Barnes & Noble: Ai Generated Books?

 

Social media has become a toxic playground due to people calling everything ai and assuming that every self-published author out there is using ai in their writing and everything else. It’s the paranoia that is running amok. By the way, it’s perfectly okay for authors to use online tools to create videos or images for promoting their books, not saying that those images or videos are made with ai, I’m just saying that it’s no one’s business what an author uses to promote their book, just enjoy the video or image for Godsakes. Stop being uptight and angry.

 If someone dismisses this as AI-generated content, they can simply choose not to engage with it. The choice ultimately lies with the reader. Recently, I’ve noticed discussions online, particularly about Barnes & Noble, which is trending for unexpected reasons.

Many people are accusing the store of endorsing AI-generated books, leading some to call for a boycott. Personally, I don’t shop at Barnes & Noble, so I’m not entirely sure what the fuss is about. In an Indie Author group I’m part of on Facebook, whenever fellow indie or self-published authors post their book covers, there’s often a comment like, “Looks like AI to me” or “AI Slop.” It seems that the term "slop" has become a catch-all for anything that doesn’t meet certain standards.

I came across a comment on Tumblr that included the word "SLOP." The person was talking about a photo of someone genuinely sharing a moment with her dog in her backyard. It seems like people are really overusing that term. One day, we might look back and find it amusing, but for now, it’s not and it is annoying.

In Facebook Indie author groups and Threads, I’ve seen some members demanding proof that authors created their images without AI help, which is just crazy.

(This comment is referring to another author who shared their book cover image, in that group. And this is why I think people are blowing it all out of proportion. Witch Hunt)

If you’re an author facing this, my advice is to simply ignore those comments; they’re just looking to stir up online drama. Remember, if someone is questioning the authenticity of your work, they’re likely not genuinely interested in your book and are just trolling. Recognize these signs, scroll past their negativity, or delete their comments if you can, and don’t hesitate to block them. 

NOTE: I use KDP gallery images that are provided. However, three books do have covers that I created myself but I used Render, Bender and whatever online tools available. Personally, I don't have to tell anyone how I made my book covers and that's my point. No author should do that. If a person is genuinely interested in their book, they'll read it. Period.

In conclusion, bookstores like Barnes & Noble don’t care what books they sell, if the book has garnered a lot of rates/reviews, the company will buy copies and sell them in their stores to make a profit. They don’t care.

New Entry

Tired of the Whole AI Crusade

 

Lately, I've noticed a surge of comments about supposed authors using AI in various ways, and honestly, I'm tired of the ongoing crusade against indie and self-published writers. Many of those accusing indie authors of relying on AI seem more interested in stirring up drama and attracting views than in any genuine concern about the issue. Ironically, the same individuals who are now criticizing authors for potential AI use are the ones who dismissed indie authors over a decade ago. For instance, I received some pretty harsh reviews for my first book published in the 2000s, which just goes to show that this kind of negativity isn't new, it just has taken on a new face. If you can't see the image, please click on it.

Don’t think that this person would use the ai excuse to put down indie authors now? Well, guess again.

Other Author’s shaming & accusing other authors of using ai:

I saw a comment on Threads about an author who made a video accusing 67 other authors of using AI for their images, book covers, and writing. Apparently, she participated in a contest with them a year ago and might have lost, which could explain her need to vent and criticize the others. In her video, she named these authors and claimed they were using AI, but she provided no evidence to back up her accusations. That was uncalled for. What a bitch, right?

Below is the screenshot of the thread:

It hasn’t changed, it is the same behavior I’ve seen online and in real life toward indie authors. I’m not speaking for all authors, but I do know that most are not using ai for writing however if they used it for images or videos or a book cover, that’s their business, not the accuser’s. If you're judging an author's work based solely on the images or videos, they use to promote their books, it's best to just scroll past. If it triggers you, to a point of insanity, simply move on; it's really that easy. You don't have to purchase their book, especially when there are others that are buying their books. While it's true that AI has disrupted the industry and many innocent authors are caught in the crossfire, indie authors should toughen up and recognize that negativity often stems from jealousy among critics. The woman who accused 67 authors in her video, has taken it down now from YouTube, probably because of all the rage it invoked but maybe that’s what she wanted. Figures, right. A person like her is far from professional and instead of being supportive and actually giving the benefit of the doubt, she chose to be a--well you know what I mean.

