From Writer to Publishing Business: Biba Pearce on Indie Publishing, Making Books Pay and AI - ep 37

 

Stella Oni — Author | Speaker | Lecturer | Podcast Host

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TRANSCRIPT

 

STELLA:
Hi, everyone. Welcome to Talking Tech with Creatives, a podcast where we talk about creativity, technology, culture and all the different ways technology connects with creative work.

Thank you so much for listening consistently. Every time I post, you listen, and I really appreciate that. If you’ve been listening regularly, or if you’re new, remember to subscribe wherever you’re listening or watching.

I have an exciting conversation for you today, especially for authors.

My guest is Biba Pearce, and she is a powerhouse when it comes to writing, publishing and the business of being an author. I’ve wanted to have her on the podcast for a long time, and we’ve finally made it.

Biba, welcome to Talking Tech with Creatives.

BIBA:
Thank you so much for having me on, Stella. It’s a pleasure to be here.

STELLA:
I’m so happy we finally got you here.

For those listening, this is going to be particularly interesting if you’re a writer or author and you want to understand the business of publishing, marketing and building a sustainable career.

Biba, I want people to know a little bit about your background first. Give us your origin story. How did you start?

BIBA:
I started like most writers, I think, reading everything I could get my hands on as a child.

I loved genre fiction right from the beginning: romance, crime and fantasy.

When I grew up, I did a couple of writing courses, and it was during those courses that I realised I loved the process and that writing was something I wanted to do one day.

It took a while to get to that point, but I kept learning, writing, practising, doing courses and building my craft.

Eventually, when COVID hit and I wasn’t working anymore, I was able to concentrate full-time on being an author. That was when I really got my opportunity.

STELLA:
Fantastic. I’m going to dig a little deeper.

I detect an accent, so let’s start there. You’re South African.

You write across thrillers, crime thriller series and romance, so you have quite a broad spectrum of experience. That doesn’t come from nowhere. What were your influences growing up?

BIBA:
I think growing up in Africa is a very particular experience. There are a lot of contradictions. Things are rarely black and white. There are positives and negatives.

It’s stunningly beautiful. It’s wild. It can be dangerous.

All those things have influenced my subconscious over the years, and I think they come out in my writing.

I’ve also travelled a lot. South Africa is quite far away from the rest of the world, so when we travel, we tend to travel quite far.

I’ve always had a curiosity about the rest of the world. When I travel, I observe, learn and take notes, and everything I’ve seen or experienced over the years somehow filters into the writing process.

I’m sure that’s the same for a lot of writers. Your experiences shape the writer you become.

When I started writing, South Africa wasn’t as advanced in publishing as it is now. Self-publishing wasn’t really a thing. Agents were few and far between. We didn’t have access to the courses, information and resources that we have today.

I felt quite limited in what I could do.

It was only when I moved to London in my twenties that that world really opened up to me. Suddenly I had access to more information, courses and knowledge, and I was able to travel more too.

STELLA:
When you were growing up, did you know you wanted to write?

Were you good at literature and English? Where did it begin for you?

BIBA:
English was probably my strongest subject at school, which is no surprise now.

I loved it, and I think that was the difference. I actually enjoyed it more than my other school subjects.

But I didn’t know then that I wanted to be a writer because, growing up, it wasn’t really a career option we thought about.

I was more concerned with getting a proper job, making money and then raising my child.

Writing wasn’t really on my radar as a career until I got older and realised that I was spending a lot of time outside my other jobs writing.

Gradually, I was trying to write more and work less.

I was prepared to make that sacrifice and take the financial cut because that was where my passion lay, but I wasn’t ready to give up working completely because I still had to support myself.

It was really only when COVID hit, and I had already self-published a couple of novels, that I made the switch to full-time writing.

By then, I had been following a lot of indie authors online who were doing it for themselves because Kindle had become established.

There were groups appearing on social media where you could learn from other authors. I was seeing all these people making it work and thought, if they can do it, what’s stopping me?

I used to work in tech. I had good knowledge of websites and platforms, so I realised I had a skill set I could transfer into publishing, particularly indie publishing.

I started doing more and more of that until eventually I made it my full-time job.

