● Covered by 1 source · 1 reportMedium impact1 negative
Crime Novel Deal Collapses Amid Unconfirmed AI Authorship Concerns
Key points
- Jerry Falade's novel deal, reportedly over $2M, was withdrawn by his agent.
- Concerns arose about potential AI use in the manuscript's creation.
- The agent stated they could no longer authenticate the manuscript's origin.
- This follows other controversies in publishing regarding AI authorship.
Publishing Deal Withdrawn
A significant publishing deal for the debut crime novel "Call Me, I’ll Hide the Body" by Jerry Falade has been canceled. The manuscript, which reportedly received an offer exceeding $2 million from Minotaur (Macmillan US) after a 14-way auction, was withdrawn by the author's agent, Europa Content.
Concerns Over AI Authorship
The withdrawal stemmed from doubts regarding whether artificial intelligence played a role in writing the novel. Initially, Falade reassured his agents that AI was not used, but during the submission process, an editor raised concerns about potential AI signs. Europa Content later stated they could no longer substantiate the manuscript's origin and completion without AI involvement.
Agent's Decision and Statement
Marc Gerald of Europa Content, the author's agent, confirmed the decision to withdraw the book after a meeting where "aspects of [Falade’s] story changed." Gerald expressed regret for the situation, emphasizing the need for complete faith in the author's work. The agency opted against using AI-detection software, relying on Falade's initial assurances.
Industry-Wide Implications
This incident is part of a growing trend of controversies in the publishing industry concerning AI use in manuscripts. Publishers, agents, and authors are grappling with how to address and verify the authenticity of submissions in an era of advancing AI capabilities. Earlier this year, Hachette pulled a novel due to similar unconfirmed rumors of AI use.
✨ This summary was generated by AI from the outlets' reporting listed below. It is not independently verified and may contain errors — check the original sources. How BrevFeed works →
The daily brief
One email each morning: the day's tech stories, clustered across outlets and summarized. No account needed.
One email a day. Unsubscribe in one click, any time.
Today's brief
Spend a few minutes, get the whole day. Every topic's top stories in one hands-free rundown — listen, watch, or read the transcript.
▶ Play today's brief
New every morning, and the back catalogue is archived by date.
Reporting from
A publishing deal for Jerry Falade's debut crime novel, "Call Me, I’ll Hide the Body," collapsed after the author's agent withdrew it due to unconfirmed concerns about AI involvement in its creation. This incident highlights the ongoing challenges in the publishing industry regarding the detection and authentication of AI-generated content in manuscripts.