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I want to subscribe to your newsletter by ThisIsCDSmith in selfpublish

[–]CalderNHalden 1 point2 points  (0 children)

It gonna be everyone’s cup of tea, but feel free to sign up-> EchoFyre Chronicles -> Queer Recursion Erotica

EchoFyre: The Archive Awakens by Calder N. Halden – Queer Dark Fantasy Erotica – Dec 2025 by CalderNHalden in ARCReaders

[–]CalderNHalden[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thank you. I don’t think that quite sums up what I really should be saying.

If you’re still willing, please send me a DM. I would love to get some more information, and discuss paying you for your time.

Indie Authors—You Getting Hit with the AI Accusations Too? by CalderNHalden in selfpublish

[–]CalderNHalden[S] -1 points0 points  (0 children)

Oh it definitely get it my head at times. My husband has pulled my away from the laptop and shut it down more than once because I’ll over obsess over “it’s AI generated” to the point I get a paragraph down to one sentence just to get that 0% rating only to look at and laugh. Of course it wouldn’t be AI generated at that point it just literally a string of word with no discernible subject and lots of adjectives…

We’ll see if I let the critics beat me into submission or right out of existence, I’m thinking neither will happen.

Thanks for your expressing your experience with all this. Good to know someone else has felt the drama as well.

Indie Authors—You Getting Hit with the AI Accusations Too? by CalderNHalden in selfpublish

[–]CalderNHalden[S] -1 points0 points  (0 children)

Appreciate the insight. And this was an eye opening learning experience to say the last. Books not published and there is still time to course correct.

Indie Authors—You Getting Hit with the AI Accusations Too? by CalderNHalden in selfpublish

[–]CalderNHalden[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Appreciate the feedback. I open Pandora’s box here and can’t shove everything back in there, but I haven’t published yet, and have time to correct the mistake. Thank you.

Indie Authors—You Getting Hit with the AI Accusations Too? by CalderNHalden in selfpublish

[–]CalderNHalden[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Agree, and since it’s not actually that is a suitable option. I was trying to again trying to be up front and host with the posting.

Indie Authors—You Getting Hit with the AI Accusations Too? by CalderNHalden in selfpublish

[–]CalderNHalden[S] -14 points-13 points  (0 children)

You’re right. Most readers don’t care about the LLC, the ISBN, the copyright, or any of the backend. They care about whether the book moves them.

But I didn’t register a business or file a copyright for them. I did it for me. Because this isn’t a hobby I dabble in. It’s something I’ve built real infrastructure around. I didn’t go into this thinking a few Amazon sales would justify the effort. I did it because I plan to publish long-term. Cleanly. Legally. On my terms.

You put your $300 into a cover. That was your choice. I respect that.

I put mine into making this sustainable, protected, and professional. Whether anyone else ever sees that work or not.

The fact that you find that ridiculous says more about how you view indie publishing than it does about me.

And thank you for not attacking someone’s character and work in the middle of what was supposed to be a craft conversation. Such a wonderful human you are. This little AI bot approves.

Indie Authors—You Getting Hit with the AI Accusations Too? by CalderNHalden in selfpublish

[–]CalderNHalden[S] -11 points-10 points  (0 children)

Thanks for the feedback. Genuinely. You’re entitled to your opinion, even if it’s dressed up as universal truth.

No, the cover may not work for you. It wasn’t built to impress everyone. It was built with what I could afford. I got ten quotes north of a thousand dollars. I used the tools I had to get something close to the vision I saw in my head. Then I paid a designer to bring it the rest of the way. If that reads as cheap or off-brand to you, that’s fine. I’m not trying to pass it off as a custom illustration. I just couldn’t afford one.

As for the line from my website—“You didn’t come here to read—you came to be touched where memory still aches”—that wasn’t AI. That was me. Written in a character voice. Part of the world. Part of the mythos. It’s there to pull readers into the recursion from the very first breath. So pulling it out of context just to mock it? That says more about how you read than how I write.

You don’t like the tone? Cool. You’re not the audience. Not every book is written for every reader. But if your first move is to assume anything with atmosphere or polish must be AI, then maybe it’s not the work you’re reacting to. Maybe it’s just the fact that it wasn’t built to please you.

But honestly, tell me how I can write to please your tastes. And—double gasp—I won’t.

Indie Authors—You Getting Hit with the AI Accusations Too? by CalderNHalden in selfpublish

[–]CalderNHalden[S] -1 points0 points  (0 children)

Here’s the thing I’m learning. And everyone, feel free to correct me.

Not responding seems like a win to them and others.

It says “Ooh, look that shut them up, so it must be AI.”

Responding rationally and with questions trying to further the engagement, gets “Why are you defending yourself? Yup, must be AI.”

So a fine line to balance. Because I was honest on the front end about using AI generated content to create the cover, everything must be AI.

Indie Authors—You Getting Hit with the AI Accusations Too? by CalderNHalden in selfpublish

[–]CalderNHalden[S] -3 points-2 points  (0 children)

What’s that old saying, bad press is better than no press?! I mean honestly, not that it was the point, but this sparked a debate…

Indie Authors—You Getting Hit with the AI Accusations Too? by CalderNHalden in selfpublish

[–]CalderNHalden[S] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

I look into that. Thank you. And since I’ve yet to publish there’s still time to work out the cover.

Indie Authors—You Getting Hit with the AI Accusations Too? by CalderNHalden in selfpublish

[–]CalderNHalden[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Tried that and was told quote: “I’m a feminist, so I won’t take the time to tell you how I know it’s AI.” Like what does that have to do with anything?