STELLA:
You said you had already self-published some books.

Did you try traditional publishing first, or did you intentionally decide to self-publish?

BIBA:
When Kindle came out and the first indie authors started appearing, I decided to experiment.

I had written a romantic suspense novel. It probably wasn’t very good, but I thought, let me see if I can get it onto KDP, the Kindle Direct Publishing platform.

I wanted to understand the process and learn how the product page worked.

I managed to publish it. It didn’t do much, to be honest, but I didn’t really know what I was doing at that point.

I wasn’t aware of promotion, advertising, networking or community.

It was simply an experiment, but the important thing was that I did it and learnt from the process.

A couple of years later, when I had another book, I approached it more seriously and more effectively.

It was a slow process, but while I was still working full-time, I continued learning on the side.

So by the time lockdown came around, I felt ready. I felt I had enough knowledge to do it properly.

STELLA:
What year did you first self-publish?

BIBA:
A long time ago! It must have been around 2006.

STELLA:
The reason I ask is because I follow Joanna Penn, The Creative Penn, and groups like 20BooksTo50K.

Everybody thinks differently, but you made the decision that this could eventually replace your full-time job.

How did you make that transition?

BIBA:
It was because I was seeing other people do it.

In groups like 20BooksTo50K, there were people making five or six figures a year. Some were making that in a month.

Some had fewer books than I had written. Some were earlier in their journey than I was. Some had fewer technological skills than I had.

So I think there was a little bit of FOMO.

I was sitting in a day job that I didn’t want to be in, browsing these groups and thinking, what are these people doing that I’m not doing? How are they getting this right?

I started paying very close attention.

At the end of the day, I think it came down to self-belief. You reach a point where you think, there’s nothing stopping me from doing this. I have the skills. I just need to do it.

STELLA:
I’m quite cautious by nature, so I’m interested in when you knew you could really do it successfully.

You were also able to write quickly and produce books consistently.

There was a period when rapid release was talked about a lot. Authors would write several books and release them close together because the first book could drive sales into the next ones.

Did you follow that model?

BIBA:
Yes and no.

When I first started, I was very sporadic because I hadn’t really understood that yet.

Once I started taking it seriously, I knew about rapid release.

And there’s nothing like deadlines to make you finish a book!

I’m also an outliner.

I read a couple of books and articles that helped me fine-tune my outlining process.

The first was around the Snowflake Method.

I would start with one line, then two lines, then a paragraph, then several paragraphs until I had fleshed out most of the plot.

I also added research notes.

This was all longhand at first, and I gradually built up a document containing everything I needed before I started writing.

Then I read Save the Cat, which helped me move from having a sprawling notebook full of notes to an actual three- or four-act structure with specific beats.

Once I understood that, it replaced some of the Snowflake approach and became more of a hybrid system for me.

Then I would take the Save the Cat outline and break it down chapter by chapter.

I’d say, this chapter needs to contain this beat, this information, this character development.

I try very hard not to put anything into my stories that doesn’t need to be there.

As a reader, I get bored if an author goes on too long about something that doesn’t drive the story forward.

So everything I put into a story either contributes to the plot, develops the character or motivation, or perhaps becomes a clue later in a mystery.

Nothing is wasted.

STELLA:
That explains why your books are fast-paced.

Let’s move to the business side, because this is Talking Tech with Creatives.

When we talk about business, we’re also talking about technology.

You already understood technology, and you were able to combine that with your creativity.

But it still takes boldness to step away from a stable job.

You’ve said that seeing other people do it helped you.

BIBA:
Absolutely.

But lockdown also gave me the opportunity.

If that hadn’t happened, and I hadn’t lost my job, I can’t honestly say I would be where I am today.

If I’d kept my job through COVID, I might never have taken the leap.

It was a combination of things: what I knew, the skills I had, what I wanted to do, and the opportunity that presented itself.

STELLA:
You’re now what we might call a hybrid author.

You work with publishers such as Joffe Books and Liquid Mind Media, and you also have your own independent press.

Talk us through that model.

BIBA:
I love being a hybrid author because it feels like a safety net.

It prevents me from having all my eggs in one publishing basket.

Self-publishing came first, although not very successfully.