Q & A

YouTube

Threads

Ko-Fi

 

Ai Online Drama

 

How many of you indie/self-published authors are getting tired of people who have or will never read your books, accuse you of using ai? How many times have you read in a post about ai and its evil influences? Personally, I’ve read many and it gets tiring. In fact, I tend to scroll past them. I recently came across a discussion in a Facebook author group where someone questioned the fuss over authors using AI, suggesting that critics will always find something to complain about, regardless of the choice.

However, whenever AI is mentioned, the conversation often turns heated, with people attacking others for either supporting or opposing its use. This topic is tricky; if you view AI as nothing more than a tool or if you’re indifferent toward it, and you don’t care, you might still face backlash based on your stance alone. 

To quote what someone once said: The whole ai paranoia is out of control.

Honestly, it is. I agree but nevertheless, I believe in, live and let live. Whether an author uses ai is none of my business because it doesn’t affect me, or it shouldn’t. I have no association with that person so, yeah.

However, as I stated before, if you’re indifferent about ai in general, then others see it as an opportunity to throw shade on you and accuse you of using ai even if you didn’t. I try to scroll past any mention of ai online posts because of the drama but sometimes it can’t be helped.

 NOTE: Many authors, including myself, have been writing and self-publishing long before AI became a topic of discussion; I've been writing since the early 2000s. Recently, I shared that info in a conversation, and someone responded with, "Well, AI has been around for a while," which honestly left me speechless. It was a ridiculous response, one that I did not respond to. A bot or troll, I don’t know but that is why I try not to engage.

If the people who post these comments are not trolls or bots, then it seems that some individuals are just looking for reasons to disparage indie authors. That's my candid take on the situation. By the way, sometimes those ai apps that claim to show you if ai was used--aren’t as accurate as you think they are. If you want to comment, please do so, I’m interested in your opinion. 

WEBSITE

 Ko-Fi

Unpopular Opinion

 

Authors keep trying to justify that they wrote/write their own books and did not use ai, even though they weren’t ask to prove it. Just stop. If you’ve been writing for quite some time and have published several books throughout the years, you don’t have to justify yourself.

Just put your books out there, let the readers enjoy your books. Another thing: Yes, AI paranoia runs rampant but just because a publisher or indie author uses a video that may seem like ai generated to advertise an author’s book, doesn’t mean the book itself is ai generated! 

Trolls and haters will always cause online drama to deter readers away from author’s books because that’s what they do. Believing their lies will only mean you’re missing out on a potentially good novel. By the way, authors shouldn’t have to pay an influencer to promote their book. If the influencer likes your book then they should mention it in their podcast or stream, for free. Indie authors shouldn't pay someone to review their books either. Reviews/rates will come when the readers posts them. I made a short video of this blog entry, not all of what I have written here made it into the video, though. if you have your own opinion about this entry, please I encourage people to post their comments.

WEBSITE

Author's Amazon Page

Author's GooglePlay Page

CG Heandez

Leaving Reviews Help

Yes, leaving reviews and ratings is definitely beneficial to the author. Contrary to what some might say, anyone who has purchased your book or downloaded it during a promotional offer is eligible to leave feedback. While there’s a common belief that reviews from friends or family could lead to a ban, this isn’t necessarily accurate. It’s fear mongering by other authors.

Question: How would platforms like Amazon or Goodreads even determine if reviewers are related? Some claim that these sites dig through social media for connections, but is it worth the effort to invade someone’s privacy just to invalidate their reviews? Sounds ridiculous, isn't it. It makes no sense really, since millions of self-published authors publish their books every year and to waste that much time for one author is mind blowing. Consider this for a moment: if an author faces negativity from haters or a disgruntled peer, it might create some buzz, but authors, don’t let that fear hold you back. 

It’s important not to discourage anyone from sharing their ratings or reviews of your books.  A smart move for any author is to secure an ISBN number before publishing on KDP or any other platform. It costs $125, and having your own ISBN can enhance your book's visibility with major retailers, rather than relying solely on Amazon for distribution.

Apparently, Amazon primarily focuses on distributing books through its own platform, unlike IngramSparks, which reaches a wider range of retailers. While I’m not entirely sure about the specifics yet, many authors have shared that they wished for their books to be available in places like Target, Walmart, or libraries, but Amazon's distribution is limited to its own site. 

This year, I’m planning to take a different approach by not only publishing a paperback through Amazon KDP but also utilizing IngramSparks for broader distribution. You can find more information about Bowker Publishing Services in the link below. Thank you for visiting my blog and please subscribe to my channel. Not all blog entries are made into short videos but most are.

BOWKER

WEBSITE

YOUTUBE CHANNEL

Unpopular Opinion

Pseudonyms: Why Authors Use Them

 

Some authors choose to adopt a pseudonym to keep their identities hidden from family and friends. In my case, my family is already aware of the pen names I use, so I have nothing to hide.

