$2 Million Book Deal Collapses Over AI Questions

A debut crime novel went from one of publishing’s hottest new books to the center of an AI controversy after the author’s representatives said they could no longer confirm how the manuscript was created.

Jerry Falade’s debut novel, Call Me, I’ll Hide the Body, reportedly received an offer worth more than $2 million from Minotaur Books, an imprint of Macmillan, following a competitive 14-way auction in the United States.

The book also attracted several six-figure offers in the United Kingdom and was expected to be published in 2028. For a first-time novelist, it appeared to be the kind of career-changing moment most writers can only dream about.

Then questions were raised about whether artificial intelligence played a part in writing or editing the manuscript.

Falade’s agents initially accepted his assurance that the book had been written without AI. According to The Guardian, an editor later noticed possible signs of AI use while the manuscript was being submitted to publishers.

The agency didn’t rely on AI-detection software to make its decision. Falade’s agent, Marc Gerald of Europa Content, said Falade’s original explanation appeared clear and believable. However, after a later meeting in which parts of his account reportedly changed, the agency decided it could no longer stand behind the manuscript.

The agents withdrew the book from the publishing process and ended their relationship with Falade. In a message sent to publishers, the agency said it could no longer confirm how the manuscript developed from its beginning to its completed form.

That doesn’t mean Falade has been proven to have used AI to write the novel.

Falade denies using AI for the writing itself. He has said he only used an open-source AI tool for research involving sensitive crime-related questions and chose to run it on his own device for privacy. He has also argued that the questions surrounding his work are connected to racial bias and that Black authors face a level of doubt that is not always applied equally.

His denial is an important part of the story because there is currently no perfect way to examine a manuscript and determine exactly how much AI was used. AI detectors can make mistakes, and writing that sounds unusual, polished, or repetitive is not proof that a machine created it.

The case also shows why publishers are taking AI questions seriously. Publishing agreements normally require authors to promise that the work is original and that they have the legal right to sell it.

Under current U.S. copyright rules, material created entirely by AI without enough human creative control cannot receive copyright protection. However, saying that “anything involving AI cannot be copyrighted” would be inaccurate. A book may still receive protection for the parts created by a person, even if AI tools were used elsewhere. The amount of human authorship and how the tool was used matter.

For publishers, that creates a major business problem. If they cannot confirm who created a manuscript, they may not know exactly what rights they are buying or whether those rights can be protected. That uncertainty becomes even more serious when millions of dollars and possible adaptation rights are involved.

The collapse of Call Me, I’ll Hide the Body is bigger than one author or one manuscript. It raises questions the publishing industry has not fully answered: What kinds of AI use should be allowed? How should authors disclose that use? How can publishers check without depending on unreliable detection tools? And how can they investigate concerns without unfairly accusing writers?

Falade’s book impressed agents and publishers enough to cause a 14-way auction and attract an offer of more than $2 million. Whether the manuscript will eventually find another path to publication remains unclear.

For now, the case serves as a warning to both writers and publishers. As AI becomes a bigger part of research, editing, and writing, being clear about how it was used may become just as important as the finished book itself.

Sources and further reading:

The Guardian: $2M crime novel deal collapses amid questions over AI use

New York Post: Debut novelist’s $2M deal canceled amid AI suspicions

New York Post: Jerry Falade denies using AI to write the novel

Authors Guild: AI authorship and publishing-contract guidance

U.S. Copyright Office: Copyright and artificial intelligence