Then I got the deal with Joffe Books.

Through that process, particularly the editing and publishing process, I learnt a huge amount.

STELLA:
What did you learn?

BIBA:
I learnt how to self-edit properly.

I learnt about different editing passes: structural, developmental, line editing and proofreading.

I learnt about publishing schedules: when the cover design would happen, when promotions would go up and how the process fitted together.

I had read about all these things before, but it’s very different seeing them applied professionally to your own books.

Joffe were great to work with, and I had a fantastic editor.

There was a good back-and-forth, and I took everything I learnt from that experience into my own publishing label.

They really helped me understand what I do now.

Liquid Mind Media was another opportunity that presented itself.

STELLA:
Where are Liquid Mind Media based?

BIBA:
They’re based in the US, and it’s the publishing label associated with L.T. Ryan.

He’s a very successful crime writer in the US, and the imprint now publishes other authors too.

STELLA:
And then you created Mortlake Press.

Why did you decide to start your own press?

BIBA:
After learning so much from different publishers, and while still self-publishing my romances under a pen name, I wanted the credibility and professionalism of having an imprint.

I knew what that world looked like now, and I wanted to apply that same standard to my own work.

So I started Mortlake Press.

Now, everything I write where I retain the rights is published under my own imprint.

STELLA:
At what point did you start seeing your writing as a business?

People often say you can’t make money from writing.

True or false?

BIBA:
It’s a difficult question because there are so many different ways to write and publish.

If you’re writing one book a year, it’s going to be harder to make money than if you’re producing more.

If you’re traditionally published, the royalty model is different from self-publishing.

If you’re selling direct, that’s another model again.

Then there’s Kindle Unlimited, where you earn from page reads, but if you’re wide, you forfeit that exclusivity.

There are so many different ways to publish now.

That’s why being hybrid works so well for me, because I can choose the model that best suits each series.

If someone’s main aim is to make money from their writing, then a faster release schedule in Kindle Unlimited with a long-running series is probably one of the strongest routes.

Direct publishing is also becoming more important because you can keep more of the revenue, although marketing and advertising still come with their own challenges.

For me personally, I do lots of different things.

Some series are exclusive to Amazon and in Kindle Unlimited. Those tend to be my longer-running series because page reads help sustain cash flow.

Joffe’s publishing model is also heavily digital and Kindle Unlimited.

I also have a romance series with nine books, and the read-through works well for me there.

STELLA:
That brings us to backlist.

You were able to build a solid nine-book series, put it into Kindle Unlimited, and that gives you recurring income.

So over time, if you’re consistent with your writing, you can begin earning from multiple areas.

BIBA:
Exactly.

It takes time to build up enough books and series.

I have some series that are wide. I have books I sell directly through my website. I have books with Liquid Mind Media that are co-authored, so there’s a royalty split there.

I diversify quite a lot.

But again, that comes after years of writing and building up multiple series.

STELLA:
Let’s talk about crowded markets.

Crime, thrillers and romance all have very competitive markets.

How do authors stand out without losing their own voice?

Some people say they write purely because they love writing.

For me, I write because I feel compelled to write, but I want to sell too.

I’m interested in monetisation and building different business models.

Passion doesn’t put food on the table.

So for people listening who want to make writing into a business, how do they stand out?

BIBA:
It is a very crowded marketplace.

A lot more people are publishing, and of course we can’t ignore the influx of AI-generated books.

But I think the author’s voice is what makes them stand out.

That is something specific to the individual.

Our experiences, travels and everything we absorb over the years go into our books.

That affects characters, plots, resolutions and motivations.

That becomes your unique selling proposition.

Once readers get to know and like your style and voice, that’s something they come back for.

It’s your way of telling a story.

But first, you have to make sure you’re putting out a good book.

Good books are what rise to the top in a crowded marketplace.

And good books are what make readers come back for the next one.

So if you can write a book people genuinely want to read, your voice is what helps you stand out.

I don’t think AI is able to replicate that in the same way, at least not yet.

STELLA:
Since you’ve brought AI into the conversation, let’s dive into it.

There’s a huge divide among authors.