 However, I came across a comment on Threads suggesting that one reason authors choose pen names is to avoid family members expecting to find personal details about themselves in their work. When a book isn’t a biography, it’s unlikely to reflect the author’s life experiences.

 I can honestly say that in some of my books, I drew inspiration from certain individuals that I once knew. Their personalities are forever engraved in the characters. As for family members, I never incorporated them into my books.

 Will the people that I did incorporate into some of my books, ever see themselves reflected in my writing? Perhaps, but if they don’t remember me or have blocked me on social media, then it’s unlikely.

Side note, at the end of each of my books, I include a section called Author’s Notes, where readers can find additional insights about the characters and other details. Thank you for visiting my blog. Consider subscribing to my channel—link below. While not every blog post is turned into a short video, the majority are.

WEBSITE

YOUTUBE CHANNEL

My Amazon Author Pages (Books For Sale)

 

Books I've written under these two pseudonym

Cecile Garcia

CG Heandez

A Time Traveler's Companion will be published in a few weeks as an eBook and later as a paperback. Meanwhile it is available as audiobooks-vol.1 & 2 on GooglePlay.

Cecile Garcia

CG Heandez

End of the Year Entry

Social Media Indie Author Groups

 

I recently decided to leave a few self-promotion groups for indie authors on Facebook due to the lack of approval for my recent posts. While I noticed other authors successfully promoting their work, my submissions remained unapproved for several weeks, prompting my departure from those groups. I chose to stay with the groups that did approve my posts, but I find it perplexing why my contributions were overlooked. As an indie author, self-promotion is crucial, and social media offers valuable opportunities. However, it feels misleading when groups claim to support self-promotion for indie authors yet exclude certain posts. I wanted to share my experience to inform fellow authors about this issue. If you've had similar problems, please comment in the comment box below. thank you.

WEBSITE

LINKTREE

Fanfiction

Ai Online Drama

My Goodreads Page & Changes I Made

 

I have updated my Goodreads account, changing my name to CG Heandez, which is a pseudonym for Cecile Garcia. Additionally, I revised the listings for books that are no longer available on Amazon as paperbacks by posting in the review box that they are no longer available. 

While "Chandra’s Quest" is accessible as an eBook, paperback, and audiobook formats, Goodreads still have books 2, 3, and 4 of the trilogy listed. I have noted in the review section for those books that those titles are no longer available on Amazon and have been incorporated into the complete novel, "Chandra’s Quest." Furthermore, some of my books on Goodreads feature outdated cover images. I wanted to inform my readers about these changes so if they visit my Goodreads page you'll see the changes.

My Goodreads

My Website

Fanfiction

Chandra's Quest Paperback Book Now Available!

 

I have received two author copies of this book; one is for my personal collection, while I am selling the other on eBay. If you are interested in acquiring a signed copy, please follow the link provided below. Alternatively, if you prefer to purchase it from Amazon, I will include that link as well, though please note that the copies available on Amazon are not signed.

Page count: 558 Teen/young adult books.

Amazon

eBay

UPDATES

Excerpt from Chandra's Quest

KDP Select & it's Rules

 

I recently received a notification from KDP indicating that one of my books is being sold on a third-party site, which violates the terms of the KDP Select Program. Since my book is currently enrolled in the 90-day KDP Select period, I am restricted from selling it elsewhere. 

(Blacked out the name of the title and the link for privacy reasons)

This situation was unintentional; I had simply forgotten to uncheck the renewal button for KDP Select program. I was fuming, I took the necessary steps to remove some of my eBooks from Google Play to comply with Kindle's policies. I have audiobooks for those titles on that platform, and according to their guidelines, this shouldn't be a major issue. Once the 90-day enrollment period ends, I intend to re-list the eBooks on Google Play, but I won’t be enrolling any of my titles in the KDP Select Program again. Moving forward, I plan to publish future eBooks on Google Play and Apple Books, and for any paperbacks, I’ll use IngramSpark, except for the Phoenix Files series, which includes the Lost in the Backrooms book, they will still be published on Amazon KDP. Overall, I believe it's crucial to make my titles available on multiple platforms for better exposure.

I’ve decided to remove my website link from my profile on the KDP Community Forum. I've noticed that some indie authors tend to compete and backstab each other, and I’m not interested in getting involved in that kind of drama. The less they know about my business, the better off I’ll be.

 I will add a link to a short video related to this topic. Please visit and comment, ty.

