reading – Ted Clifton's Grain of Salt Commentary

Human Thinking or AI Regurgitating?

I’m still debating AI when it comes to writing but must admit I’m sold on the art part. AI is a whiz. The art stuff this brainy machine can create is just amazing. Artists, I’m afraid your time is up; writers, well why don’t ya hang around for just a bit.

Asked ChatGPT to write descriptions on three of my books. They all were very promotional, hyped marketing pieces of verbiage. Now, I do not know how AI knows those books, but they contained some material that directly tied to the book (with notable inaccuracies like the name of the main character) but mostly contained generalized language based on the genre. If I were giving a grade, all three would have been B+. I tend to grade my self-written book description as C-. So, AI would be hired by me before I would hire me to write book descriptions.

Okay, the descriptions were good, above average but not perfect. I tweaked the descriptions and will probably use them—they are better than the ones I wrote, the main reason I would say writers are still somewhat safe is that they were very similar. There was a sameness to the descriptions and the errors were obvious ones. The main character or the location of the story would not be mistakes a writer would make. For now, I still give human writers a slight edge.

AI Book Description for Dog Gone Lies by Ted Clifton

Get ready for a wild ride through sun-drenched vistas of New Mexico in “Dog Gone Lies” by Ted Clifton, a gripping mystery novel that will keep you guessing until the very end.

When ex-Sheriff, turned private investigator, Ray Pacheco is compelled to track down the owner of a lost dog, he thinks it’ll be a routine matter. But as he delves deeper into the seemingly simple assignment, he uncovers a tangled web of deception, betrayal, and murder lurking beneath the surface of this picturesque Southwestern state.

With the help of his trusty companion, Tyee Chino, Ray follows a trail of clues that leads him to a cast of colorful characters, each with their own secrets to hide. From odd-ball eccentrics to ruthless drug dealers, everyone has something to lose – and Ray soon finds himself caught in the crossfire of a deadly game where the stakes couldn’t be higher.

As tensions rise and the body count mounts, Ray must use all his wits and instincts to untangle the truth before it’s too late. But with danger lurking around every corner, he’ll need to stay one step ahead of his adversaries if he hopes to crack the case and bring a killer to justice.

Fast-paced, action-packed, and full of twists and turns, “Dog Gone Lies” is a must-read for fans of gritty crime fiction and pulse-pounding thrillers. With its richly drawn characters, atmospheric setting, and edge-of-your-seat suspense, this novel will keep you glued to the page until the very last word. So, strap in, hold on tight, and get ready for a rollercoaster ride through the gritty landscape of New Mexico with Ted Clifton’s electrifying new novel.

The above description has a few changes I made but it was 95% AI generated. It took AI about 20 seconds. My few minor corrections took about 20 minutes.

I asked AI to write a blog about AI written book descriptions. Below is the blog.

Title: Unleashing the Power of AI: Writing Compelling Book Descriptions

In the ever-evolving landscape of publishing, authors and publishers alike are constantly seeking innovative ways to capture readers’ attention and stand out in a crowded market. One such innovation that has been gaining traction in recent years is the use of artificial intelligence (AI) to write book descriptions. Let’s delve into how AI can be a game-changer in crafting compelling book blurbs that entice readers and boost sales.

1. Harnessing Data-Driven Insights:

AI algorithms can analyze vast amounts of data, including bestselling book descriptions, reader preferences, and market trends. By leveraging these insights, AI can identify patterns and characteristics that resonate with audiences, helping authors tailor their book descriptions to maximize engagement and appeal.

2. Generating Attention-Grabbing Content:

AI-powered natural language generation (NLG) models, such as GPT-based models, excel at generating coherent and persuasive text. Authors can input key details about their book, such as genre, plot summary, and target audience, and AI can produce a polished and professional book description that highlights the book’s unique selling points and hooks readers from the outset.

3. Optimizing SEO and Discoverability:

With the proliferation of online bookstores and digital platforms, discoverability is paramount for authors seeking to reach their target audience. AI can help optimize book descriptions for search engines by incorporating relevant keywords and phrases that improve visibility and organic traffic. By enhancing SEO, authors can increase their book’s discoverability and attract more potential readers.

