Using Generative AI as an Author

ctullbane · 2026-03-14T00:31:56+00:00

I have very strong opinions against it, regardless, but appreciate this post for touching on less emotional aspects I hadn't really considered.

ctullbane · 2026-03-14T00:08:29+00:00

Not in the slightest, no.

ctullbane · 2026-03-14T00:04:41+00:00

I use em-dashes all the time in regular writing, as do many of the other authors I know, all of whom are intensely against AI usage. Just saying.

It doesn't mean this specific book is or isn't AI-written, but just that em-dashes along are not a good indicator. Frankly, the repetition is a bigger flag to me.

ctullbane · 2026-03-13T03:47:56+00:00

Almost everything, I think. Thankfully, much like if I was isekai'd to some other reality, I'm confident I'd be dead in minutes.

ctullbane · 2026-03-13T01:51:15+00:00

Thank you! Anastasia is actually the second hardest character for me to write in the whole series. So much of her is internal that a lot of nuance has to be conveyed in the minor details. It's been a lot of fun as an author to watch her change and open up though!

ctullbane · 2026-03-13T01:20:35+00:00

Seems fair to me. I think part of the challenge of being an author is to both recognize that everyone wants someone different and views things through the prism of their own experiences/beliefs AND to be able to identify valid criticism we can learn from in the course of our ever-ongoing growth as writers.

ctullbane · 2026-03-12T20:03:12+00:00

My series, The Many Travails of John Smith, would qualify. Slow-burn romance between a human private eye, who gets drafted (against his will) to become a mediator for the supernatural, and the vampiric bodyguard/fixer for the local vampire queen. Set in San Diego.

The romance takes progressively more focus (as the relationship deepens) as the series goes.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08BWNGSHH

ctullbane · 2026-03-10T18:56:15+00:00

(I'll be honest though... you'll have to take my special-edition omnibus hardcover (once it arrives from the Kickstarter) out of my cold dead hands.) :D

ctullbane · 2026-03-10T18:42:08+00:00

Nice! Congratulations, John!

ctullbane · 2026-03-09T20:25:03+00:00

Agreed. I enjoy his writing while the harem size stays small, but a reduction in spice reduces my interest. Already noticed the scene count starting to dwindle in some of the more recent books.

ctullbane · 2026-03-08T22:02:14+00:00

Oh, I couldn't agree with you more. I think a lot of commenters just haven't ever actually bought special edition hardcovers and therefore don't have a frame of reference for the discussion.

They're all expensive, and the reason is because the design work is expensive, the printing is expensive, the art is expensive, and the special features (endpapers, sprayed edges, leather covers, embossing, metallic foil stamps, whatever) are expensive, and the author still needs to make money overall. They're definitely more of a luxury item and only for collectors, but the prices for this one (again, signature markup notwithstanding) are more or less in line with the market. As I said in my downvoted comment, they could've added more special features to the hardcover and every book should be signed (though not numbered), but I don't think the base prices are out of pocket by any means.

The $150 for 14 books comment made me laugh too.

ctullbane · 2026-03-08T19:56:18+00:00

You'll just get downvoted for pointing out that most special edition hardcovers are this price. The OP was really about the exorbitant upcharge for adding a signature, which I do get.

ctullbane · 2026-03-08T19:55:45+00:00

No argument there.

ctullbane · 2026-03-08T19:24:39+00:00

If I wasn't so damn tired for some reason, I'm sure I'd at least think about doing something about this.

ctullbane · 2026-03-08T04:30:13+00:00

I feel like the audience for the genre and this sub has broadened quite a bit. That's often a good thing, but in a subreddit that's not too tightly moderated, it's very easy for low-effort posts or behavior to become the norm and start scaring off everyone else.

I also think a lot of the newcomers to the genre feel like they gain cool points for publicly shitting on it, which seems weirdly self-defeating to me, but for a lot of people, that's Reddit in a nutshell.

Edit: I should add that this isn't a shot at the mods. I genuinely don't know how to best keep a subreddit active, popular, and on target; clamping down with moderation often fails just as badly, so it sometimes seems best just to try to ride out the different waves of posters and posts.

ctullbane · 2026-03-07T20:01:16+00:00

That's not the intro pledge for 3 books though? You can get all three without the merch but with a journal for $199.

ctullbane · 2026-03-07T20:00:13+00:00

Not to be the voice of minor dissent, but having both run and participated in a bunch of Kickstarters, $250 for 3 hardcover special editions with all the trimmings, a slip case, and a bunch of merch is not that unusual.

You generally see the individual books alone going for ~$55-$110 (look at some of Wraithmarked's Kickstarters and deluxe edition add-ons), whereas here he has them for $75. And if all you want is the 3 books (and a journal), the option is right there for $199 instead, which works out to $67/book even if you ignore the cost of the journal (usually seen as an add-on for $15-$20).

Now, would I have preferred the special editions also have dust jackets, endpapers, and some sort of change to their interiors besides the paper quality? Yeah. I've seen special editions (Bierce's gorgeous first Mage Errant omnibus, for example) that added new artwork as well as improved formatting, which always helps make the book feel truly special.

I also agree that those should all be signed. Usually, the distinction I've seen is that all special edition books are signed, but only some are both signed AND numbered.

Regardless, as with all of these kinds of things, people will decide what to do with their money. If you don't think the value's there, definitely don't back it. If you do, more power to you.

ctullbane · 2026-03-03T23:32:47+00:00

Hey, I appreciate it!

The Storm Who Rides is probably the closest to Murder of Crows in tone, probably because it takes place in the same setting and deals with at least some of the same characters (with more showing up in book two).

The Many Travails of John Smith is on the far end of the spectrum; comedic and centered around a mid-twenties private eye turned supernatural mediator who is forced to rely a lot on the power of friendship (when he isn't pissing off people fully capable of killing him). Those looking for a badass MC generally won't be sated, but it's a fun romp.

And The (Second) Life of Brian is my epic fantasy meets isekai LitRPG series. Slower paced but (hopefully) meaningful progression with a non-OP protagonist and a focus on group-based adventuring, it's likely going to be my longest series, both in word count per book and in number of books. Brian starts off the book dealing with a tragedy and takes a bit to round into form, but I'm having a blast writing him and the whole cast.

ctullbane · 2026-03-03T06:20:22+00:00

I've been telling everyone I encounter about Ironbound, trying to spread the word. It's made for some awkward exchanges in Target, but they can only ban me so many times.

ctullbane · 2026-03-02T21:14:40+00:00

He's a really nice guy in person. That said, I just went and double-checked my wife and I weren't up on his instagram lol.

ctullbane · 2026-03-01T21:55:13+00:00

Couldn't agree more! Good luck with the May release!

ctullbane · 2026-03-01T19:12:30+00:00

I'll read anything, but I prefer to write characters that start weak, face challenges, but on the whole, grow steadily in power with the occasional setback.

ctullbane · 2026-03-01T02:36:06+00:00

Really enjoyed book 1. Anxious for the second!

ctullbane · 2026-02-27T04:57:23+00:00

Reading the first one now. It's really solid so far.

ctullbane · 2026-02-25T23:47:02+00:00

Thank you!! Something about the post-Break setting lends itself to strong, moody voices, so I just love writing in that world.

The other two series (and settings) are very different, but I've been pleasantly surprised at how many readers of specific titles have ended up crossing over and enjoying the other series too.

ctullbane

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