I work in technology as a technical writer, so I’m quite comfortable using AI to do heavy lifting for me.

Anything that helps advance my work, save time or save money interests me.

Then you have authors using generative AI to write. They prompt the work, they consider themselves authors, and some are making substantial amounts of money.

That’s their prerogative.

Then you have another group of authors who hate AI with a passion.

And I understand that too, particularly because of the way the models were originally trained, using creators’ work without permission.

That anger exists across the creative industries.

You also have people like me who use AI behind the scenes for business processes but still write our own work.

At the same time, publishers are using AI.

Book retailers are starting to grapple with AI-generated books.

So where do you think all of this is going?

BIBA:
I’m going to try to be as fair and diplomatic as possible because I also have a tech background.

I’m an early adopter of technology. I love technology.

I was the first person in my family and among my friends to have a computer, to start programming and to build websites.

So when AI arrived, of course I was excited by the possibilities.

I see it as an exciting development in the technology landscape.

Its potential impact on businesses, particularly small businesses, is enormous.

It removes barriers we previously had.

It gives us extra tools.

It makes life easier in many ways.

It can help analyse data, optimise results and act as an assistant.

It can do a lot of the heavy lifting for businesses like mine and for indie authors.

I also understand why many authors are against it.

I’m part of the Anthropic civil case because books of mine were used to train AI. A publisher I worked with realised that some of my books had been included and put in a claim, and I had to confirm they were mine.

That said, I do use AI for things like research.

If I need to know what a particular landscape looks like somewhere I’ve never visited, AI might be one of the tools I use.

You still have to fact-check everything.

In crime or romance, perhaps an occasional detail is less critical than it would be in historical fiction, but readers will notice if you get something wrong.

For me, AI is a tool.

I would never let it write my novels because I feel very strongly about my personal voice.

I know my readers like the way I write, and that’s what they’re coming back for.

I don’t want to shortchange them by getting a machine to do that part for me.

But I’m definitely willing to use AI in other parts of my business if it frees up time to write more, helps me research or learn, or helps me reach more readers.

That includes things like website optimisation, translations and audiobooks.

Those are areas that were previously expensive or inaccessible.

So from my perspective, I embrace it.

But I’m also aware that publishers are using it and retailers may increasingly be selling AI-generated books.

Those books will compete with the books I’m putting out.

There’s nothing you or I can do to stop the technology developing, so I think the best thing is to focus on producing a good product, building your readership and community, and giving readers something they want to return to.

STELLA:
There are two things I want to tease out.

The first is ethics.

Training a model itself is not inherently the problem if someone comes to you and says, “We’d like to use your work to train this model. Do you give permission?”

Then you have a choice.

The problem was that permission often wasn’t sought.

The second issue is licensing.

We’re already seeing organisations looking at ways creators can opt in and be compensated when their work is used for AI training.

So rather than companies simply taking work, the future may involve licensing agreements between technology companies, publishers, licensing agencies and authors.

The author gives permission and receives compensation.

That feels like a more sustainable model.

But looking further ahead, how do people future-proof themselves when the competition might include machine-generated books?

What advice would you give people trying to navigate that landscape?

BIBA:
I think it comes back to why a person wants to write.

People write for different reasons.

Some people have one story they want to tell. They may publish one book or one book a year and do it mainly for personal fulfilment.

That is very different from an indie publisher like me who relies on the income.

I’ve made writing my career, so I’m concerned with optimising my business in the best way I can, regardless of what tools I use.

That makes logical sense for me.

Someone who simply wants to write their book and get it out there may not be affected by AI in the same way.

If you’re trying to make a living from self-publishing, though, AI is going to have an impact.

If you’re completely anti-AI, and I respect everyone’s decision on that, you may find some areas of the future more difficult because the marketplace is becoming more crowded.

There are more authors publishing. There are more authors using generative AI.

For people running publishing businesses, AI can offer an advantage because it can streamline processes, free up time, analyse data and help reduce costs.

You can decide where you want to spend your limited budget.

You don’t necessarily need to pay for every individual task in the same way you once did.

For example, translations and audiobooks are expensive.

I’ve paid human translators for the first few books in one of my series because I always want to give human translators or narrators work where possible.

