Red hanging out with the pink flamingo.
Have you heard about this trend? You don’t have to be a writer. You don’t have to be an artist or an illustrator. You don’t need technical skills. But you can make money self-publishing children’s books on Amazon!
It’s called a side hustle. I talked to my kids about it and they said it’s a “thing” right now. They said there are numerous books, seminars, podcasts and youtubes that tell you how to make passive income with AI generated children’s books on Amazon. They’re unaware if anyone is making money selling children’s books, or if it’s the people pitching the “how to” deals who are increasing their monthly incomes.
I guess having a degree in journalism, a career in public relations, writing for magazines, newspapers and having a weekly column and blogging isn’t necessary to become a published author. I can toss my dog-eared “Strunk & White” good-bye.
I have written children’s stories and had small successes being published in children’s magazines, the LA Times, and even included in a text book by Houghton Mifflin. I won a couple competitions for children’s stories including children’s fiction for Writer’s Digest. I got a contract from a small book publisher — and biggest mistake in my writing career — I turned it down! Oh my. If I could only turn back time.
Now I understand my years of work is all for naught. Anyone can do it. And apparently they can make a living at it. And guess what else? It only takes minutes to create a book, thanks to ChatGPT and AI.
Check it out for yourself. Google something like “Make money with AI children books on Amazon.” You’ll find too many websites and youtubes to count that will give you all the secrets of success.
I wonder how this new AI trend will effect writers’ careers and book publishing? I know many of my blogger friends are writers and have either self-published, used traditional publishers — or hybrid. With a flood of AI books on the market, how do you think it will affect writing careers? Do you think people are making money at this?
Please share your thoughts on selling AI children’s books on Amazon.
Here’s a shout out to my published author-blogging friends — in no particular order:
“Surviving Sue,” Dr. Vicki Atkinson, Victoria Ponders
“Finding My Father’s Faith,” Wynne Leon Surprised by Joy
“The Bayou Heist,” Eve Marie, cupcakecache
“Grow Damn It!” Cheryl Oreglia, Living in the Gap
Yeshiva Girl, Rachel Mankowitz, RachelMankowitz
“Cora’s Quest,” “Ever So Gently,” and others, Lauren Scott, Baydreamer
I’ve read a few AI generated stories and they do lack depth! I wouldn’t want to pay for such a book.
Thanks for your comment. I have only seen a few news articles that were AI generated and they were shallow and had errors.
Yes, shallow is the right word.
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So timely! I was at an event yesterday and met author and educator, John Warner, who just wrote “More Than Words” about writing and AI. His workshop was fascinating and I’m eager to read his book. He is a passionate leader raising concerns, ringing the alarm about AI and its insidiousness.
Thank you, Elizabeth, for your post and for the sweet callout of “Surviving Sue”. 🥰
I will have to look up John Warner. I have never been a fan of AI and have worried about what the implications would be. Thanks for letting me know about his book. “Surviving Sue” is a book that connects with my own life. 💕
Love you for all of your support about my “Surviving Sue”. 🥰
John Warner’s written several great books about writing… and still writes weekly for the Chicago Tribune and often for Inside Higher Ed. So much for me to learn about AI from him.
Xo to you! 🥰
This is the first I’ve heard of John Warner. I started reading a review of “More than Words.” This stood out to me, so far: “He argues that writing is an inherently human act, shaped by individual experiences, emotions, and intellectual engagement. Unlike AI, humans do more than generate words; they craft meaning, interpret the world, and engage in self-expression.” That is a good description of everything you put into “Surviving Sue.”
Oh my goodness! Look at what you did right there! You’ve encapsulated so perfectly why his perspective is so appealing to me. You’re amazing! 🥰❤️🥰
You are amazing! He summed exactly what makes writing a human endeavor and not something a machine can create. 💕
I knew you’d like his perspective! I just didn’t know you’d be writing about this topic today. Beautiful synchronicity! 🥰❤️🥰
Yes! Or maybe it’s a coinkydink 😊
So perfect! Yes! 🤣🥰🤣
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You lost me at AI book. It will be the death of publishing and original writing. Boo to that.
It’s worrisome that people are embracing it.
Many want the fast road to some idealized level of glory or fame and the chance to make a quick buck or two. Those aren’t real writers IMO. Trend is the key word and these meaningless, AI generated “books” will fade away once enough people spend their money to find they get nothing and start making Tik Tok videos and reviews about how awful these books/authors are.
