AI & Sometimes the wrong turn ends up taking us exactly where we needed to go
A monster mix-up in the last episode (manticore vs. minotaur, if you’re keeping track) sends host Inger E. Johnson down an unexpected path this week — straight into one of publishing’s hottest debates: AI. She unpacks the difference between generative and assistive AI, shares her own experiment running a manuscript through an AI writing platform, wrestles with where to draw the line on ghostwriting, book covers, and transparency, and even lets AI weigh in on what her personal author “brand” really is. It’s a candid, still-figuring-it-out conversation about technology, authorship, and what makes human storytelling irreplaceable.
Show Notes
- 0:00 – Welcome back & episode recap
- 0:34 – The manticore vs. minotaur mix-up
- 1:57 – Diving into marketing & branding struggles
- 2:21 – Overview of her three books and genres
- 4:07 – The AI debate in the author community
- 4:57 – Generative AI vs. assistive AI
- 6:19 – Why AI is here to stay
- 6:43 – Everyday ways authors already use AI
- 7:59 – Ghostwriting vs. assistive AI (and the Grammarly question)
- 8:53 – Testing an AI writing platform on her own book
- 10:12 – Using AI for research
- 10:47 – The AI book cover debate
- 12:16 – Where do we draw the line?
- 12:41 – Transparency: should authors disclose AI use?
- 14:00 – What AI said about her author brand
- 16:05 – Can AI really write a book?
- 17:09 – What makes human storytelling valuable
- 18:15 – Next week: Metadata Demystified
- 18:37 – Listener feedback & how to reach the show
- 19:27 – Sign-off
Resources Mentioned
Find more tools, warnings, and honest guidance on the Resources page.
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