4. Personalizing Recommendations:

AI-driven recommendation engines can analyze reader preferences and behavior to generate personalized book recommendations. By incorporating AI-generated book descriptions into recommendation algorithms, authors can increase the likelihood of their books being recommended to readers who are most likely to enjoy them, thereby driving sales and fostering reader loyalty.

5. Iterative Improvement and A/B Testing:

AI enables authors to conduct A/B testing of book descriptions by generating multiple versions and analyzing their performance metrics, such as click-through rates and conversion rates. By iteratively refining and optimizing book descriptions based on real-time data and feedback, authors can continuously improve their marketing strategies and maximize the effectiveness of their promotional efforts.

While AI offers immense potential for revolutionizing the way book descriptions are created and optimized, it’s important to note that human creativity and intuition remain indispensable. Authors should view AI as a powerful tool to augment their creative process rather than replace it entirely. By collaborating with AI, authors can unlock new possibilities for crafting compelling book descriptions that resonate with readers and propel their literary careers to new heights.

AI time: 10 seconds.

How did you like the highlighted sentence about humans being indispensable? Was that AI sucking up to potential customers? AI is several things, fast, verbose for sure, the brain of a marketing machine, has an ego it wishes you would not notice (its recommending itself because it’s a computer–{I can do this…better than you can}–I wonder is that anti-human?) and smart. Smart in ways (vast amounts of current data) that “normal” humans are not. That smart part is what is going to put humans on the back bench very soon. While on the bench, we will be able to read 59 cent novels that all feel oddly very similar.

Fish Out of Water

One of my real talents is beginning things. The initial idea on any subject immediately attracts my attention. ‘In the works’ projects are pushed aside as the new idea lights up– beaming and alluring. Combining this questionable beginning skill with my diverse range of interests has created an interesting hodge-podge of results.

This tendency is very evident in my business career. I won’t list the jobs I’ve had, but it’s quite a few and diverse. The real informative mix is in business ventures. I owned ice cream stores, a concession operation, and shoe stores before I was thirty. They were formed, fed, and managed with an on-going eye towards innovation—many of those ideas did not work out so well. I had some success, nothing huge, but I learned a lot. Now what I describe as innovation someone else might say was a lack of focus and jumping from one thing to another. I won’t argue that, but to me it seemed to be inspired innovation. From there I have owned a printing business, real estate development company, BBQ concession stand, CPA practice, consulting practice, and an M&A advisory business. A couple of those were disasters, some were okay. That leaves out the ideas that never became a reality and buries in the mud a few that did.

A large portion of my diverse focus was on creative activities. Painting, acrylic and watercolor, wood sculpting, digital art and, of course, writing.

I think you can see that talent I mentioned in beginning things; what I may lack is an ability to finish. Admitting a need for diversity is more an excuse for jumping around than a real explanation. I’ve completed 14 books, but it was an effort—not to start, but to finish. Currently, I have 4 books in progress. They are at various stages of completion. That is the same status they have been over the last few years. Almost every day I have a new good idea for a book, that’s the easy part. What is hard, at least for me, is finishing those “old” good ideas.

Because it is my weakness, I admire people who can focus on one thing and finish it without jumping around testing new ideas. Maybe it’s a cluttered mind, or a lack of concentration; but I’m the happiest with several things going on at once.

One of those ‘in the works’ projects was a book with the working title of “Mr. and Mrs. Sims”. The story takes place in rural Oklahoma (Indian Territory) in the 1920s. Hugo, Oklahoma to be exact. I had been doing some research for a different story (I see a pattern) which had a connection to Oklahoma when I discovered the Newspapers.com website. This is a site with digital files of old newspapers for most areas of the country. I found a huge number of newspapers from rural areas including Oklahoma with amazing articles. Crime and agriculture were prominent in almost every edition. This distraction led me to the Sims idea.

Mr. Sims is one of the first people to have graduated with a degree in the new fields of study; criminology and sociology. At that point in time there was no demand for that knowledge in law enforcement, so he had also gotten a degree in agriculture at Oklahoma State University. He and his wife have been sent to Hugo to establish an agriculture extension service supported by the school. Of course, as you would guess, he becomes involved in solving crimes.