Thank you for that. I can’t see a flood of AI generated books lasting like “Goodnight Moon,” or “The Very Hungry Catepiller” or Dr. Seuss. Those books have lasted for decades and parents continue to buy them for their children today.
Yeah- I’m afraid this will hinder writers. There are already so many fewer readers coming up and if books are “shallow” (AI written), and it is difficult to weed through them to find well written (by human) ones, people will lose interest. Or, as AI gets better, it will take over the industry. AI isn’t going away. Businesses are scrambling to figure out what it means for them and how to embrace it. They’re able to do much more work and pay fewer salaries in almost every industry. I think life as we’ve known it is about to change dramatically and I’m about to become terribly “old school” and possibly “obsolete” because I can’t keep up with how quickly the AI landscape is forming and already changing. As you know I’m going to need to find a new job. I wrote a great (I thought) LinkedIn profile and updated my resume. My son suggested I use AI, because it knows all the keywords it searches for (AI is sorting resumes for almost every recruiter and company). I did as he suggested and I couldn’t argue- the AI written one was much better. Sigh. It feels fake to me. But this so the world we’re diving into.
I know you’re looking for a new job. I wish you all the best in your search! In today’s world you’re correct. Companies don’t have to pay for writers or other employees saving money using AI. I remember when I worked in PR and we got Macs for desktop publishing. That meant our company didn’t have to pay outside graphic designers and we could do their work in house. Then I went out on my own and had clients. Then everyone in the world thought they could prepare their own flyers, newsletters, etc. after they bought computers and I lost business. But they would leave out basics like addresses, times or dates, etc. It drove me crazy. As for keywords on your resume your son is probably correct. My son tells me that computers read the initial applications and resume — not people. They search for keywords. The world is changing.
More bloggers turned authors to know about! I’m glad you did this, there are some here that I didn’t have on my list a few weeks ago.
I’m against AI on principle. It is plagiarism software and as such anything that comes from it I do not want to be part of.
I’m glad I introduced you to some new blogger/authors. You make a good point about AI and plagiarism. The machine copies styles from existing authors. I don’t know what can be done about it, except to keep writing and sharing our thoughts, experiences, emotions and humanity.
I LOVE the picture of Red. It’s so good, Elizabeth!
I bet you can make dozens of dollars becoming a newbie children’s book author. 😉 But I think the only ones making thousands of dollars are the people pitching the how-to’s. Isn’t that how it works?
Thanks for the shout out! Hope you have a fabulous Monday!
I’m so glad you like the photos. I had scheduled this post and then saw your flamingos at the zoo! I think you’re correct about who is making the money on children’s books. I don’t think any of my blogging/author friends are getting rich from their books on Amazon — and they aren’t AI generated. Of course, I hope you all are! Have a great Monday, too!
I love the photo of Red, Elizabeth, and I have to Boo about AI like the others. I want to write and compile my own books without any help of AI. I have CoPilot on Word on my mac and can’t get rid of it. Anyway, thanks so much for the mention! I appreciate it! 💗🙏
I was thinking of all the work you and the others I mentioned have done to create your books. It rubs me the wrong way that people would skip the process and use AI. Red is getting very friendly and greets me by the driveway whenever I come home. I loved that I got the shot on the flamingo.
That’s how I feel too. I love that about Red, and yes, wonderful shot!
Thanks! 😊
That’s how I feel, and that’s great about Red. It’s a wonderful shot. This may be a duplicate, not sure.
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Well, maybe it is time to reach out to AI. I know I sold about a hundred or so books over the past two years. No fortune made.
That’s really an impressive number of books sold. My son works for a crowdfunding company. I want to self publish my great grandmother’s set of cookbooks she published in the 1890s and early 1900s through the company my son works for. He told me I need 5,000 followers to be successful. He said with 5,000 emails I can expect to sell 100 books. So you’re doing just fine. I wonder how many of these AI authors are selling that many?
Thank you, E.A. Wickham. You made my morning commute easier by hearing this!
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Oh don’t throw that Elements of Style away quite yet! Nice try. You were trying to get rid of that weren’t ya? Carrying it around all these years. Figured AI gave you the opportunity to finally trash it. Ha ha, au contraire! AI and Amazon may be dropping the bar … but I, as one reader, would much prefer to read whatever comes off your pen or keyboard versus the slosh that comes out of AI! It’s the rage now but I still see too many issues. Amazon doesn’t change that!!!!!🎉🎉🎉🤣🤣😎😎
Thanks, Brian! I will hang on to the little book a while longer. I agree, I’d much rather read your posts than anything AI. As for making $10,000 a month on Amazon, let’s say I’m a bit skeptical.
