The publishing world has been shaken after a multi-million-dollar debut crime novel was pulled from release following accusations that the author used generative artificial intelligence
The publishing industry was rocked today by news that a debut novel bought for over £1.5million ($2million) was pulled after the use of artificial intelligence was suspected.
The auction for the hotly anticipated crime novel saw fourteen publishers bid for the right to publish in America. It was due to be published in a two-book deal with Minotaur, an imprint of Macmillan’s St. Martin’s Press, with plans to publish it in 2028.
The Bookseller reported that the book “received multiple six-figure offers following a competitive multi-way auction in the UK.” Although details about the author’s identity remain unknown, Deadline revealed that the unpublished debut is titled Call Me, I’ll Hide the Body.
The author’s primary agent Marc Gerald at Europa Content and UK agent Sandy Hodgman at Hodgman Literary submitted the manuscript to publishers as part of the selling process in July. Gerald told The Bookseller: “The book was stunningly good, everyone fell in love with it.” The agents, however, withdrew the novel after doubts arose.
Publishing insiders told Publishers Lunch that those who had read the manuscript alleged that the book contained “many of the hallmarks of AI, including negative parallelism, off-kilter metaphors, and a flat prose style.”
The author, who remains anonymous, spoke to The Bookseller after the fall-out from the AI controversy. They said: “The story, characters, scenes, humour, structure and voice came from me, and I have time-stamped drafts, written notes and dated WhatsApp messages documenting the book’s development. I am also concerned that AI-detector scores are being treated as conclusive evidence.
“I tested passages from books published in 2012 and 2017, and the software classified them as 98 and 99% AI-generated, despite their predating the widespread availability of generative AI.
“Within six hours of the rumours, I lost US, UK, translation, and screen opportunities without being given a proper chance to explain my writing process.”
This incident comes on the heels of a landmark controversy earlier this year when publisher Hachette cancelled the US release of Mia Ballard’s horror novel Shy Girl over similar AI concerns, reported by the New York Times.
The book – which was set for a US debut after selling 1,800 copies in the UK – was also pulled from British shelves, marking what The New York Times identified as the first instance of a major publishing house pulling a commercial novel due to evidence of AI usage.
Ballard strongly denied using AI herself. She explained to The New York Times that an acquaintance hired to edit her original self-published draft had introduced the AI-generated material without her knowledge.
Devastated by the fallout, Ballard noted she is pursuing legal action over the incident, sharing that the situation has left her mental health “at an all-time low”.
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