But the reality is that a good book translation or audiobook narration can cost several thousand dollars per book.

If you have a nine-book series, it becomes very difficult to make that investment back.

AI platforms can reduce those costs enormously.

So I’m trying to strike a balance.

I want to give humans the work, but I can’t afford to give humans every piece of work.

STELLA:
What have you found with AI translations?

BIBA:
The technology is improving month by month.

We’ve been testing AI translations and looking at reviews.

The translated books have been getting four- and five-star reviews, similar to the human translations.

We haven’t seen a major dip in quality perception, sales or reviews.

But we’re doing it thoroughly.

We run multiple passes and check repeatedly.

We experimented with bringing in a human proofreader after the AI translation, but interestingly, that sometimes created quality issues.

STELLA:
Why?

BIBA:
I think every translator brings some of themselves into the work.

They have their own style.

When you combine an AI translation with a human translator who then imposes another style on top, the two can clash.

We eventually came to the conclusion that it needed to be one approach or the other.

So we still run multiple checks using different AI platforms and language models.

By the time we produce the final product, it may have gone through four, five or six passes.

And even then, it’s still substantially cheaper than paying for a full human translation.

STELLA:
That leads into the future of creative professions.

Editors are saying some of their work is disappearing.

Illustrators, translators and others are concerned too.

Should people specialise more?

Should they niche down into areas where machine-generated work can’t easily compete?

I recently spoke to an editor who is expanding his business because he sees huge demand for developmental editing.

At the same time, others are saying the work is disappearing.

So perhaps it comes down to understanding where the market is going and adapting.

What do you think?

BIBA:
The impact varies between industries.

AI can do editing, but it still needs to be prompted.

It needs to understand what it’s looking for.

It may need a style sheet.

It needs information about your style and what kind of edit you want.

That all still requires human input.

So I think roles are changing rather than necessarily disappearing.

I know a graphic designer who is busier than ever because he’s using AI.

He’s doing things he never had the ability to do before.

His clients are asking for more complex work that can be done with AI, but he’s still the person with the knowledge and foundation skills.

He knows how to prompt, fine-tune, tweak, package and deliver a better product.

So his job hasn’t disappeared. It has adapted.

The same is happening with narrators.

Some AI platforms allow narrators to license their voices and earn royalties when their voices are used.

That means instead of spending hours in a studio recording one project, theoretically their voice can be licensed across multiple projects.

It isn’t simple, and anyone considering it needs to research the implications very carefully.

But it’s another example of how roles could evolve.

I don’t necessarily think it’s the end of creative jobs.

I think those jobs may have to change and absorb AI into what they do.

STELLA:
I think the human element may eventually become premium.

You may get something almost artisanal, where people are willing to pay more because something has genuinely been created or performed by a particular person.

Narrators are a good example.

Some established narrators are in demand precisely because of their unique voices and personalities.

People want what that individual brings to the storytelling.

That’s difficult to replicate meaningfully.

I spoke recently with a filmmaker who has worked with celebrities, including David Beckham.

I joked about the idea of cloning Beckham for advertising.

He said if you flooded the market with cloned versions of David Beckham, eventually people wouldn’t value it the same way.

The reason brands pay for David Beckham is because he is David Beckham.

There’s scarcity and authenticity attached to that.

BIBA:
Exactly.

Human narrators might become rarer, and perhaps that makes them more desirable.

We just don’t know where the lines will fall.

STELLA:
I’m a techie, so I love technology.

But I also love things that are original and artisanal.

I’m writing a series set in a luxury hotel, and part of what fascinates me is craftsmanship and the kinds of unique things people will pay a premium for.

So I think in the future, originality may carry a premium.

People will still value something because of who made it and what that person brings to it.

I recently tried to narrate one of my own short stories.

There were two main voices.

I could do the main narrator reasonably well, but the second character sounded so ridiculous that even I was annoyed listening to myself.

So I asked a friend’s daughter, who is an actor, to listen to it.

She was very diplomatic and suggested we go into a studio and record it together, with her doing the second voice.

So that’s what we’re going to do.

I still want that original human voice.

Whether I’ll do every future story that way, I don’t know.

But I want to do the first one properly.

