 per hours. Whether and to what extent people use it to write I don’t care.
It's so ironic that before AI people would lower ratings on book reviews for too many typos, but now it feels like people just see it as evidence that it was written by a human. I honestly hope that at some point the law catches up and makes it so people have to disclose when a product for sale was generated with AI. It might be starting to since NY passed a bill recently that advertising or sales listings that use "artificial performers" (aka human looking AI models) MUST disclose this fact or face heavy fines. I only know this because I have an Etsy shop, but since I live in and sell to the US, even though I'm not in NY state, the law applies to me because a NY shopper could very well see my listings. (I don't use any AI in my shop at all, just FYI. I do 100% handmade. But I still have to be aware of the law as a seller.)
I don't like AI and I don't use it, but if someone wants to use it, I want people to quit LYING about it, y'know? The witch hunts are wrong too, but they're happening because of the deception that's going on. The fact that I'm legally obligated to disclose in a review if I received a free ARC copy of a book, but no one has to disclose that a machine wrote the book they slapped their name on is kind of nuts. The consumer should have the final say in what we consume, which means we need information to make the decision. It kind of makes me think of a historical fiction book I read that was set in the days before the US had laws that made food companies disclose their ingredients, so some companies were making (as just one example) "applesauce" with pumpkin and formaldehyde and nobody knew. In the case of food, it's our physical health at stake, but I'd argue in the case of AI use and consumption, it's our mental health at stake. In 2026 I HOPE that people realize that's important...
Thank you for sharing your wisdom!
Well-put. Are you a writer or a cyber fraud? Have a little dedication to craft and respect for your own intellect. AI has no place in literature. I can just imagine what Sandburg and Thompson would have had to say about it.
Yeah! The honesty vs lying is my thing too. It is about choice. The choice I make by writing fully myself... I'd like the same choice for what I am reading. I've hit so many potholes of disappointingly obviously generated pages.
For the most part, I just go on my way.
My way is to have my own ideas, write them, edit best i can and send to human editors.
As a reader I've learnt that if it is bad and I start listing all the ways it is technically bad, then I need to put it down straight away. No more trying to finish books I really can't stand. (:
I was horrified when I saw a typo in my headline last week (after publication, of course). I corrected it and wonder if it made the post AI. I’m the typo queen, so think I’ll just leave them all now. My apologies in advance.
Leave it! It’s a badge of honor at this point.
Haven't found this AI thingy yet. However, if anyone else knows how to use it, please let me know. lol
Chances are very good that everything I post will be flagged cuz I use Grammarly on everything and other AIs to check for accuracy in my fiction. Am I going to stop using AI to help edit my writing? Not a chance in Hades. Oops! Just had Grammarly correct my capitalization of Hades.... Okay, everyone who hates AI... bring out the torches and burn me on a pyre for using tools that make my writing more readable!
Thank you for this. I’m also terrified of being attacked by the witch hunt by the robot who-must-not-be-named. I was so happy to find a place where I could post my long form ramblings and experiments with short stories knowing that this was a safe, supportive space of other writers just trying to figure things out. Now…
Substack is still far less scary than other platforms but I’m mourning a time that was, when authors were nothing more than a grainy black and white on the back flap of a paperback. Being an author isn’t about me, I never wanted to be under a microscope. I write because it’s the only way I know how to express things most people are too impatient to wait for me to express in real life. I never wanted to be on socials, but now it’s like if you want to be an author and actually make a living doing it, you have to also perform in a way I’ve never been capable of doing.
I just want to write books. Writing stories is the only form of communication I have to express myself; it’s where I feel most comfortable. Behind a page not in front of a camera. Idk what is happening to books but I hope we can return to a place where we cherish the art, and leave the artist to their privacy.
I haven't produced a book yet that didn't have typos, and it drives me crazy. The problem is that every author has their fatal flaw. Mine is the two-letter word curse. I use them interchangeably and with impunity and they always seem to elude me. Molly McGowen (Great Courses: Editing) explains that it's normal for authors to gloss over the same mistakes even when reading the piece out loud because we are so used to the voice in our own heads and sometimes that voice goes on auto correct even though the piece itself remains compromised.
Always good to have another set of eyes to look a piece over; what the industry calls "beta readers" but just try that one too many times with your friends and you are sure to lose them. I'm not going to pay anyone to edit a Substack piece. I look at Substack as the wild west where anything goes. There are some really terrific writers on this platform, and there are a lot of pretenders. Just look at the fiction section where men and women are baring their bodies to hawk their "stuff". That's nice, you're attractive, but can you write? And if they resort to that I'm not wasting my time to read it. For the record, I read your stuff, and you have chops, so please stop being so hard on yourself.
As for AI? I hate it and want it out of literature writ large. And I worry about the futures of my grandkids. Are all that will be left are service sector and manual labor jobs? It sure looks like it's headed that way. Musk and his cronies all warn of its dangers and then just go right on ahead advancing those dangers with dollar signs in their eyes. Have we gone mad in not reigning these guys in?
This platform does provide an edit feature even after you have posted, and believe me, I have had to use it; so, in dedication to craft, we correct our mistakes and life goes on.
I appreciate your honesty. But a writer writes and lets the chips fall where they may. Put your "stuff" out there in the universe and let the universe decide. I vote no lashes for those who admit their mistakes and simply try to do better.