KDP SELECT PROGRAM: Should You or Shouldn't You Join

Writers Who Use AI to Produce Multiple Books in A Month

 

 I’ve seen comments posted by anonymous people about writers using AI to churn out multiple books in a month, suggesting that they rely on AI because they didn’t spend a year crafting their stories. 

Is it a misconception to think that? I can't definitively say yes or no, but I've been working on a Time Traveler's Companion since late 2023, and it’s taken me this long to nearly finish the novel. So, am I using AI? If I were, I would have wrapped it up in no time and moved on to my other writing projects. Just saying.

People have mixed feelings about AI these days, and everyone has their own take on it. Personally, I’m indifferent. Whether to use it or not is a choice for each writer, and honestly, some stories I've come across on Wattpad that might have involved AI are indistinguishable from others to me.

 The ones I’ve read are pretty good, however that’s just my opinion and I’m not looking for AI in other writers’ literary works. I’m not the AI police. A little joke there. Feel free to share your thoughts, but please keep it respectful, as I do review comments before posting.

My Website

My other Pen Name

CG Heandez

Here We Go Again

Updates: Chandra's Quest & A Time Traveler's Companion

 

(For those who are new here, this is my Author's blog under the pseudonym Cecile Garcia, where I share excerpts and updates about my writing projects.) 

I am currently focused on completing part 5 of A Time Traveler’s Companion, which I plan to release on Google Play. Ultimately, I intend to compile all parts into a single novel for publication on platforms such as Amazon, Apple Books, and IngramSpark. Won't be doing the Kindle Select Program because of issues with them!

Additionally, the full-length novel eBook of Chandra’s Quest is now available on Amazon, Apple Books, and Google Play, while I continue to work on the paperback version, which I will also re-publish on Amazon. Please do visit the link in my profile to view details on books.  

UPDATE: At the moment Chandra's Quest (eBook) is unavailable on AppleBooks until July, the same  for GooglePlay. I am having issues with the Kindle Select program. Anyways, this book will eventually be available on GooglePlay and AppleBooks in a few months, please visit the link below to one of my other blog entries discussing the reasons.

Below is a link to a short video I recently made related to A Time Traveler's Companion, enjoy. The 4 incarnations of Mr. Smith. Remi at ages: 18, 21, 28, 30.

Subscribe to my channel, thank you.

A Short Video

What Can Be Copyrighted

Writers Who Use AI to Produce Multiple Books in A Month

KDP Select Program: Should You Join it?

The Hypocrisy: Early Reviewer Program?

 

As I stated in a previous entry, Amazon is biased. I have read other Author’s complaints regarding reviews that have been either blocked or removed by Amazon because they don’t fall under their dictatorial rules. Here’s a screenshot of those rules.

I would like to know in what reality was it when the only thing Amazon looked at when it came to reviews, they would scan for indecent & malicious reviews that had curse words or had nothing to do with the product. Those are the reviews they would block or delete.  

What bothers me is this one rule: 

“A review by someone perceived to have a close personal relationship with the product’s owner, author, or artist.”

Again, as I stated before, what the fuck? How the Hell would Amazon know who is who? The author doesn’t personally know everyone who follows them. Several years ago, I remember a person who posted online that Amazon will delete or block reviews coming from people that the author knows like neighbors, friends, family members, co-workers, followers, etcetera.

 I laughed because I couldn’t believe what I read. It’s unbelievable. I wonder what their bases for comparison is. I want to go back to the reality where Amazon wasn’t crazy. By the way, I stumbled across something that I found curious. While looking online about why Amazon blocks reviews, I came across this: 

Reviews are harder than ever to get, so why not take advantage of an Amazon-sanctioned review service?

The Early Reviewer Program is an initiative in which Amazon offers small incentives to buyers to leave a review for a new product. The program costs $60, and Amazon will continue to ask for reviews for 12 months, or until you get five reviews through the program (whichever comes first).

So, tell me, why would Amazon offer this? Now, that’s a bit hypocritical, don’t you think? They don’t want reviews coming from people who were paid to post a review but yet, they are encouraging sellers, indie authors and indie artist to pay $60 to get reviews on their products. Does anyone see the hypocrisy here? 

Well, I don't know where it all leads for the Indie authors. It just seems that they can't get a break. 