This crime solving employs all the new ideas, such as autopsies, dental analysis and bite patterns, eyewitness testimony, fingerprinting, foot molds, footwear identification, handwriting analysis, weapons identification and analysis, and the gathering of evidence at a crime scene.

It’s a fish out of water story with Mr. Sims butting heads with Sheriffs and most everyone who thinks he should stick to seeds and not crime solving.

I thought the story was a great idea but have had trouble finishing. I’m currently writing on this book again–I think I see the finish. Each of my unfinished books has a problem that I’ve had trouble solving. Under those circumstances my first option is usually to start a new venture. Oh, wait; I’ve got a great idea!

However, with the Sims story I believe I solved the problem. It was always about writing. If you stop, you have trouble starting again–the trick is; don’t stop.

Reading for Pleasure

A strange thing happened to me when I started writing; I stopped reading. From a very early age one of my great pleasures was reading. If you’re a regular reader of this blog you know that my favorite “literature” as a child was Classics Illustrated comic books. The great joy I experienced then has continued throughout my life—I have read lots of books. And I mean lots.

Then I decided to try my hand at writing a book. It was kind of a lark based on an encounter with a “published” author. This was in a social setting and the person was a creative writing instructor at a local community college. He and I got along—we agreed on a lot of important stuff; like politics. Our wives got along, so we ended up socializing on other occasions. At one of those he gave me his book—the only one he had written, I think—which apparently experienced a level of success and was published by a known publisher. I read it (at that time I read everything) and decided it was okay but nothing special; still I was impressed that he had written a book and it was published. Based on the grade school playground logic of “if he can do that, so can I“— I decided to write a book.

It was day one in my new writing career. I won’t go into the ugly details, but it was mostly a disaster. Nothing was easy and no one (other than maybe my family) gave a crap about my sudden declaration of being an author. The whole experience was demoralizing. I did write a book; sort of. It was a mess. I just jumped in not knowing what I was doing and thought some sort of inspiration would take over and guide me to a great book. The inspiration never showed up. What I learned is that writing is hard.

After that experience, I licked my wounds for a while; but eventually decided I still wanted to be an author. Now I knew I needed guidance, professional people to assist in the editing, cover design and all sorts of things to produce a successful book. From that first experience, it was almost six years before I wrote again. Some of that time was healing time, but most was doing the things I should have done before. I began to do the prep work on becoming an author. I found people to help me in various areas and spent time thinking about writing, reading about writing, and studying about writing.

Once I decided I knew enough to try again, I started writing. That book was The Bootlegger’s Legacy. The whole experience was different. It was still not easy. I had worked on an outline and got about three chapters into the book and decided it was not going well—but rather than scream, I started over. The second attempt worked. I finished the book and was pleased with the result. That first “real” book won a Benjamin Franklin Award from the Independent Book Publishers Association and I was hooked. Suddenly, I really was an author.

During the writing of The Bootlegger’s Legacy, I found it was disruptive for me to read other books. Not sure why or if this happens to other people; but it was difficult for me to enjoy reading because I was comparing it to my writing. I was critical of the writing; I couldn’t seem to concentrate on the story, because I was focusing on the structure, or punctuation, or the totally stupid way the author said something. I had never done that as a reader before. Now I was a critic.

I stopped reading. That was about five years ago and I have rarely read since. I was a person reading dozens of books a year and enjoying the experience. But now, due to my writing, I couldn’t enjoy reading other people’s books.

The primary way I learned to be an author was by reading. Now my head was full of my stories and other people’s stories just interfered. So, I guess, today I write because I need something to read. Four Corners War was just released. I worked for a long time on that book—I’ve written before about that experience so I won’t retell it here; but it was a very difficult project for me over an extended period. By the time it was done, I was mostly exhausted by the whole thing.

After a little lull in writing, I decided to actually read the finished book; Four Corners War. Okay, I shouldn’t say this, I liked it –a lot. News flash, author likes his own book!

There were points in the process, like time schedules, deadlines, and endless editing that made me lose sight of the actual story. Even if it is my book –it’s a good story about characters I have come to know as people and care about. I’m glad I have the book to read. Of course, if need be, I could always return to my childhood favorite Classics Illustrated comic books.

Thanks for being a reader!