The “Open Letter Against AI” makes good points, but is ultimately naive

The “Open Letter Against AI” makes good points, but is ultimately naive

A number of prominent authors, including Benjamin Dreyer and Gregory Maguire, recently published an open letter to the publishing industry. (Read the full version here.) I appreciate the sentiment. But a number of the recommendations are, in my view, unrealistic. AI has already been embedded into writing processes, ranging from the grammar tools in Microsoft…

Counterproductive superlatives; Writers against AI; Australia creative grants: Newsletter 2 July 2025
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Counterproductive superlatives; Writers against AI; Australia creative grants: Newsletter 2 July 2025

Newsletter 101: Why writers puff up prose, and why it never works. Plus, an open letter to publishers, AI-generated books that never appear, three people to follow and three books to read. The superlative trap Hey, everyone! I’m the greatest, most talented, most super-accomplished writer that you’ve ever encountered. 🥳🎉🥳🎉 Admit it. You read that…

Blunt

Blunt

If you hire me as an editor and your work has problems, I’m going to tell you. And I’m not going to sugarcoat it, either. These are the kinds of comments I frequently make: I sometimes wonder why people don’t fire me, but so far, with more than 100 clients, no one has told me…