A rant, a book, and an audiobook

Hello again, Reader.

I've just returned from a week in the mountains, and it was just what I needed after a busy May. Lots of walking in nature, observing wildflowers and mountains and birds and rivers and a lake. Four stars.

A few things for you today:

• A (slightly ranty) post about the AI-by-default infecting our writing environments
• A book give-away (related to the rant)
• News about The Writer's Process audiobook

Resisting AI defaults

I have a nuanced approach in AI's role in writing. I won't cast shade on anyone's decisions about whether or how to use AI as part of the larger writing process.

But I get riled up when the applications and systems we use try to bypass those decisions by constantly prodding us to use AI-generated text, to the point of generating it first and offering it by default.

It's like someone offering you a piece of candy every five minutes when you don't want to eat a lot of sugar.

(My, I'm sounding cranky. Maybe the vacation relaxation didn't last as long as I'd hoped!)

If you've started to notice the AI-generated stuff all around you, you might enjoy today's rant post.

The Book Give-Away

What if you genuinely don't like writing emails, or worry that you're not doing it right? I wrote a short book about that a few years ago: 33 Ways Not to Screw Up Your Business Emails.

It's short, fun, and full of simple email-writing tips. Nothing AI-related, as it came out in 2021.

To enter the drawing, respond to this email by Sunday, June 21 and let me know you'd like the book. (Preferably not an AI-generated response). Three lucky people will win copies, so your odds are good!

Is there a writing-related book you'd like to see in the give-aways? Something I ought to read? If so, let me know!

Audiobook News

If you love listening to books, here's some good news: The next edition of The Writer's Process is winging its way to audiobook distributors everywhere!

ACX/Audible takes the longest time to approve and distribute, so if you use Audible, hang in there! (They haven't taken down the older version yet, either, so look for that black "Revised" flag in the upper right corner to see which one you're lookintg at.)

But it's rolling out to other places:

​Find it on Chirp Books.

​Find it on Apple Books​

And, it's available in Overdrive, so you can ask your library to carry it. (Make sure you ask for the new edition.)

Enjoy what remains of June—and keep writing!

Anne

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PO Box 66285 Scotts Valley, CA 95067

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