BIBA:
That sounds amazing.

STELLA:
Let’s pivot slightly and talk about translation markets.

Which markets have worked well for you?

BIBA:
The only books I’ve translated myself are the books where I own the rights.

I’ve launched them in Germany, France, Italy and Spain.

Germany has been by far the strongest and most responsive market for me.

That’s with my romances.

I haven’t released crime novels into foreign-language markets myself because most of the translation rights for those are held by publishers.

The one crime series I control is the Shrap Nelson series, but that’s only two books at the moment.

STELLA:
When you entered the German market, was there a complicated setup process?

I’ve heard about different tax requirements, addresses and publishing rules.

BIBA:
I published through Amazon KDP.

From the platform side, it’s fairly straightforward. Instead of choosing English, you choose German.

There are other publishing platforms, but many of them are geared towards traditional publishers or require agents.

For indie authors, Amazon is one of the most accessible.

Obviously, the manuscript needs to be properly translated, and all the keywords and metadata need to be translated as well.

Each market also has its own specific requirements.

Germany, for example, has an Impressum requirement, which means certain author or publisher details need to appear in the book.

Germany also has fixed book pricing rules, so you need to understand those before publishing there.

There are a few market-specific rules worth researching before you jump in, but the actual KDP publishing process is fairly straightforward.

STELLA:
Let’s talk about formats.

Are you planning to do any special-edition books or Kickstarter campaigns?

BIBA:
I would love to do a Kickstarter.

It takes a lot of planning, especially because I haven’t done one before.

With my current writing schedule, I haven’t had the time to dedicate to all the extra work that comes with it.

But it’s definitely something I want to do.

I’m working on a dark romance series, and I’d like to create a special edition and make it exclusive to Kickstarter first.

Hopefully that will happen next year.

STELLA:
You mentioned your writing schedule.

How many books do you write in an average year?

BIBA:
Usually about five or six.

So in a good year, I average roughly one book every two months.

Of course, sometimes life gets in the way.

I don’t necessarily publish every book in the same year.

Sometimes I build up several books in a series before releasing them.

It’s not necessarily about rapid release.

It’s more that if I’m going to spend money on advertising, I’d rather have several books available so readers can continue through the series.

You’re unlikely to break even on advertising with only book one.

The read-through is where the economics start making sense.

STELLA:
Tell us a little about advertising.

If people want a very deep dive into author marketing, they should absolutely listen to Joanna Penn’s Creative Penn because she has an enormous back catalogue on that.

But give us a sense of how you approach advertising.

BIBA:
I don’t do huge amounts of paid advertising.

I usually wait until I have about three books out in a series before considering it.

Then I might run low-level Amazon ads or some Facebook ads.

I tend to use Facebook ads around special occasions, promotions or book launches rather than running them heavily all the time.

That works better for my books.

I nearly always advertise the first book in a series.

The aim is to drive traffic to book one and then rely on read-through.

Hopefully readers fall in love with the characters and stories and continue through the series.

That’s my approach.

STELLA:
And what about formats: ebooks, print and audiobooks?

Which work best for you?

BIBA:
Ebooks are the priority for me, particularly because many of my series are in Kindle Unlimited.

That’s where I get the most read-through.

I also sell paperbacks through Amazon under my own label, and my publishers produce paperbacks too.

Audiobooks usually come later.

For my crime series, publishers often control the audiobook rights, so they outsource those to audio companies.

I don’t really have control over when those appear.

With my romances, I’ve been experimenting with ElevenLabs audio, but I haven’t released anything yet.

I’m not sure the technology is quite where I want it to be.

I’d love to pay human narrators, but again, with a nine-book series, cost becomes a major factor.

So I’m keeping an eye on the technology.

STELLA:
You mentioned AI tools earlier.

You’ve been experimenting with Claude Cowork and Claude Code as well?

BIBA:
Yes, I’ve done some tasks with Claude Code, but I’m still very new to agentic AI.

I’m experimenting cautiously.

I’m careful about what I give it access to and which workflows I let it touch.

Most of my AI usage is still generative AI, where I’m asking it to perform a specific task such as research or brainstorming character development.

Those are quite contained tasks.

