US EditionShy Girl by Mia Ballard: Horror novel pulled by publishers over alleged AI use
Hachette halted Shy Girl in the US and UK after AI detection software found 78% of the novel may be AI-generated, raising questions on originality policies.
- On May 19, Hachette announced it will not publish the US edition of Mia Ballard's Shy Girl and will discontinue the UK version, scheduled for release in May.
- After gaining traction on BookTok and Reddit, Shy Girl was originally self-published in February 2025 and later received a full UK release in November.
- A January 19 video noted the word sharp 159 times with over 1.2 million views, Max Spero of Pangram found 78 percent AI-generated content, and readers on Goodreads and Reddit reported bizarre formatting.
- Hachette said it required authors to disclose AI use and conducted a recent weeks investigation before pulling the book, while Ballard denies using AI and blames her hired editor, pursuing legal action.
- The episode raises whether major publishers will ban AI tools and large language models or require authors' disclosure rules, as the publishing industry mainly relies on self-disclosure.
23 Articles
23 Articles
The Hashet Book Group publishing house has withdrawn a horror novel after allegations surfaced online that its author relied heavily on artificial intelligence. The book will be withdrawn from sale in the UK after it is published in November 2025, and its publication in the US has been cancelled.
It is a horror story, signed by the author Mia Ballard, already published in England and soon published in the United States, where it will not come out now. ...
Writer denies it, but publisher pulls horror novel after multiple allegations of AI use
Shy Girl, a horror novel by Mia Ballard, was one of those buzzy books that leapt from self-published prominence into full-on trade publication. Until yesterday, that is, when publisher Hachette pulled the book from the UK market and canceled plans to bring it to the US. The move came after a New York Times investigation suggested that AI had been used in significant parts of the work. "If it isn't AI, she's a terrible writer" Shy Girl was self-p…
Coverage Details
Bias Distribution
- 60% of the sources lean Left
Factuality
To view factuality data please Upgrade to Premium
