AI Anxiety Hits Kobo as Authors Fear Loss of Control Over Self-Publishing Platform

AI's Impact on Kobo: What Writers Need to Know

Kobo, known as a more open and author-friendly alternative to Amazon's Kindle, recently updated its Terms of Service for its self-publishing platform, Kobo Writing Life. The update introduces AI features, sparking concern among authors about how this might affect their work and relationship with the platform.

For independent authors without traditional publishing deals, platforms like Kobo Writing Life and Kindle Direct Publishing provide crucial opportunities to sell books directly. Authors handle everything from writing to marketing, and the choice of platform often depends on royalty rates and terms of service.

Royalties and Platform Preferences

Kobo offers authors 70% royalties on sales priced $2.99 or higher, a straightforward deal compared to Amazon’s Kindle Direct Publishing, which has a more complex system with 35% and 70% royalty options that include various fees. This clarity has made Kobo attractive to many writers. But changes in Kobo's terms have introduced uncertainty.

What the New AI Terms Mean

Kobo's updated terms, effective June 28th, allow the company to use AI technologies to:

• Enhance discoverability through tagging and targeted recommendations
• Evaluate works for suitability in the Kobo store
• Generate promotional materials such as keywords, ads, and customer engagement strategies
• Provide reading assistance, recaps, and accessibility features

The company explicitly states it will not use authors' works to train generative AI models, addressing a major concern among writers. However, the lack of clarity on how these AI features will affect existing works and the inability to opt out have left many authors uneasy.

Author Concerns

Authors fear misclassification of genres, misleading AI-generated promotional materials, and inaccurate recaps. For example, Amazon's AI-generated recaps have already shown inaccuracies, which can confuse readers and strain author-reader relationships.

Self-published authors often respond directly to reader feedback. Incorrect AI summaries could amplify misunderstandings and criticism, impacting reader trust.

Kobo’s Response and Future Plans

Kobo’s CEO publicly explained that these AI tools aim to improve how readers discover books and to streamline store moderation without infringing on copyrights. The company remains committed to not using authors' books to create new AI-generated content.

Kobo plans to offer personalized recaps limited to about 150 words, based on each reader’s progress and highlights, rather than full book summaries. This feature is still in beta, and the company encourages authors to report any issues via support channels, which have been responsive so far.

Industry Context and Author Strategies

Other ebook platforms are cautious with AI. Apple Books allows optional AI narration for audiobooks, while Barnes & Noble currently avoids AI features. Amazon’s approach is seen as the most intrusive, as authors cannot opt out of AI-generated recaps.

Many authors appreciate Kobo's generally author-friendly approach and worry about losing that edge if AI use expands without clear guidelines and collaboration with writers.

What Writers Should Consider

Authors must weigh the benefits of Kobo’s platform against potential risks from AI features. Removing books from Kobo is possible but complicated, affecting marketing efforts and sales links.

Open communication between Kobo and its authors would help ease concerns. Writers should stay informed, monitor changes, and consider how AI might impact their work’s presentation and reader engagement.

For authors interested in learning how to work with AI tools responsibly or enhance their publishing strategy, exploring specialized training can be valuable. Platforms like Complete AI Training offer courses that cover AI applications relevant to writing and publishing.

As AI becomes more integrated into publishing, maintaining control over one’s work and being proactive about platform changes will be essential for authors navigating this evolving landscape.