I’m not yet giving it broad access to systems, platforms or anything involving my readers.

I’m very protective of my unique voice.

So even when I use agentic tools, it will be for things like data analysis or identifying opportunities and optimisations that I might otherwise miss.

STELLA:
That brings us to GEO.

We first heard a lot about GEO at London Book Fair.

For anyone listening who doesn’t know the term, tell us what it means.

BIBA:
GEO is about optimisation in the new AI-driven search environment.

The way we search is changing.

Previously, you typed a keyword or query into a search engine and received a list of websites.

Those websites were ranked based on things like keywords, authority and relevance.

Now, with Google Gemini and other AI-driven search systems, AI often gives you an answer directly.

You don’t necessarily click through lots of websites.

The AI looks at information from different places and formulates a response for you.

So if we want our businesses, websites or products to appear in that new environment, we need to think not only about traditional SEO and keywords, but also about whether our websites are structured in a way that AI systems can understand and retrieve information from.

It’s a huge subject, and there’s still a lot I don’t know.

But I’ve started implementing some changes on my website based on that.

STELLA:
That’s something I want to explore in much more depth on the podcast.

Search is changing rapidly.

And one thing that becomes crucial is checking information.

I read something recently about Google being challenged legally over incorrect information that appeared in an AI-generated search summary.

I won’t quote the exact case because I’d want people to go and verify it, but the broader issue is interesting.

If AI gives you an answer directly and that answer is wrong, where does responsibility sit?

BIBA:
That is interesting.

But regardless of the legal argument, if I were using information for something important, I would still check it.

The same way we used to research something online and cross-check several sources before putting it into a document, thesis or legal case, the same principle applies to AI.

You can’t simply take everything at face value.

AI is pulling information from what exists.

So you still have to verify it.

STELLA:
Absolutely.

Biba, one last question before I let you go.

When you look at the future of authorship, publishing and genre fiction, what excites you, and what worries you?

BIBA:
I love what I do.

I love writing books and jumping between genres.

Some people are mood readers. I’m a mood writer.

I might write a very dark crime novel and then need a palate cleanser, so I’ll write a romance.

That lets me explore different kinds of characters and different emotional journeys.

Then I might want something more psychological or gripping and switch again.

Because I have series across several genres, I can decide what I want to write next.

That’s exciting.

What worries me?

A lot.

AI and the possibility of books flooding the market worry me.

The changing landscape worries me.

The competition we may face worries me.

But all I can control is my response.

I can keep learning, as I always have, and use the tools available to the best of my ability so I can maintain a career that I love.

That’s really all any of us can do.

STELLA:
Thank you so much, Biba.

You’ve shared an enormous amount, and I’m so happy we finally managed to have this conversation.

We did have a technical problem today. My external microphone stopped working, so I’ve been using the computer microphone, but we got the interview done!

Where should people go if they want to find you?

BIBA:
Probably my website, bibapearce.com.

If anyone has a question, there’s a contact form there.

I’m also on social media, usually under Biba Pearce.

STELLA:
Thank you, Biba. I really loved having you on the podcast.

BIBA:
Thank you for having me, Stella.

It’s been wonderful chatting. It feels like we’ve been sitting in a coffee shop having one of our usual conversations about technology, AI and small business.

STELLA:
That was Biba Pearce.

It was fantastic talking to her about publishing, her writing process, the business of being an author and the ways she uses technology and AI within that business.

I already have ideas for some of the conversations coming next.

I want to explore immersive experiences in tourism, return to technology and reading, and continue looking at the different ways technology is changing creative work.

But I also want to hear from you.

You can find me on Instagram at @stellaoni_official and on my other social platforms.

Tell me what you would like to hear on Talking Tech with Creatives. What subjects would you like us to explore? Who would you like me to speak to?

And, of course, subscribe, follow and listen wherever you get the podcast. Every bit of support helps me continue producing these conversations and bringing you useful, interesting guests.

I’m also planning a free masterclass. I already have the topic, and I’ll share more once I’ve developed it further.

I’m also working on a free toolkit that I’d like to share with you.

So take care, and have a lovely morning, afternoon or evening, wherever you are.

Bye.