Google falling farther behind in AI race
Reading Time: 5 minutes Edge, Opera and Brave all now have AI built in. Google’s Chrome is not even in the race yet.
Adobe, Nvidia announce ethical AI image generation
Reading Time: 4 minutes Adobe and Nvidia both announced AI image generators today — Firefly and Picasso, respectively — that do not use artists’ work for training data without their permission. Both companies also promise to pay artists for work generated in their signature styles, as does Getty Images.
Adobe, Nvidia announce ethical AI image generation Read More »
Study: Writing occupation will be most affected by AI
Reading Time: 3 minutes According to research released today, the more high-level and creative your job, the more likely it will be to be disrupted by AI. Top of the list? Writers and authors — with up to 100 percent of their jobs likely to be affected.
Study: Writing occupation will be most affected by AI Read More »
This week’s top writing advice from around the web for Mar. 19, 2023
Reading Time: 9 minutes I subscribe to 166 writing advice sites and YouTube channels and lovingly pick the best posts from this previous week for your edification. This week, AI is a big topic of conversation again.
This week’s top writing advice from around the web for Mar. 19, 2023 Read More »
MailPoet is the best email newsletter service for authors and here’s why
Reading Time: 10 minutes If you want the most bang for your buck, marketing-wise, the top advice is to have your own newsletter, and after considering 24 options, I’ve settled on MailPoet as the best combination of usability and value.
MailPoet is the best email newsletter service for authors and here’s why Read More »
GPT 4, Claude, and Alpaca all went live this week and yes, we need to worry
Reading Time: 8 minutes It was a big week for AI news these past few days. GPT 4 was released on Tuesday, Midjourney 5 was released on Wednesday, and Alpaca — a $600 clone of ChatGPT — was released on Monday. Yes, you can now have your own large language model for less than the cost of new phone
GPT 4, Claude, and Alpaca all went live this week and yes, we need to worry Read More »
Midjourney 5 released with more aspect ratios, photorealism
Reading Time: 4 minutes The fifth generation of the super popular Midjourney app is out, and it’s more photorealistic and better at hands and faces.
Midjourney 5 released with more aspect ratios, photorealism Read More »
Free Friday: Today’s top free Amazon sci-fi and fantasy books for Mar. 17, 2023
Reading Time: 16 minutes We read the first few chapters of each of the top ten free fantasy and sci-fi books on Amazon. Today’s list includes a dragon king who can teleport, an ancient dragon threatening a kingdom, and a magic portal to a world of dragons. Plus, an exploration trip to Saturn’s largest moon.
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AI work can be copyrighted, if human creativity was involved
Reading Time: 3 minutes The US Copyright Office issued a ruling today that AI-generated content can, in fact, be copyrighted — as long as a human being has contributed work to the end product.
AI work can be copyrighted, if human creativity was involved Read More »
This week’s top writing advice from around the web for Mar. 12, 2023
Reading Time: 8 minutes I subscribe to 166 writing advice sites and YouTube channels and lovingly pick the best posts from this previous week for your edification. This week, there’s advice about getting past writer’s block and finding your author voice.
This week’s top writing advice from around the web for Mar. 12, 2023 Read More »
Free Friday: Today’s top free Amazon sci-fi and fantasy books for Mar. 10, 2023
Reading Time: 17 minutes We read the first few chapters of each of the top ten free fantasy and sci-fi books on Amazon. Today’s list includes a sneak peak at a new Martha Wells novel, a modern-day Cinderella story, and a private eye with magical powers.
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Authors Guild proposes new AI training use clause
Reading Time: 2 minutes Authors Guild proposes contract clause to block AI training use without permission.
Authors Guild proposes new AI training use clause Read More »
This week’s top writing advice from around the web for Mar. 5, 2023
Reading Time: 8 minutes I subscribe to 166 writing advice sites and YouTube channels and lovingly pick the best posts from this previous week for your edification. AI is a big topic. Again.
