‘Oh… wait. Tia’s Amazon bio mentions she’s an indie author. That’s interesting!’
I gasp. ‘She’s self-published? But that doesn’t make any sense. My manager from Paddington’s said Tia’s publisher called to complain about me. Does that mean Tia reached out herself? And if so, the marketing team that emailed me, was that also Tia? Unless she employs a marketing team, which many indies do.’
‘The plot thickens.’
‘I’m thinking back to the statement she made about me on Instagram where she said that there was a marketing and promotional team at the helm helping the book finds its readers and so I’d just presumed she meant a more traditional publisher, but that’s not the case.’
‘Huh. It’s incredible then that she’s managed to break into the industry as a debut indie author and hit those charts.’
How? ‘It’s possible,Fifty Shades of Greywas originally self-published but even that took time to build, to reach those dizzying heights before a traditional publisher snapped it up. Sarah J. Maas’sThrone of Glasswas also self-published as a series and gained a huge following but again all of this took time to find their dedicated fan base. And they were interesting stories, a unique take…’
‘Maybe Tia studied the market, found the secret sauce when it comes to marketing and finding those fans.’
‘Yes, and maybe she’s a tech bro or sis with the skills to do that.’
Lily sighs. ‘Yeah, but we’re back on the slippery slope, Harper. So what if she’s self-published and paid for her marketing team? Lots of authors do that. You still have no proof she’s using AI.’
‘Yeah, you’re right. But I’m not about to go on an Instagram live with it, am I? I’d just like to know that my suspicions were correct. Why hasn’t Tia gone after me with her fancy legal team? Why not make a point if she was legitimate?’
‘Lawyers are expensive. And she made her point by getting you cancelled and fired, don’t you think?’
‘True, true.’ I mull it over. ‘It’s not illegal either, but to me, it’s immoral if an author isn’t transparent about using AI, so readers can make an informed choice when they buy books. But if I can’t prove it, then how can I make my point here?’
‘You can’t. I’m sorry to say it, Harper, but this time you really do have to let it go and see what happens. I’m as frustrated as you are, truly. I don’t believe it’s human written either but what’s stopping her from suing you if you make waves once more? It’s not worth the risk.’
I think of Michel, upset at having his island home razed. To me, this is on the same level. If we stand by and don’t do anything, don’t even voice our concerns, then we are complicit. What if the entire industry becomes worse off for it? How can it not?
‘Promise me you’ll leave it for now? Let’s just keep an eye on it from afar.’
‘I don’t think I can do that, Lily. I really don’t.’
She groans. ‘Harper.’
‘I’ll be careful.’ But how? What can I actually do? I’m tempted to ask the three Lucys for help, but that might just be my silliest idea yet. I change the subject, hoping to ease Lily’s mind. ‘How is it going with Mai? Has she settled down?’
‘Yeah, sort of. Hasn’t Krav Maga’d anyone for at least a week. She’s had some huge falling out with her friends that I’m secretly grateful for, purely for the reprieve from their late-night visits.’
‘The gamer nerds?’
‘Yup. The nocturnal gamer nerds. Not one of them has a nine-to-five job. They Twitch stream and a couple of them just mooch off their parents. Go to bed when the sun rises and sleep all day. Mai’s decided that maybe London isn’t quite what she thought it would be. I’m encouraging her to find a job, so she can meet some other people.’
‘Her Twitch stream income isn’t going well?’ I’m not going to be the person who denigrates online work, because I know how lucrative it can be. Popular Twitch streamers can earn big money and if it’s Mai’s passion, then even better. But I agree with Lily that sometimes having a part-time gig can also help not only monetarily but socially. London can be a lonely place when you’re just one in a crowd, so finding new friends helps.
‘She’s shut it down. Bored of it, she claims.’
‘That doesn’t sound like Mai.’
‘Honestly, I’m a bit worried about her. I’m going to give her a week or so and see if she pulls herself out of this funk or I’ll call The Mums.’
‘I’m sorry to hear that.’ It’s not nice to think Mai’s big dreams of moving to London with her favourite cousin are not panning out. And even though she can be annoying, I have a lot of sympathy for her. I remember being that age so well, where you’re trying to find your feet, your place in the world, and how fraught that can be.
‘Yeah. I’m hoping it’s just a phase and she’ll bounce back.’
‘I hope so. If she moves back home what will you do about the rent?’
‘I’ll find another roommate. Don’t you worry about it. Just enjoy paradise while you’re there. Get boss man to break all the rules and kiss him all you can.’
‘Kiss him? He will never break the rules? Nope.’ I sigh. ‘And now I’m not sure about him.’ I go on to tell Lily about Michel’s suspicions about Xavier buying a chunk of rainforest next to the Last Chance Resort and developing it and what it would mean for the biodiversity on the island. ‘Things have cooled, and I’ve been avoiding him.’
