Electric Speed is a biweekly newsletter that shares resources for creative people (since 2009!), brought to you by Jane Friedman. Sign up here.
A note from Jane
Last weekend I was on a conference panel about the intersection of AI and writing/publishing at the Midwest Writers Workshop. I mentioned that I use the paid version of ChatGPT, which allows me to block it from training on materials I upload. (If you use the free version of ChatGPT, it is allowed to train on whatever you input.)
During Q&A, an astute writer in the audience asked if my actions might be in conflict with each other. Why am I okay using a model that’s been trained on copyrighted material without permission, but then I block it from training on my own material?
Here’s the answer.
Paying for this technology leads to rights holders getting paid for ongoing and future training. Indeed, numerous rights holders are now getting paid for their material through licensing agreements.
Since I’m paying for the technology, I think it’s fair to expect that I’ll retain full control over what’s done with the material I’m uploading. If I do allow training, I should be compensated for that value like other rights holders are now being compensated.
I have already contributed value to this model because it has trained on all of my public, online material without permission or compensation—about 16 years’ worth of work.
Even if some past training is ruled to be copyright infringement (an outcome that will likely take years, if it does happen), AI models won’t just shut down. Some remedy will be put in place for rights holders and the models will continue to improve and be made available.
The honest truth, though? Some materials I’m uploading involve others, not just myself (e.g., my publisher). If I were only uploading personal materials, I would have no qualms about the model training on it, even without compensation.
These tools are now becoming part of traditional and indie writing and publishing processes. They are being used by major publishers like Penguin Random House, by audiobook publishers, by translation firms. And they are used by countless authors, both transparently and not-so transparently. (Read my recent update on what’s happening in the industry, if you want to know.) While some find generative AI to be wrong no matter your intentions or use case, I do not.
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Here are some of the latest things I’ve discovered. (I am not paid to mention any of these resources; there are no affiliate links.)
10 stretches or exercises for those who sit a lot
This link will take you to a Twitter/X thread that shows a series of brief and helpful videos demonstrating the best stretches and exercises to counteract long hours of sitting. Personally, I like and frequently do No. 3 on the list.
A free tool for publishing web-based books
Writebook comes from the team at 37signals, perhaps best known for their project management software (Basecamp). Right now Writebook software is free, but it does require installing it on your own server. (If you own your domain and host your own website, it may be within your abilities to do it. They provide instructions.)
However, you cannot export Writebook material to Kindle, PDF, or EPUB. It’s only for web-based books, at least for now. If you’re looking for a web-based book-building system that can export to Kindle, PDF, and EPUB, consider Atticus instead.
Shopify has a thoughtful guide on launching your own online independent bookstore
This comprehensive guide by Shopify may inspire your inner bookseller. It offers specific examples of booksellers who’ve built their business online and how they differentiate themselves in the market. Even if you never plan to open a bookstore or sell books direct as a self-publishing author, you can learn something about the business of publishing and bookselling from this guide.
How I’m using Apple’s Journal app
Several months ago, I mentioned how I’m giving Apple’s Journal app a try—it offers remarkable ease of use. I’m happy to report that I’ve kept up the practice by being flexible with what a journal entry consists of. For example, if I send or receive a meaningful email, I screenshot it and add it to the journal. Same goes for text message exchanges, social media exchanges, memes that make me laugh (especially current event memes) and other reminders of how I pass the time. Since most of my day is spent sitting at my desk, doing work that is largely invisible (and not really worth journaling about), I find this scrapbook method helps record what is in fact worth remembering in the mountain of media I generate or experience each day.
NEXT ONLINE CLASS
July 25: Run a Paid Newsletter That Actually Pays with Jane Friedman
We live in the era of Substack, where anyone and everyone is thinking about how to earn money from their email newsletter. However, it’s challenging to publish an email newsletter that inspires people to pull out their wallet and start paying money to receive it. One of the hardest businesses to run, in fact, is a subscription business. In this nuts-and-bolts business class, you’ll explore the strategies and tactics of building a meaningful paid email newsletter. Jane delves into the key decisions surrounding transactional and patronage models, frequency, pricing, and platform choice. You’ll also learn about techniques to turn free subscribers into paying ones, supported by real-life examples of successful newsletters.
In the last issue, I asked you to share a favorite accessory, app, or podcast for improving sleep/relaxation. Here’s a selection of what you said:
I was having such a difficult time sleeping and recently switched to the Coop Sleep Goods pillow for neck support and it’s really comfortable and I’m able to sleep! Really life changing. —Lorraine Martindale
My favourite app for relaxation and sleep is the MINDTRX app. It’s a paid app but worth every cent. I get access to paraliminals which I use in the afternoon instead of a nap. If I try to sleep I usually feel more tired afterwards. But after two paraliminals I’m awake and ready to go! I also use one before bed to go to sleep. —Miriam B.
I use Insight Timer for when I am having trouble falling asleep or have insomnia, specifically many of their yoga nidra meditations. It is very rare that one of them does not soothe me into sleep. —Alda Sigmundsdottir
Lights Out Library on Spotify takes history and science lessons and, with an older female narrator, turns them into bedtime stories. —Michelle Raybeck
BrainWave Advanced Binaural Programs. You have to use it with headphones in order for it to work. In spite of headphones not being the most comfortable things to wear in bed, I’m amazed how quickly this almost always puts me to sleep and keeps me in dreamland. You can set it for different amounts of time and it’s free. —Jim Cartwright
I use Brain.fm for sleep (it also has a creative working mode, but I don’t use that often). It doesn’t completely negate my husband’s snoring, but it helps. —Hollie
It’s a pretty costly accessory, but the Chilipad cooling system has been life-changing. It fits between the mattress and your bottom sheet, and lets you dial down the temperature underneath you to 60F. Designed for “hot” sleepers, I set it to 70–80F when the temps rise here in L.A. With no A/C, this—plus strategically placed fans—has made sleep possible again in summer weather. —Colleen Wainwright
Regarding your request for sleep improvement, we use a sound machine from Adaptive Sound Technologies. I love the sound of the ocean, but there are also settings for fireplace, waterfall, meadow, city, rainfall, and more. We bought it in 2012 and still use it today. —Bill Peschel
The Sleepy Bookshelf is basically a collection of free audiobooks (e.g., Anne of Green Gables, Little Women) read aloud by a woman with the most soothing, hypnotic voice ever. She starts with brief mindfulness/relaxation, and then summarizes the previous episode/chapters since you likely fell asleep and missed a bunch. I feel so tucked in and cozy as I listen and drift off. —Sue Prenella
Next question: Do you create, order, or produce custom journals? Who do you use—whether for a single journal or many? Hit reply to this message, or head over to Discord to share.