Ugh! This drives me crazy! But I believe the genuine writers will still be able to sell their books. AI does not compare, as others have commented, they lack the depth of a real person. They lack the heart, and the true readers out there will be able to tell the difference!
Sure, they may make money, but think about it. There are imitation pieces of art that still sell, but if you hold up an imitation piece next to a genuine piece done by the true artist, it pales in comparison.
Keep writing! The right people will keep buying.
I agree 100% with you and I don’t know if they are really making any money. I’d like to know what the stats are. Seriously, as Wynne stated in her comment, it’s probably the people selling the “how to” classes who are making money rather than writers. AI doesn’t embrace emotions, humanity and our hearts. It replicates human words and is allowing people using it to not have to think.
Exactly! And when people stop thinking it is scary.
Vicki mentioned a book called “More than Words” by John Warner in her comment. I googled reviews for it and founds quotes where Warner said students are not using critical thinking or reading as deeply if they use AI. What a scary time the next decades will be with people not thinking!
I have no interest in reading books generated by AI. And I think most readers will agree with that sentiment. We’ve read predictions about the demise of independent bookstores for decades, but they seem to be doing fine. That is where I get most of my books (though I will occasionally get a Kindle book—written by a human).
But as a researcher, I am learning ways that AI can help me deal with the vast volume of documents and information I must compile and analyze. It can also be used to generate questions based on my work that can steer me in directions I hadn’t considered, like an on-call critique group.
There are certainly reasons to be concerned about potential pitfalls of AI and it may turn out to be dangerous to humanity in the end. That genie is not going back in the bottle, though.
I agree that I don’t enjoy reading AI articles and I’ve never read an AI book. I did read that it could be a useful tool for students and writers, like spell check has become. You made that point with your research. It shouldn’t become a substitute but a help to writers.
Yup, it’s definitely “a thing” right now and so is AI music and AI influencers on social media platforms. It’s interesting that AI took over so much so quickly.
I had no idea!
I know exactly what you mean and as I said in my post today about the future of blogging, it’s a real worry. Thanks for heads up to come over for a read of your very timely post. We need to be supporting all writers as much as we can. I had no idea of the extent of writing books using AI though.
I had no idea either. After having a career in writing for my entire lifetime, also older than 60, this is so upsetting to me.
Popped over after reading your comment on Debbie’s reinvention story on her blog.
I’ve been reviewing books for years and seen how hard it is for writers of children’s books to sell them, there is such a decline in reading from the younger generation that outside of the classic children’s books, only a few author’s find success.
I expect the idea with this AI creation for writing is that it can rely heavily of pictures and ‘simpler’ words or rhyming stories, but even with this I struggle to see where the sales will come from with children preferring other past-times.
As this trend gathers steam I can see that it will have been the first ones in who made a bit of money and everyone else who spreads the news and tells people about it, what I call the ‘peripheries’, who make anything afterwards.
I predict a quick burn-out on this, although some will run with it in other genres and areas.
Thank you for your thoughtful comment. I agree that classic books sell, because parents are choosing books for their children to read. Other than that, it must be tough to sell books. I also think the get rich quick scheme of AI books will burn-out.
They are trying to use AI for EVERYTHING. Did you hear about people who have AI friends, they talk to them as if they are real people. That’s big right now too.
Oh no! That is too much! A friend emailed me a series of AI videos and an AI program to enhance my photography. We’re not allowed to touch up or crop our photos for the class I’m taking. The point of the class is how to take photos and use the camera.
Great, like that, because your instructor is teaching you to have a keener eye, get it right the first time. Of course, a little clean up would be OK in the future.
You’ve got it exactly right! He’s having me look at distracting things in the background, or off to the side. I’m learning about framing a photo better and noticing what’s in the background. After I finish this class, I will lighten up photo that are too dark, or do some cropping.
I still believe speaking from the heart, no matter what artform we are talking about, will never be replace by AI. Well, I should probably not say never, but not for the time being at least.
I agree with you. We have the humanity and heart. A machine does not.
I told CHatGPT to act more human…
now it takes forever to make a decision and still says,
“I need more data”.
That’s a good one! 😅