Literary Agents

If you're an author these days, you're getting at least five emails a week from people who claim to be book club presidents, social media experts, Goodreads gurus, and more. The shadiest ones are "I like your book. Can you tell me more about it?"

It's only designed to hook you in with flattery, so they can sell services. But how do you tell who is legitimate? What if you overlook an opportunity because you're wary of the scams?

This week, I have seen this email going around where an email from rebeccalogan.editorial@aol.com purports to summarize your book with an easily recognizeable churned AI summary and then claims she wants to know about your current and future literary projects.

Now, it's getting insidious when scammers are impersonating real people or real book conferences in the guise of extracting money from you. 

Recent discourse has begged the question: Why aren’t men reading fiction? Are they reading anything at all? In this monthly series, we’re talking to men in literary spaces about the books they think other guys should check out right now. Whether it’s revisiting a classic, getting engrossed in a memoir or devouring something fast-paced and action-packed, there’s bound to be something here for any reader to enjoy.

If you have yet to pick up a book this summer, you are truly missing out on months’ worth of stellar new releases and debuts. Luckily, we have another superb collection of books to read this month — titles that are both old and new — from literary men with curated taste. Feast your eyes on one of these before the end of July.

If you’re looking for some more recommendations, I thought I’d share what books I currently have on hold at my local library. There’s Yesteryear, the Caro Claire Burke debut about a modern-day “tradwife” influencer who goes back in time to the 19th century; The Correspondent by Virginia Evans, an epistolary novel that follows the life of a retired lawyer through sent letters and Theo of Golden by Allen Levi, a bestseller that feels reminiscent of Tuesdays with Morrie.

• Publishing Industry Reels from Generative AI Controversies and Disputes
• Major Technology Companies Ensnared in Litigation over AI Training and Use
• Commercial Value and Credibility of AI-Generated Content Continue to Erode

Noise surrounding generative artificial intelligence (AI) is intensifying across the publishing and literary sectors. Disputes have proliferated, with novel contracts being withdrawn over suspected AI use and the results of writing competitions and literary prize deliberations being overturned. Market observers attribute the turmoil to changing perceptions of AI-generated content. AI, once regarded as a symbol of innovation and efficiency, has become a stigma that fuels distrust over authenticity, quality, and accountability.

Novel Publication Abandoned over Suspected AI Use

According to reports published on Aug. 4 by The Wall Street Journal, The Guardian, and other international media outlets, the contract for Nigerian American author Jerry Falade’s crime novel “Call Me, I’ll Hide the Body” was recently withdrawn without warning. The book had been one of the most closely watched debuts in the U.S. and U.K. publishing markets. Minotaur Books, an imprint of Macmillan, secured the publishing rights after offering an advance of more than $2 million in a competitive auction involving 14 publishers and had planned to release the novel in 2028. Film and television production companies had also expressed interest in securing adaptation rights before publication.

The situation reversed after allegations emerged that generative AI had been used in the work. On July 31, the agency that brokered the contract emailed publishers to announce it was withdrawing the manuscript, saying it could no longer verify the process through which the book had been created, from its initial conception to the completed draft. The agency said it had initially accepted the author’s claim that no AI had been used, but lost confidence after his account changed during subsequent discussions. Falade denied the allegations, saying, “The story, characters, and prose are all mine,” and adding that he retained timestamped drafts, notes, and conversation records. He also argued that existing AI-detection programs have high false-positive rates and are unreliable, while none of the editors or publishers involved in reviewing the manuscript had raised concerns about signs of AI use.

Following a very successful first year, the Nero New Writers Prize in association with Brunel University of London returns, with submissions opening today to find a new winner.

Launched in 2025 to celebrate the very best unpublished writers in the UK and Ireland, the Nero New Writers Prize aims to discover the writing stars of the future and support their development. Entrants are asked to submit a previously unpublished short story (a piece of fiction or narrative non-fiction) of max 5,000 words. It can be written for children or for adult audiences and should be a self-contained piece of work. The winner of the Nero New Writers Prize will receive a cash prize of £3,000, alongside a scholarship to study for an MA in Creative Writing at Brunel, and an introductory meeting with a literary agent, facilitated by the university.

Alongside the New Writers Prize will be a new award dedicated solely to students who are currently studying at or have graduated from Brunel in the last two years. The winner of the Brunel Prize will also receive a scholarship for an MA in Creative Writing at Brunel, plus a cash prize of £1,000.

Both prizes will be judged by bestselling author and Nero Gold Prize winner Paul Murray. He is joined on the Nero New Writing Prize panel by Bernardine Evaristo, Booker Prize-winning author and Professor of Creative Writing at Brunel, and Helen Cullen, Reader in Creative Writing at Brunel. He will separately choose an overall winner for the Brunel Prize from a selection of entries.