Open letter to Kindle: Authors concerned about your use of AI

Dear Kindle Direct Publishing,

I’ve been publishing to the Kindle store since 2012, when my debut novel Sade on the Wall was a quarterfinalist in your Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award contest. I’ve published dozens of titles in your Kindle store since. I’m so grateful for the platform you provide indie authors and how it revolutionized self-publishing. However, I’m deeply concerned about how you’re implementing AI.

Many authors have expressed concerns about the beta Kindle summaries feature, provided by AI. A number of complaints have been filed about errors in the summaries and trope lists the AI generates for books. There is no way for authors to opt-out of this feature, nor is there any way for us to correct the errors.

Authors spend hours crafting summaries, descriptions, trope lists, and more to market our books. We’re required to input some of these things into our book’s metadata in KDP. I’m not sure why KDP decided it was necessary to roll out an AI tool to do this, inefficiently at that, when authors make these resources readily available in KDP and on our websites and social media. I’m also not sure why there’s no way for authors to opt-out (personally, I’d prefer if something like this was opt-in).

Furthermore, KDP has yet to explain how authors’ books are being used by the AI or update your TOS regarding this feature. My books are involved in lawsuits of multiple instances of AI companies using artists’ work to train their LLMs without knowledge or permission. I don’t consent to my work being used with or to train any AI. I want to ensure that my work isn’t used without license. Your lack of response to authors’ queries about how our books are being processed by the AI is most concerning, especially in light of all these lawsuits.

I’ve decided to pull all my titles from the Kindle store until these issues are addressed. I’d like to see KDP continue working directly with authors for marketing materials, rather than rely on AI. I’d like to see AI tools and features made opt-in and editable for authors. And I’d like to see your TOS updated to outline in clear, direct language how authors’ books are being used.

KDP was once an underdog, supporting authors who are also underdogs. I’d like to see this dynamic and relationship continue. I’m so grateful to the many other platforms available to authors for carrying on this spirit, and I hope that KDP will course-correct.

Thank you for the time we’ve had together, and thank you for hearing me out.

Sincerely yours,
Elizabeth Barone

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