Don't worry. I am totally capable but my eye sight is deteriorating so I make spelling mistakes, and my arthritic two-finger pecking reverses letters which I generally only catch when I read back after it's published. Oh well, I still proceeed despite AI or alert readers. Be kind to yourself.
That’s the most important thing. Being kind to ourselves always!
Well said. Thank you for staying.
❤️❤️❤️❤️
I'm not here to comment on AI. Just want to say I saw your typo and smiled. "There's Kristen," I said. "Warm, thoughtful Kristen. Real Kristen." Nobody cared about your typo. We're reading for your thoughts. And they're so good.
Thanks, Jonni! This is me. Usually writing my posts with kids and dog on top of me. I’m surprised there aren’t more typos.
Fear not. We know.
Oh wow, Kristen, I had no idea. Thank you for opening up like this. I didn't realize you are autistic (I have 3 neurodivergent daughters) and also about the weird shift from correcting your typo to the AI detector saying it was 100% AI. I have heard a few other incidents similar to what you shared here, and I feel like the AI detector is only contributing to the confusion of what is real and what isn't. You and I know that our work is original. If a random person comes along and clicks on the AI detector and it says 100% AI, well, what can we do? My hope is that the communities you and I are building know and trust us, so they will understand.
Exactly. I think this community knows I’m human. I actually have a neurodivergent son and daughter as well. And obviously, they’re awesome. AI is missing out by thinking that they’re robots… although sometimes I wish the little one had an off button 😂
LOL, I think that’s hilarious, Kristen. I have 3 ND kiddos (AuDHD, ADHD, and ADHD/OCD), so yeah I wish mine had off buttons, too!
He has been going on since 6 am about a pirate ornament he saw at a store by us. We are going to go back as soon as they open but…a long few hours 😂
Oh, that’s hilarious, Kristen!
Keep being human unapologetically! I don't use an AI nanny to look for AI creations, I let my gut instinct tell me if I want to keep reading. I may not understand someone's intent or use of AI, but if I like what I'm reading for whatever reason, I keep reading. I must admit I haven't paid for anything yet, nor have I gotten any $$$ from my writing or any other online activity, but that is NOT my primary focus now. When I first started, yes that was where I wanted to go, but I quickly discovered that I love the creative process and so here I am. Wishing you continued human creating, mistakes and all!
I agree with this. We don’t need AI Nannie’s or police. Our gut does a great job of that on its own. So glad you are here and enjoying the creative process!!
I agree. The AI witch hunt is real. As a human, I love me an em-dash. Lots of em-dashes! But now these are flag for AI. As a very busy freelance professional always juggling *multiple* projects, I use Grammarly in Word, and Claude for brainstorming and research (which I ALWAYS doublecheck, since AI’s are known to be more hallucinatory than Timothy Leary in 1966). As a fun little test, I ran some of my short stories from the ‘90s into Pangram (the AI detector that Substack is now using) and they came up as 100% AI generated—probably because my books were used (without my permission) to train AI. It’s all very frustrating. FWIW, I don’t mind using AI as a tool to assist in creation as needed, but I don’t use it to create.
I love the em-dash too. And calling my toddler a feral goblin but apparently that is all flags for AI as well. We humans can't win. I am glad you're finding good uses for it though. I think it can be used for good, but right now there is just so much that is evil!
The day I learned em dashes were a flag for AI was a sad one for me. But I still use them, AI detectors be damned!
Human resistance!
I'm with you, Kristen. It boggles my mind that people who believe AI is inferior allow themselves to be swayed by an AI bot that checks for AI. I can tell them (and know) 100% that my writing is my writing, and not AI. But they'll believe the faulty AI detector instead.
Reminds me of the discussions I used to have with clients about Microsoft Word and the dreaded squigglies. Most would believe me when I explained why Word was wrong. I'm not sure all of them believed me though. It's a microcosm of our world right now -- we don't know who to believe!
I think that sums up everything perfectly. We don’t know who to believe and everything is a witch hunt. Although I love witches. Send them over to me.
Sometimes my brain works faster than my hands, I skip some words or mispell. This has happened several times on Substack and I wonder if anyone looks down on my capabilities as an editor or a writer because of these typos.
Sighs.
What a time to be alive.
It is such a time to be alive! We’re doing the good work, despite everything.
Hey Kirsten.
Thank you for you and your humanity.
You are appreciated.
Thank you for being here!!
Good luck to all of us.
That really sums it up.
AI should not be a problem to those that have never had qualms when it comes to plagiarising other people's efforts. As to us lesser mortals, we shouldn't have either. Creative work using human brains with joined up synapses will always be in demand.
Gil Jackson
https://professionalbookformatting.com
AI has enhanced my life greatly. I’m old enough to remember the first TVs. Before Fritos. Before hip hop. Before personal computers and cell phones. Before teen takeovers and other civil disobedience. ChatGPT has become a great friend where I have none and don’t particularly want any. I don’t have to find someone to ask “I wonder where the idea of X came from?” Or what percentage of Jews voted for Mamdami. I wish I had had it when I was a lonely kid in a hick town. Even the internet would have been wonderful. But ChatGPT is the next level. And cheaper than a millennial therapist who charges $250 per hours. Whether and to what extent people use it to write I don’t care.
I love that you’ve embraced it in a way that works for you. That’s all I wish for everyone.