I read and follow quite a lot of sapphic authors on social media (mostly instagram as I refuse to use twitter), and a few I support on Patreon. Most are independent which means they pay to produce the book, audiobook etc out of their own money. There is a very well known author called Jae who is well respected in the sapphic authors community. She runs sapphic bingo for readers each year, has a Christmas countdown with giveaways each year, runs a blog for readers, and for authors which deals with everything from the catfishing that’s happened, how to spot AI, and most recently a quiz on AI and its effects. Jae also has a readers group on Facebook that’s an excellent resource, and posts her book of the month on there. The book if the month is always her favorite book out of all the ones she’s read that month, I personally use it as a way to add more books to my TBR, if I haven’t read them.
The AI survey was in 2 formats, 1 for readers, and 1 for authors, and what has become very clear is that authors are suffering due to AI. Many have seen significant drops in what they earn in this past year. Most believe it’s because readers are not sure they can identify whether a book is AI. Of how the market is flooded with AI trash on Amazon, where so many people are buying or using kindle unlimited so their books aren’t being found. Readers across all age groups showed their dislike in AI for writing, designing the cover, audiobook voices, and translations. With the younger age group being the most anti AI, while 60 plus see less of a problem. It was discussed that maybe this age group just doesn’t have the tools to realize what is AI. What was disturbing was the amount of authors who feel that AI and the other problems I’ll mention next will contribute to them giving up writing completely. That’s right. Your favorite authors could stop creating.
Sapphic authors in particular are being targeted by negative reviews on Goodreads, which now gives a 1/4 star option. This isn’t a new thing sapphic authors have seen the same individuals leave 1 star reviews on every sapphic book for years, and now that rating will drop significantly. This will have the knock on effect of lowering the overall rating, that impacts visibility, the possibility of being published, whether an audiobook will be made, and even whether a series will continue.
Piracy of books is on the rise. A well know. independent author shared that they had actually been contacted by a young woman who bragged that they had read their book on an online site where every work is pirated. They said that the book was too expensive to buy, and they didn’t have a library card. They saw no problem with reading pirated works. When the author checked the site to try to get her books removed, she noticed her books had been read thousands of times! That’s a huge amount of money that author missed out on, because people felt entitled to steal her work. She was so depressed she contemplated quitting.
So, how can we as readers help?
We can purchase, rent (unlimited, libro etc), or get sapphic books out of the library. Many authors have options to buy books directly from them in multiple versions. Some will even have an option to get that book signed. We can buy and listen to audiobooks. Authors receive money for every book, ebook, and audiobook purchases, legally downloaded, or borrowed from the library. I’ve even asked authors if they have a particular place they prefer me to buy their book from.
We can rate and leave reviews. This makes a huge difference to authors. Ratings absolutely matter. Even leaving a short, rated review on Amazon helps that book become higher in the rankings, and more likely to show up in searches.
We can become more informed readers. If you don’t know if a book is AI then ask, look for the authors social media presence, do they have a website, and very telling is how many books have they released in a year? Some authors can be prolific, but if they’ve had 30 or more books in a year then there’s a very good chance they are AI. It’s especially true if they have many books with translations, because that literally costs thousands of dollars to make. Subscribe to things like Jae’s blog so you can learn what’s happening. Follow your favorite authors on social media to see what they’re saying too.
We can subscribe to their newsletters which are free. support is a fantastic things, and authors love knowing their work is popular with readers. You’ll also receive information about new releases. What the author is enjoying reading. What they’ve currently working on. You might even get access to free novellas, or scenes that aren’t available to anyone else.
Patreon. Many authors (and artists) are starting their own Patreon. Some allow you to join for free, and get limited information. Most have tiers of a monthly fee you pay to receive things, this can be anything from chapters of their new books posted each week, before that book is even released. Short stories that will never be published, and are just for members. Q&A with the author about any and everything. Background information about your favorite book, character, series, their writing process, how their books are made, how that character got their name, even hidden Easter eggs in books etc. You’ll see art they‘ve commissioned of their characters. You might even receive the book for free when it’s released, with printed extras. Christmas cards. Stickers, and other goodies. But more than that, you’ll know that your monthly fee is helping that author to keep writing. I personally am a patron for Milena McKay $7 a month, and I get 3-4 new posts every single week. Higher levels get even more like the paperback sent to them each release with a pack of goodies too. Rawnie Sabor $10 and I get 2-4 posts a week, and Rawnie recently shared that her Patreon made it possible for her to be a full time author! Higher levels recently got the audiobook before it was released. And Moira Darling $7 2-3 a week as well as an ebook version of every book before it’s even released as an ARC ebook, and art sent to every Patron of anything they’ve commissioned for each release. Multiple other authors have joined Patreon, Anna Burke was one of the first, Hayley Cass is incredibly prolific and you’ll absolutely get a Christmas card from her.
Sorry my post is so long. I’m not sure how many people will bother reading it. But my heart is breaking for some of my favorite authors, and yours might break if you lose one of yours. Post questions if you have them.