This week’s top writing advice from around the web for Mar. 5, 2023 Read More »
Free Friday: Today’s top free Amazon sci-fi and fantasy books for Mar. 3, 2023
Reading Time: 18 minutes We read the first few chapters of each of the top ten free fantasy and sci-fi books on Amazon. Today’s list includes a modern-day rock band mysteriously transported to a medieval fantasy world, a cyberpunk grandpa, a swashbuckling bounty hunter searching for a magical object, and a disgraced space navy officer who has to save humanity from an alien menace.
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Is generative AI legal? Is it ethical? And can you copyright AI text or images?
Reading Time: 6 minutes Proponents argue that generative AI is transformative and therefore fair use. Opponents point to financial losses from AI deep fakes. And the Copyright Office won’t grant copyright to AI images. But all of this could change as lawsuits make their way through the courts and AI companies adapt their business models.
Is generative AI legal? Is it ethical? And can you copyright AI text or images? Read More »
5 best free alternatives to Midjourney for writers who need marketing or cover images
Reading Time: 12 minutes The top five free, easy-to-use alternatives to Midjourney: Lexica, Canva, Playground AI, Mage Space, and Dreamlike.
5 best free alternatives to Midjourney for writers who need marketing or cover images Read More »
This week’s top writing advice from around the web for Feb. 26, 2023
Reading Time: 11 minutes I subscribe to 166 writing advice sites and YouTube channels and lovingly pick the best posts from this previous week for your edification. This week, writers continue to weigh in on AI… both pro and con.
This week’s top writing advice from around the web for Feb. 26, 2023 Read More »
Free Friday: Today’s top free Amazon sci-fi and fantasy books for Feb. 24, 2023
Reading Time: 14 minutes We read the first few chapters of each of the top ten free fantasy and sci-fi books on Amazon. Today’s list includes a derelict starship brought back to battle aliens, a dragon slayer on a quest to find a magic stone guarded by a dragon, and an assassin in a medieval fantasy world whose knife sucks the souls from his victims.
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Sci-fi magazine editors wary of AI spam, reluctant to charge for submissions
Reading Time: 7 minutes Sci-fi and fantasy magazine editors are discussing charging submission fees, changing submission schedules, limiting submissions to known authors, using AI-detection tools, and other means to combat AI spam.
Sci-fi magazine editors wary of AI spam, reluctant to charge for submissions Read More »
13 free AI detectors tested, why they don’t work, and what to do instead
Reading Time: 9 minutes In the battle against AI-generated spam, some people are turning to AI detectors to weed out AI-generated content. Unfortunately, they don’t work.
13 free AI detectors tested, why they don’t work, and what to do instead Read More »
7 top misconceptions about ChatGPT and writing
Reading Time: 10 minutes There are a lot of myths and misunderstandings about what ChatGPT can do and how it works. Most people tend to fall on one of two extremes — either that it’s all-powerful and will destroy the writing profession, or that it’s completely useless. The actual truth is somewhere in the middle.
Clarkesworld swamped by AI spam, temporarily stops accepting submissions
Reading Time: 2 minutes Clarkesworld has temporary stopped accepting new short story submissions because of a flood of AI-generated spam.
Clarkesworld swamped by AI spam, temporarily stops accepting submissions Read More »
Apex Magazine launches Kickstarter for robot anthology
Reading Time: 2 minutes Apex Magazine launched a Kickstarter today for a new anthology of fiction about robots, called Robotic Ambitions. The anthology, to be clear, is about robots, not written by robots. It’s written by humans.
Apex Magazine launches Kickstarter for robot anthology Read More »
This week’s top writing advice from around the web for Feb. 19, 2023
Reading Time: 8 minutes I subscribe to more than a hundred writing advice sites and YouTube channels and lovingly pick the best posts from this previous week for your edification. Again, AI was a big topic of conversation, plus a lot of great process advice.
This week’s top writing advice from around the web for Feb. 19, 2023 Read More »
Free Friday: Today’s top free Amazon sci-fi and fantasy books for Feb. 17, 2023
Reading Time: 17 minutes We read the first few chapters of each of the top ten free fantasy and sci-fi books on Amazon. Today’s list includes a woman who can never die, a telepathic innkeeper, a team of monster hunters in an epic fantasy world, and an archeologist turned bounty hunter.
