So as you can imagine with our ongoing AI survey, I have talked to a lot of people (even before that) about AI. And there seem to be two primary reactions: enthusiasm, or fear, although my theory is that those are simply the loudest voices, and most people fall somewhere in between. But let's talk about a few things that might fall on both sides: AI is not a savior, or the devil. It is certainly not the answer to some of the woes of publishing, and may even create new ones (at least temporarily). But in and of itself it is a tool, and tools do not do bad things without evil people to wield them. AI has the potential to do good or bad things, and how that happens is the choice of the user. Digital Privacy and AI. Look, digital privacy has been a myth online for years, and we need to dispel a few things. First, if you use any modern tech, from cell phones to social media in any form, and most email services, and certainly if you own and run a website, have an email list of readers, or use most other tech, your privacy is already compromised to a certain extent, and maybe a great extent. As a public figure, like an author, your image, your name, and at least some information about you is easily found in a Google Search. Because to build the audience and platform you need to sell books, you have to be discoverable. Discoverability is the biggest obstacle most authors face when it comes to marketing. (even though people are more likely to know your name than your face). You can choose, to some extent, how visible you are, but it is extremely challenging to remain invisible and build an author career at the same time. AI is not making that better. It makes it worse, and people constantly give their images to AI to do fun things like put on make up, or make me into an action figure, or try different hairstyles. AI is being used at airports to verify your face and identity. Most people use their face to unlock their phones. This is hard when we see AI in so many things in so many places, and in almost every app we use. Here's the truth: if you are online, you are likely using AI, like it or not. In some places you can turn AI features off, in others it is part of the price of using an app.

Normally on Mondays, I do a Plot Dude's Rug Room time directly for people who have enrolled in my Plot Dude Course, or are VIP members here. But today, I'm offering a special deal. From 10-11 a.m. MST, I am opening it up to any member of this community who wants to join and ask me anything. Here's the link for today: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/84008312147?pwd=iqjRBDgM00wd2gCKUZIcnQUTdGHKww.1

If you are a part of the Plot Dude's Guide to story, or a VIP member, the Plot Dude's Rug room is happening in just a few minutes! If you're not a VIP member, or a student of the course, check out both options. That course is $125 for a limited time still, but very soon the price will go up! You can join as a VIP member and get access to our previous monthly webinars and exclusive content coming soon for just $79 a year. Happy Monday!

AI is changing publishing fast, and we want to know how YOU actually feel about it. Troy and I have launched an Author AI Sentiment Survey specifically for authors, writers, and creatives so we can gather real community insight about AI’s impact on publishing, creativity, careers, audiobook narration, cover design, and the future of storytelling. This is NOT a pro-AI or anti-AI campaign. We genuinely want honest responses from: Authors who love AI Authors who hate AI Authors who feel conflicted or uncertain Authors still figuring it out Our goal is to collect meaningful data from the writing community and contribute to larger industry conversations with actual author perspectives instead of assumptions. 📝 TAKE THE SURVEY HERE: https://printtopro.com/author-a-i-sentiment-survey/ A few important notes:• Please share this with AUTHORS and creatives• We’re aiming for at least 1,000 responses• The survey will only be open for a limited time because AI sentiment is evolving rapidly• If requested, we may later create a separate reader-focused survey We truly appreciate your help with this project. The more responses we gather, the more accurate and useful the data becomes for everyone in the publishing space. — Stacey & TroyPrint to Pro