I’m super-glad we’ve landed on a name for the AI output. Slop, is fitting. (Crud is already taken? <dodges tomatoes> I joke, I joke!) Shiny junk? Glossy pooh? No, slop is a nice all encompassing descriptor. I like it.
The problems with AI as a writer and as an illustrator of picture books remain no matter what we call it. Discounting the moral, environmental, ethical reasons, it’s simply easier for hacks to fill available channels where people look for art with pure slop. I haven’t heard officially, but I’d bet agents have tons of it to sift through. Publishers too. And the slop trough is wide open for self-published books. Authors and illustrators (and author-illustrators) have more to do to get by the gatekeepers and more to do to get the attention of the customer.
“Hi Jacob, I just wanted to drop you a quick line to say KEEP DOING WHAT YOU’RE DOING. I follow a lot of kidlit creator blogs and your’s is by far my favorite. I love how deep you dig into creativity, exploration, and method. Your voice is valuable!” — Jena Benton
In an industry famous for how hard it can be to stand out, it’s gotten harder. So what can be done? Does someone sell a slop-proof snorkel set? If one drowns in slop, do we get to come back to haunt the CEO-Slop-Tyrants, rattling our paintbrushes around their high-tech sleep pods? I have questions and you have questions. Here’s how I’m thinking about standing out:
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