Ron Does Stuff

Another week, another round-up of book news!

Translation subsidy program extension

Are you looking to translate your Filipino book to English but don’t have the funds to do it? The National Book Development Board has just announced that it is extending the application deadline for its translation subsidy program. Interested applicants have until December 17 to apply for grants that total up to P200,000

HarperCollins AI deal reaction

Last week, Bloomberg reported that HarperCollins is the publisher that’s entered into a three-year deal with Microsoft that allows the tech company to use the publisher’s “select nonfiction backlist titles” to train its still unnamed AI. The Verge has already quoted author Daniel Kibblesmith as being against it, and now Publishers Weekly have more authors and even agents voicing their thoughts about this deal.

The publication quotes Authors Guild CEO Mary Rasenberger, who appreciated that the deal is an opt-in and will not be part of a standard publishing contract. On the other hand,t he Association of American Literary Agents AI Working Group is urging agents to proceed with caution.

Publishers Weekly also points out that it looks like HarperCollins is the only one pursuing a deal like this. Simon and Schuster, Penguing Random House, and Hachette have not licensed any of their authors’ work.

Backlash against startup using AI to publish books

Spines is an online book publishing platform that promises to “help any author proofread, cover design, format, print, and distribute over global channels — zero tech know-how required” with the aid of AI is not getting any love from the book community, at least as The Guardian reports it.

Here’s some of the quotes that The Guardian has compiled from different authors and publishers.

“these dingbats … don’t care about writing or books” – Independent publisher Canongate

“These aren’t people who care about books or reading or anything remotely related…These are opportunists and extractive capitalists.” – Author Suyi Davies Okungbowa

The Guardian also quotes Anna Ganley, chief executive of the UK’s largest trade union for writers, illustrators and translators, the Society of Authors, who delivers a scathing assessment of Spines.

“It is very unlikely to deliver on what an author is hoping they might achieve, it is most unlikely to be their best route to publication, and if it also relies on AI systems there are concerns about the lack of originality and quality of the service being offered – even if there are guarantees (which we suspect are unlikely) that the AI system in question was not developed by using unlawfully scraped copyright content.”

Ouch.

The evolving role of libraries in the States

There’s a story in the Associated Press about how libraries in the United States now offer free health and wellness classes and I can’t help but feel a little jealous. Here where I am it’s hard to even find a library, much less one that caters to different needs other than reading. Check the story out!