Diary of a Grumpy Writer
This is not a good time to be a writer. So, perhaps a great time to keep a diary about writing in a world that's trying to devalue writing.
NEWS FROM THE WORLD OF SELF- PUBLISHING
Anti-AI novel rendered virtually un-sellable
Are the pro-AI geeks taking their revenge on me for being a fiercely anti-Artifical Intelligence author?
My short novel The Pub Gardeners, which traces the experiences of an advertising writer and designer who lose their jobs to AI, has just been awarded a 1-star rating. This, added to its previous modest ratings (only one of which is accompanied by a written review), means that on Amazon this book now has an average rating of 2.4.
That’s going to get readers into a Buy Now clicking frenzy, and queuing around the block eager to get signed copies.
Will you save The Pub Gardeners from oblivion, or let them rot in hell?
A welcome note
Hello
Welcome to the first ever Jon Lymon newsletter. As an author and freelance copywriter for more years than you can shake an ancient memory stick at, I’m going to be sharing tips, tales and travails from nearly 30 years as a professional writer. I also reserve the right to promote my self-published works on here, as if I don’t, who will?
So why a newsletter now? Well, sadly, things feel like they’re coming to an end for writers seeking to make a living from words, and I want to rage against the machines. I also want to leave a record of what’s happening to the creative world in the face of thieving tech corporations who are being given free rein to hoover-up copyrighted works and use them to train slop machines which then splurge out crap while hoovering-up most of the writing jobs.
If you like or use AI, I’d stop reading this now, as you won’t like any of what’s in this newsletter, which is for people who respect writing as something that requires learning, takes discipline to master and deserves respect.
Still reading? I hope you enjoy the first issue and feel compelled to subscribe for further rants and ramblings from grumpy old me as I track what feels like the last days of writing as we once knew it.
Jon Lymon, September 16th, 2026
MORE SELF-PUBLISHING NEWS
Ground broken on new horror comedy novel
What better way to start this newsletter than with news of a new Jon Lymon novel being underway.
Tentatively entitled ‘Slade Self-Storage’ it’s going to be a horror comedy set in a self storage unit. If you read and liked Grady Hendrix’s Horrorstor, you’ll hopefully like this. Hopefully.
100 days to go…
The Christmas Countdown has begun for some (me). This season is especially vital for the likes of Slade, Shakin’ Stevens and Jon Lymon (me), as we all anticipate generating more sales during the final few months of the year than at any other time of year.
While Mr Noddy Holder, Mr Stevens and company can expect a mega pay day from sales, downloads and streams of their classic Christmas tracks, I’m expecting far more modest returns from my two children’s Christmas books Sprucey Searches For Christmas, and Raya Rescues Christmas, as well as my festive-based short novel The Ghost of Christmas Threeve which is my top-rated, top-selling book.
Here’s ho-ho-hoping for a bumper Christmas for all self-published writers.
NEWS FROM THE WORLD OF COPYWRITING
AI job offer!
I got a job offer this week. The spiel said it was a chance to ‘help AI improve’. The temptation was strong in this one to reply with an expletive ridden rejection detailing how I’d rather see generative AI destroyed than play any part in helping this awful tech grow.
But I settled on a mature ‘not interested’. Although I did block the client from sending me any future job offers. I can’t think why any writer would want to help tech that steals from writers and reduces our chances of gaining employment.
29 years and counting
This month sees the 29th anniversary of me starting to write professionally. My first role was as a junior recruitment advertising copywriter, and I can remember the nervous excitement of receiving my first brief, which was to write an ad for a Restaurant Manager for a famous chicken-based fast food business.
I came up with the headline “We’ve room at the top. Can you fillet?” The account manager bought it and so did the client, and I’ve never really looked back. Seeing the ad in print in the Evening Standard was a real moment. I’d love other young writers to be able to experience such a moment.
Sadly, I’ve grave concerns that anyone fresh out of college with a passion for writing will be able to make a living out of wordsmithing. It seems that AI is being deployed to take care of all the so-called entry level jobs – like the chicken takeaway ads I started out writing.
My income has dwindled massively since the advent of Cheat GPT and the like, but I hope to be doing this for at least another year so I can ‘celebrate’ 30 years this time next year – my pearl anniversary.
However, I have to say that for the first time in my writing career, it looks unlikely that my writing business will survive until then.
NEWS ABOUT FREEBIES THAT ARE AS FREE AS A FREELOADING FREELANCER FREEWHEELING ALONG THE FREEWAY TO FREEMONT
Download 3 for free
Did you know that the best place to legally download Jon Lymon books at the best price is on my Payhip site?
Well, you do now!
Currently, there are 8 titles available to download as PDFs, including my latest novel Dead Headz. For 3 of the titles, you can choose how much to pay, which means you can get them for free, although any ‘donations’ will be gratefully received.
Free Sample
Usually only medical practitioners get free samples from me. But from now on, readers of this newsletter will join that shortest of short lists. And this month, the free sample I’d like to draw your attention to concerns my debut novel, The Diamond Rush.
It’s the story of what happens to the world when an asteroid brimming with diamond deposits is discovered, and people head to the belt determined to harvest the gems. The asteroid is billed as the biggest dangling carat in history.
WHAT I'M READING
HORRORSTOR
Because of an eye condition, I tend to get my books read to me via Audible, and I’ve invested this month’s credit on Horrorstor.
It’s a book that sounds like it might be in the same ballpark and wheelhouse as the next novel I’m planning, Slade Self-Storage. It’s the story of events during one night in an IKEA-like homewares store that appears to be haunted.
The premise hooked me, so too the positioning of the book as a horror comedy, which is the kind of genre most of my non-kids’ books occupy.
IFAQS - INFREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Someone recently asked me if I’d received any flack for posting this ad on social media.
I guess they were thinking I’d get some hassle for trying to piggy back another work to sell mine. I’m not sure of the law on this, but I’m sure I’ve seen many works sold by comparing previous works, eg. ‘BOOK X meets BOOK Y in this thrilling tale of elephants and espionage.’
I don’t anticipate any missives from silks representing the Shaun of the Dead franchise anytime soon, not least because my ad uses a film to give a book audience an idea of what it’s about.
And anyway, I’d like to remind everyone that we are living in an era in which AI companies have hoovered up copyrighted books and images from all over the internet to train their slop machines, without paying a penny. Fine them. All of them.
THE LAST WORD
Penguin
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