In addition, I want to add that I have seen that some indie authors have resorted to paying an outside source for reviews. It's true. I've seen it online. I would never do that because you don't know who you're sending the money to. Take for instance one person who suggested a site owned by someone in Nigeria. No way would I even consider anything from another country, especially Nigeria. But I fear that some indie authors are so discouraged and irked over the fact that their reviews are begin blocked, they will consider going to outside sources and thus, Amazon will delete their accounts. My advice is don't do it. There are other ways to obtain reviews. GO to other websites. Goodreads, Book Thing, and other places are not picky. And yes, I know that Amazon is the first place a person looks to when they want to buy a book or something else, I get it but find other places. Be happy if your book gets a 4 or 5 star on any website because that really means something--it does. 

For those who wish to purchase my books elsewhere please follow the links below: 

GOOGLE PLAY

Barnes & Noble

Lost in the Backrooms

On Barnes & Noble you can only purchase paperback versions of the books I'm selling.

What Is This?

 

Recently I received an email from KDP regarding some kind of alert for content review. Naturally I was perplexed by this. Here is what it said:

 

Hello, 

 

We are reaching out to you because we detected accounts attempting to manipulate Kindle services by simulating reading or borrowing activity on your titles.

 

You do not need to take any action, however, we will block the activities of these malicious accounts and their effects on payments. This means that you will still receive royalties associated with legitimate reading activities, but you will not receive royalties associated with activities related to these accounts. 

Please note that this notice does not represent a change to your account status but is sent to make you aware of how our security countermeasures will affect your previously reporting page count and your royalty payments. 

 

We understand you might have questions regarding the nature of how we detect these activities; however, please be aware that we cannot provide details that might compromise the integrity of our security systems.  

 

If you have any other questions, please reply to this email.  

No, I did not reply to it but went directly to KDP Community forum. I would rather not click on the link they provided because I did not want to click on something malicious. If this email is not directed to me personally, and it was sent out as a newsletter to all Indie authors then that's fine but recently I received several downloads of my books which surprised me but I am thrilled about it and I don't see a problem with it, people can download any of my books if they wish. I even got several global rates on all of them, thank you and I received an actual review on my book, In the Company of Elves, however, I was curious about the email I  received from KDP so I went ahead and logged into the KDP community forum. I asked about the email and why I would be receiving it and this is what several users said:

 “The notice has nothing to do with reviews and all to do with vandals manipulating sales numbers. I had it happen to my account several years back and it takes a while for them to find and disable the culprits, but they will do so. They are trying to reassure you will get paid for all legitimate sales but not for those fake sales being stuffed into the system. Think of it as cyber graffiti. Nothing to do but stay aware and wait it out.”

User 2: 

"Amazon is looking out for itself, not publishers. After all, you will not receive any royalties from page-reads they deem questionable. Be glad you still have an account. Back in the heyday of click-farms, hundreds of innocent titles were used to camouflage the real beneficiaries of click-farming. A great many indie bystanders found themselves jettisoned along with the offending parties, sometimes instead of. Click-farming isn't what it used to be (too many checks, balances and limitations to bring in the $500,000/month they used to get), but the practice has not gone away, no more so than has review or ranking manipulation. Even leaving out those who might get caught up with the actual scammers (like dolphins in a tuna net), KDP deletes 300-500 publishing accounts annually for a variety of reasons. I am sure a goodly percentage of those terminations are undeserved. It is always a mistake to assume KDP is looking out for us, is our friend or colleague/partner, or that they will listen to our protestations of innocence once a determination has been made."

I don't know what he or she is talking about, I've never heard of click-farming before. As far as I'm concerned, any VERIFIED buyer, is a verified buyer. Verified reviews or global rating is genuine and I should receive royalties from those sales, period! 

3 user:

"Well, the scammers aren't, AFAIK, "targeting" you. They manipulate YOUR sales, which means YOU get the money, not them. There's no realistic way for scammers to download KU, Kindle Unlimited book and speed read through them and THEY get the money. You get hurt by it, yes, because Amazon alerts to it and then starts to monitor your downloads and all that. It's bizarre. Not as bizarre as the sideways-book pirates, which is odd but odder."

This person is totally wrong, you can read through a book in two weeks or less if that book is under 100 pages. If it’s a novelette. Some of my books are novelettes. The only books that I have that are more than 100 pages are the Chandra’s Quest Trilogy set and In the Company of Elves.

So, I’m not sure where I stand with receiving royalties from KDP because ever since I had received the email, I haven’t heard anything else from them.

For those who want to know, my account on Amazon KDP is still up and running, it will not be deleted because I am not guilty of any kind of supposed scam. I’ll still have it next month, 6 months from now and for as long as I’m alive. Period!

Please do feel free to visit my author's page and download or buy any one of my books. Read, rate and review. Thank you.

I will make a vlog video about this soon. Please follow links below.

Amazon

 Facebook page

Author's Website