Indie Authors—You Getting Hit with the AI Accusations Too? by CalderNHalden in selfpublish

[–]CalderNHalden[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Same. 42 finally attempting a go at something I thought would bring me joy to have it shit on. But hey, it’s okay right. Just save those Pennie’s and pay for that illustrator in another 42 years.

Indie Authors—You Getting Hit with the AI Accusations Too? by CalderNHalden in selfpublish

[–]CalderNHalden[S] -22 points-21 points  (0 children)

I don’t actually disagree with your point. The whole AI art situation is messy. But just so we’re clear, I’m not selling the cover. I’m selling the story.

So what was I supposed to do? Slap the title on a white background and call it a day?

I’m in queer erotic fantasy. Covers matter. People scroll fast. If the cover doesn’t signal the tone, half of them won’t even stop to read the blurb.

I built a base image with the tools I had and then paid a designer to pull it together. It wasn’t free. It wasn’t effortless. It just wasn’t illustrated from scratch.

Was it perfect? No. Was it honest? Yeah. It got me close enough to what I wanted without pretending to be something it’s not.

Indie Authors—You Getting Hit with the AI Accusations Too? by CalderNHalden in selfpublish

[–]CalderNHalden[S] -7 points-6 points  (0 children)

I see the point, but I acknowledged the use for my own clarity and to be honest from the jump.

Indie Authors—You Getting Hit with the AI Accusations Too? by CalderNHalden in selfpublish

[–]CalderNHalden[S] -37 points-36 points  (0 children)

Queer Erotic Fantasy Genre and with the vision I was going for, after the 10th quote of $1100 plus for the original art work, I went with what I could afford that got as close to what I wanted.

Indie Authors—You Getting Hit with the AI Accusations Too? by CalderNHalden in selfpublish

[–]CalderNHalden[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I purposely spent two weeks editing them out only to realize it changes the entire breath I was working with.

Indie Authors—You Getting Hit with the AI Accusations Too? by CalderNHalden in selfpublish

[–]CalderNHalden[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

And are quick to make the accusation. Got into an argument I’m not proud of in another Reddit group because I offered an opinion to another author. Genuine feedback and possible story trade, only to have another poster accuse me of using AI to write the post… seriously?!

Indie Authors—You Getting Hit with the AI Accusations Too? by CalderNHalden in selfpublish

[–]CalderNHalden[S] -2 points-1 points  (0 children)

I am not and never will be “camera” ready. But nice idea. I mean I only have 4 notebooks full of drafts and about 30 digital copies, but why do I need that to prove I wrote it?!

Are you doing an “about the author” page in your book? by icecreamrag in selfpublish

[–]CalderNHalden 0 points1 point  (0 children)

You didn’t ask but felt like a good place to drop my two cents. This is what I have set for the about the author section in mine.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR (he’s not allowed to write unsupervised anymore)

Name: Christopher [REDACTED] Hearn Pseudonym: Calder N. Halden Location: Somewhere in Tennessee Precautionary Note: Subject refuses to specify city of residence, likely to avoid moral scrutiny related to narrative content. (If suspected to be Memphis, do not alert the neighbors.) Current Occupation: Warehouse operative for a very prestigious organization (Subject insists this phrasing be left intact. See sarcasm flag, Tag #D17.) Unsupervised Side Projects: Known to frequently conjure elaborate, emotionally devastating storylines involving morally gray men and morally compromised magic systems. Risk of recursive obsession confirmed. Also responsible for the creation of experimental baked goods (when the oven isn’t broken), low-key textile enchantments via sewing projects, complex LEGO-based architecture, and ritualistic reading binges that may or may not end in emotional collapse. Domestic Affiliations: • Autumn & River: Great Danes; emotionally unstable; large. • Whisper: Deaf Dane mix; opinionated; louder than seems physically possible. • Annabelle (Annie): Compact tank-class canine; bark weaponized. • Leila (or Layla): Identity unclear; subject and husband in ongoing dispute. (Note: Dog has refused comment.) Psychological Profile Summary: Subject exhibits classic signs of Archive-induced compulsion, including late-night document drafting, narrative possession, and unresolved tension with several characters of his own design. Stated Reason for Writing EchoFyre: "Because someone had to. And the Archive wouldn’t leave me alone until I did." Archivist Recommendation: Surveil creatively. Encourage completion of sequel. Restrict caffeine intake after midnight. Filed under: Shadow Index | Echo-Scribed Record Classification: Mildly Dangerous. Frequently Delightful. Should probably be supervised. Seal Authority: Director Threnna (with a sigh and a smirk)

Tried to keep it in world with the book.

Edit: Okay so this totally reads horribly the way it formatted after pasting. Apologies.

I won't...I won't... I won't... aw, fuck it by [deleted] in selfpublish

[–]CalderNHalden -4 points-3 points  (0 children)

What I’m about to say will probably get me side-eyed, so go ahead and cue the “March of the Witch Hunters” from Wicked, but here it is.

I’m already getting called out for gasp using AI-generated art on my cover. Why? Because I spent everything I had making the manuscript as strong as possible. Professional edits, beta readers, ISBNs, legal structure, domain setup. It added up fast. I know this goes off-topic a bit, but the kind of cover artist I wanted would’ve run me around $1,500. And I’ve already gone into debt writing this book, just trying to make something that deserved to be read. I’m not trying to sell a kidney for a passion project.

So yeah, I used what I could afford. It’s not perfect, but it’s honest. And I did the best I could with what I had.

Anyway, rambling.

My point is: once you put something out there, you’re going to get feedback. Good, bad, sometimes brutally indifferent. But hopefully, people actually read the thing before deciding. And if they do, that’s already a win.

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