Nigerian author Jerry Falade loses $2m deal for crime novel debut over AI concerns, denies allegation, alleges racial bias.
Nigerian author Jerry Falade has lost a major international publishing deal worth a reported $2 million for his debut crime novel.
The book, titled Call Me, I’ll Hide the Body, was pulled from sale by his literary agents over concerns about possible use of Artificial Intelligence in writing or editing the manuscript.
The novel had generated huge buzz in the publishing world. It reportedly attracted over $2 million offer from Minotaur, an imprint of Macmillan US, after a fierce 14-way auction.
The book was earlier scheduled for release in 2028.
In the United Kingdom, the manuscript also drew several six-figure bids from top publishers.
But the excitement quickly turned to controversy.
In an email sent to publishers, Falade’s agents said they could no longer confirm how the manuscript developed from idea to final draft.
They described the book as an incredible manuscript that dazzled publishing professionals across the world. However, they said they could no longer authenticate how it evolved.
The agents disclosed that they had asked Falade about AI use during submission. They said they trusted his assurance that AI was not used as a writing or editing tool.
"During the submission process we vetted the manuscript with Jerry for AI and felt trusting in his reassurance that it was written without utilising AI. We can no longer substantiate that, and we are withdrawing the book," the agency stated.
Falade’s US agent, Marc Gerald of Europa Content, told The Bookseller that he was blown away when he first read the manuscript in June.
According to him, the book was stunningly good and everyone who read it fell in love with it.
Gerald said concerns about possible AI use were first raised by an editor midway into the submission process.
He explained that the agency did not run the manuscript through AI-detection software. This was because Falade gave what they considered a clear and credible explanation.
That position changed after a meeting on July 29. Gerald said aspects of Falade’s story changed during that meeting.
The agency then decided to cut ties with the author. He said the decision was based on the need to have total faith in an author they represent.
Gerald, however, insisted that the quality of the book itself was never in doubt.
"We feel terrible for putting this into the universe and the firestorm it has caused. The book itself is genius – however it came to be drafted, it’s amazing," he said.
Falade has denied using AI to write the novel. He has also accused the publishing industry of racial bias.
In a statement, the Nigerian author pointed out that three Black authors who secured major deals this year had their deals cancelled or disrupted after AI suspicions.
He said there appears to be a troubling assumption that when a Black writer produces outstanding work, it could not be his own.
He added that some popular white writers have openly admitted to using AI in their writing process and are still doing well.
Falade did not mention names, but two Black American authors, Mia Ballard and HM Wolfe, have faced similar AI allegations this year. Both denied the claims.
Ballard’s horror novel, Shy Girl, had its US release withdrawn by Hachette after online rumours of AI use.
Falade said his case escalated within hours. According to him, within six hours of rumours circulating online, he was dropped by his agency and deals were paused.
He also questioned the reliability of AI-detection tools. He said such software is widely known to produce false positives.
The author argued that his manuscript had passed through several layers of professional checks before getting big offers.
He noted that the novel went through first readers, second readers, editors and acquisitions teams in many publishing houses.
"If the manuscript had shown genuine signs of being generated by AI, it is difficult to believe that every one of those experienced professionals would have failed to notice," Falade argued.
The development has once again highlighted the growing tension in the global publishing industry over the use of AI in creative writing and how publishers can verify the originality of manuscripts.
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