On New Year’s Eve, I got a rather interesting comment on one of my ads from, let’s just say…
A disgruntled illustrator.
She said this:
“Authors that market their work with ai slop likely used gen ai to write their book-”
[For context: Yes, I absolutely used AI images in my marketing — bloody good ones, I might add.]
She then went on to lecture me on how, in certain circles she hangs around in, this can backfire immensely on authors, blah, blah, blah. So, in true witty Watson fashion, I didn’t apologise.
Nor did I try to reason with her.
And I certainly didn’t justify my use of the tool.
Instead, I just replied with:
“And the most ridiculous take of 2025 goes to…”
And it really was ridiculous.
I mean, just because I occasionally watch serial killer documentaries, does that make me inclined to be a serial killer?
Just because I eat meat, does that automagically mean I want to see all animals end up on my plate?
Or what about driving:
Just because I drive to places, does that mean I never walk to them?
OF COURSE NOT.
Yet, if we applied this illustrator’s carte blanche logic, I’d probably be guilty of those things, too.
Sigh.
But you know what?
I get why this illustrator lashed out.
She has likely lost a bunch of clients since the birth of generative AI, and I sympathise with that. Truly, I do. Nobody wants to struggle putting food on the table. But attacking people for choosing cost-effective, time-efficient tools that help them put food on the table will not win you favour.
It will only deter prospective clients.
Case in point:
Not all authors who use AI for ads will use it for, say, character illustrations or scene art. They might want to hire an illustrator for those things.
But would they want to hire someone who makes them feel like a deplorable for using the tech?
Probably not.
I don’t know where else I’m going with this email, other than it would be a far better use of this illustrator’s time and energy to build up her platform instead of tearing others down.
In the same way, I continued writing and publishing books over the past few years despite everyone decreeing “Writing is dead” now that AI has been unleashed on us all.
Yet, every day, I still see posts about authors doing very well.
Every day, I have people reading and listening to my work around the world…
Sending kind comments…
And joining the Legion in droves.
Such is the power of ignoring the noise and focusing on the only thing you can control:
YOUR OUTPUT
If you’re yet to delve into any of my worlds, you can correct that by starting here:
https://djjwatsonstore.com/products/Exiled
DJJW