Tag: BETHEAUTHOR

by Jackie Houchin

You have all heard of ghostwriting. That is when famous people who don’t know how to write will hire a writer to tell their story. There are days and weeks of interviews, drafts to check, rewrites to slog through, cover art to approve, and then … the beautiful book. Your book … almost. Your title and name are on the cover, but you did not actually write it.

This is great for the ghostwriter, who can make a tidy sum of money if she is willing to put up with a lot of guff from the “famous person.” She can be proud to see the book printed and perhaps sold on Amazon. But it’s a secret pride. And only if the “famous person” shares her name can she get a few “kudos.”

One of our own Writers in Residence members is a ghostwriter of many volumes.

Now, think about a ghostwriter that any “Mary, Sue, or Kathy” can hire for a very low sum. A brief interview with some questions answered, a few thoughts on how the “not very famous” person sees their book, and a selection of cover art to choose from. Voila! Your book is done, and a copy (or two or three) is mailed to you in a couple of weeks.

One of our own Writers in Residence members has “hired” just such a ghostwriter. Me. And three copies of “my” book cost me a mere sixty bucks.

And, you may ask, just who is this super-cheap ghostwriter? His name is Art. Artificial Intelligence, or AI, as he is more often known. Yes, I crossed into the writer’s no-no land of AI. And you know what? It was super easy.

I found BeThe Author on Facebook (where else?). The advertisement showed several happy people receiving books that loved ones had “written” for them about themselves. They were all surprised and very delighted. Shots showed them deeply engrossed in reading their own stories. The ad ended with an enticing question. Did I want to try BeTheAuthor for a relative or friend?

I paused, mesmerized by the possibility. My husband’s birthday was coming up in a matter of weeks. I pictured him with a book in his hands, HIS photo with some automobile art on the cover, and a fun, easy-read adventure/mystery where he was the main guy, with just 200 or so pages.

That’s all it took. I signed up and answered some questions about my Hubby’s personality, likes and dislikes, habits, hobbies, quirks, and dreams. I found a photo of him working on some building project and uploaded it. BeTheAuthor (aka AI) immediately gave me six cover art options featuring my Hubby and his hot rod. I picked one, filled in my address and payment info, and pressed “Do It!” (or actually, “Order.”)

Two weeks later, EXACTLY on his birthday, the package arrived. He picked up “his” book, a slow smile coming to his face. “What’s this?” he asked, turning it over to read the back cover.

I told him what I’d done, and he opened the first page. Standing there, by the kitchen table and the other (forgotten) mail, He began reading. He turned a page and kept reading. Then he moved to a soft chair, leaned back, and read all of the first chapter.

I was so excited and pleased. My Hubby is not a reader, except for a few hot rod magazines. But he was reading.

Today, he’s almost finished. He’d told a few other guys about “his” book and given one of the extra copies to our son.

Would I do it again? Yes, yes, yes. I know it’s not my own creativity. It’s not my own words, or much of my own ideas. But it has given pleasure to someone I love.

…..

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Since then, I’ve seen many similar offers on Facebook, with different results. BookNova, Booky.ai, Chapter.pub, and WriteABook.com are just a few. Some of these will take YOUR outline or even book draft and create the finished novel. BookVa offers to create a graphic novel for you with a story idea and an extra photo or two.

And some offer elderly people a “memoir” to give to their children. The old gals or gents answer quite a few questions about their lives, some even via recorded phone calls, and “their life story” is created for the generations to come.

There’s a wide audience for these AI Ghostwriting offers, especially these “personalized” books. They are enticing, and I believe some will be thrilled with the results. I truly loved my “Hubby’s Book.” (The only thing I would change would be to offer more DETAILS on the questions they asked.)

But yes, I know. These are not the classics that true, human writers will create and that will endure and inspire. But for now. I’m happy with what I did.