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This week’s top writing advice from around the web for Feb. 12, 2023
Reading Time: 8 minutes I subscribe to more than a hundred writing advice sites and YouTube channels and lovingly pick the best posts from this previous week for your edification. Again, AI was a big topic of conversation, as was TikTok.
This week’s top writing advice from around the web for Feb. 12, 2023 Read More »
P.E.A.N.U.T.: 6 steps to staying ahead of AI as a fiction author
Reading Time: 11 minutes If you want to be successful as a human author in an age of AI-generated content, you will need to make your writing Personal, Emotional, Authoritative, New, Unique, and Trustworthy — PEANUT, for short.
P.E.A.N.U.T.: 6 steps to staying ahead of AI as a fiction author Read More »
New Edge Sword & Sorcery Kickstarter two-thirds to goal, with 20 days to go
Reading Time: 2 minutes New Edge Sword & Sorcery magazine launched a crowdfunding campaign at the beginning of February and is already two-thirds of the way to its US $14,940 goal with 20 days to go.
New Edge Sword & Sorcery Kickstarter two-thirds to goal, with 20 days to go Read More »
Yes, you can submit AI-assisted stories to us. But they better be good.
Reading Time: 6 minutes MetaStellar is now accepting works of fiction written with the help of AI assistants. Our next submission window for original fiction opens March 1, and we accept reprint and excerpts any time throughout the year.
Yes, you can submit AI-assisted stories to us. But they better be good. Read More »
Free Friday: Today’s top free Amazon sci-fi and fantasy books for Feb. 10, 2023
Reading Time: 14 minutes We read the first few chapters of each of the top ten free fantasy and sci-fi books on Amazon. Today’s list includes a witch saving the world, a starship captain on a dangerous mission, and a clever thief with a cloak of invisibility.
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This week’s top writing advice from around the web for Feb. 5, 2023
Reading Time: 9 minutes I subscribe to more than a hundred writing advice sites and YouTube channels and lovingly pick the best posts from this previous week for your edification. This past week, a lot of people were talking about AI.
This week’s top writing advice from around the web for Feb. 5, 2023 Read More »
Free Friday: Today’s top free Amazon sci-fi and fantasy books for Feb. 3, 2023
Reading Time: 12 minutes We read the first few chapters of each of the top ten free fantasy and sci-fi books on Amazon. Today’s list includes a young lawyer trapped in a quirky, magical town, a girl who can see angels, a decommissioned spaceship that’s now humanity’s only hope to stop an alien advance, and book that’s been made into an action movie starring Mark Wahlberg.
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The Gartner Hype Cycle, the Dunning-Krueger Effect and the S-Curve, AI, and what they all mean for writers
Reading Time: 11 minutes As writers progress in their writing journeys, they may face a drop in confidence and obstacles along the way. To overcome these challenges, focus on core skills, keep practicing, and level up by learning a new skill that aligns with your goals.
This week’s top writing advice from around the web for Jan. 29, 2023
Reading Time: 9 minutes I subscribe to more than a hundred writing advice sites and YouTube channels and lovingly pick the best posts from this previous week for your edification.
This week’s top writing advice from around the web for Jan. 29, 2023 Read More »
Free Friday: Today’s top free Amazon sci-fi and fantasy books for Jan. 27, 2023
Reading Time: 16 minutes We read the first few chapters of each of the top ten free fantasy and sci-fi books on Amazon. Today’s list includes vampires, magic in space, a few dystopian worlds, futuristic horror, EMP, and humorous take on paranormal activity.
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Hope in the face of disaster: anthology seeks eco-fiction submissions
Reading Time: 3 minutes New Canadian anthology “Through the Portal: Stories From a Hopeful Dystopia” is now accepting submissions of eco-fiction that celebrates the complexity of relationships and the emotional and physical journey from catastrophe. Submit your work by May 31.
Hope in the face of disaster: anthology seeks eco-fiction submissions Read More »
This week’s top writing advice from around the web for Jan. 22, 2023
Reading Time: 10 minutes I subscribe to more than a hundred writing advice sites and YouTube channels and lovingly pick the best posts from this previous week for your edification.
This week’s top writing advice from around the web for Jan. 22, 2023 Read More »
10 Ways to Make Your Writing Come to Life with Midjourney’s AI-Powered Images
Reading Time: 10 minutes How to use AI-generated art to illustrate blog articles and social media posts, for book covers and website design, character concept art, author images, and more.
10 Ways to Make Your Writing Come to Life with Midjourney’s AI-Powered Images Read More »
Free Friday: Today’s top free Amazon sci-fi and fantasy books for Jan. 20, 2023
Reading Time: 16 minutes We read the first few chapters of each of the top ten free fantasy and sci-fi books on Amazon. Today’s list includes a genetically modified former soldier, a high schooler with illegal magic, a swashbuckling treasure hunter, and a solar flare that turns deadly.
Free Friday: Today’s top free Amazon sci-fi and fantasy books for Jan. 20, 2023 Read More »
This week’s top writing advice from around the web for Jan. 15, 2023
Reading Time: 7 minutes I subscribe to more than a hundred writing advice sites and YouTube channels and lovingly pick the best posts from this previous week for your edification.
This week’s top writing advice from around the web for Jan. 15, 2023 Read More »
Free Friday: Today’s top free Amazon sci-fi and fantasy books for Jan. 13, 2023
Reading Time: 19 minutes We read the first few chapters of each of the top ten free fantasy and sci-fi books on Amazon. Today’s list includes demon hunters, vampire killers, werewolves, a sentient space ship, and an epic fantasy billed as Game of Thrones meets Spartacus.
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This week’s top writing advice from around the web for Jan. 8, 2023
Reading Time: 7 minutes I subscribe to more than a hundred writing advice sites and YouTube channels and lovingly pick the best posts from this previous week for your edification.
This week’s top writing advice from around the web for Jan. 8, 2023 Read More »
Free Friday: Today’s top free Amazon sci-fi and fantasy books for Jan. 6, 2023
Reading Time: 16 minutes We read the first few chapters of each of the top ten free fantasy and sci-fi books on Amazon. Today’s list includes dragon hunters, werewolves, monsters, magic, a cozy mystery, lots of fantasy, and a little romance.
Free Friday: Today’s top free Amazon sci-fi and fantasy books for Jan. 6, 2023 Read More »
This week’s top writing advice from around the web for Jan. 1, 2023
Reading Time: 6 minutes I subscribe to more than a hundred writing advice sites and YouTube channels and lovingly pick the best posts from this previous week for your edification.
This week’s top writing advice from around the web for Jan. 1, 2023 Read More »
Happy New Year from everyone at MetaStellar!
Reading Time: 3 minutes It’s been a stellar year here at the magazine, with our first anthology, a quarter million page views, a 150 YouTube videos, and more than 700 stories published by over 300 authors.
Free Friday: Today’s top free Amazon sci-fi and fantasy books for Dec. 30, 2022
Reading Time: 16 minutes We read the first few chapters of each of the top ten free fantasy and sci-fi books on Amazon. This weeks list features a dragon keeper’s daughter, a vampire killer, and a prison inmate forced to serve in the space marines.
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This week’s top writing advice from around the web for Dec. 25, 2022
Reading Time: 8 minutes I subscribe to more than a hundred writing advice sites and YouTube channels and lovingly pick the best posts from this previous week for your edification.
This week’s top writing advice from around the web for Dec. 25, 2022 Read More »
Free Friday: Today’s top free Amazon sci-fi and fantasy books for Dec. 23, 2022
Reading Time: 16 minutes We read the first few chapters of each of the top ten free fantasy and sci-fi books on Amazon. This weeks list includes a time traveler, a dragon looking for his lost love, and one of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse.
Free Friday: Today’s top free Amazon sci-fi and fantasy books for Dec. 23, 2022 Read More »
11 writing aids that will be replaced by ChatGPT
Reading Time: 27 minutes I put ChatGPT through its paces and discover that it is an excellent writers’ assistant.
11 writing aids that will be replaced by ChatGPT Read More »
This week’s top writing advice from around the web for Dec. 18, 2022
Reading Time: 8 minutes I subscribe to more than a hundred writing advice sites and YouTube channels and lovingly pick the best posts from this previous week for your edification.
This week’s top writing advice from around the web for Dec. 18, 2022 Read More »