Writing.
On https://myindiebookshelf.com/ I ran into Lawrence Nault. Who is... real? Or not? When I see an AI generated or otherwise modified face, I start to doubt. So, just for fun, I looked a little deeper.
Sleuthing on the 'net may also help you to figure out how to present yourself as an author. Learn from the best and the worst, as they say.
Disclaimer
To avoid any doubts: this isn't an attempt to make an author look bad! It's just a practical example how readers may see you as a writer, and how careful you must be how you present yourself, as it can be misinterpreted.
All this information is online and publicly available, and deliberately left behind by the author to be found. I haven't tried to find any real personal information.
To show the difference I'll have a look at another better known author next time, and see how he / she does it.
As for Lawrence Nault, I tried to contact him but he didn't get back to me.
Indie Bookshelf
This is where the journey started:
... which took me to Amazon...
Amazon
https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B0BSG78BP9/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i0
He has several books, all released in early 2023. The contents aren't always clear, with -- it seems -- few buyers and fewer reviews. The front pages mention that the covers and interior art are AI generated. I didn't dare to download or purchase anything (way too expensive 😎)
Homepage
There's a website:
... which actually has a link to an interview. Except that it isn't a real interview but uses TTS. You find that one here:
Otherwise, that author page is pretty dead.
Youtube
It's weird to use TTS for an interview...
I don't mind the use of TTS, but the interviews show no source, and if you publish an interview it would be nice to show who interviewed you. In this specific case the use of TTS makes them seem 'made up'. That might not be the case, but it's the impression it leaves me with.
Anyway, the interview leads to his YouTube channel:
The interview (what show?) and some of the other clips use stock images and TTS. Not a good sign...
Goodreads
If he is an author, then he should be on Goodreads, right? Yes, he is! Lawrence Nault has a book on Goodreads, including a review:
Olivia Beaumont (who's that?) reviewed two books... and they're both of books by Lawrence Nault, and supposedly read in 2023. Duh.
I can't help but think of those as fake reviews, sorry. Maybe they're real, but... I don't know. Could Olivia Beaumont step forward please?
Fake or not?
At this stage I assumed Lawrence Nault was a fake personality, but it turns out he's real after all.
His YouTube channel leads to another website, this one:
Urns... okay... But things get even weirder when scrolling down on that site, hit Gallery, scroll down further, to Renovations. Well, at least his house looks a lot better, but... Urns and books and renovations? It's an interesting combo, though I think the cross-marketing opportunities are limited 😁
And what's with the 'property secured' notice? Anyway...
The real Lawrence Nault
... is on Tik Tok!
I'm not sure what the marketing plan is, but at least these are human made, real clips. And he's active.
Well, at least he's putting Tik Tok to better use than me 😎
https://www.linkedin.com/in/lawrencebnault/?originalSubdomain=ca
I wouldn't use my own name as a pen name, but apparently he did. It appears to be the same person, as he shared the same renovation video.
Through LinkedIn, I also found this:
https://www.thesafetymag.com/ca/external-contributors/lawrence-nault
His homepage says this:
Lawrence has been writing a long time, though he disappeared from the book world for many years. His moniker, “The Mountain Hermit”, should give you a hint as to why he disappeared. He is not a public individual, but the republishing of his books by Our Workshop has brought him out of his isolation to social media. You can listing to a recent interview on YouTube and find out more about Lawrence and his books.
That's... a little misleading. His LinkedIn profile shows he wasn't a real hermit (as per the definition) but simply worked before settling on a beard, and yeah, he might have republished some older books, but didn't seem to strife for a career as an author, is somewhat inactive, and 'Our Workshop' is probably he himself.
Conclusion
He's a real person and a writer who might improve his online presence. As it stands now it is a bit messy and would not immediately inspire me to buy any of his books. Which doesn't mean his books are bad! I just don't know.
So, not an AI bot, not a writing farm, but a real person. That's good.
If someone donates me one of his books I'll tell you what I think of his writing 😏
To be fair, I sampled the free pages of his work on Amazon (try this link, as there doesn't seem to be a Kindle version of the book on Amazon.com), and I'm not sure what all those dragonheads in Draconim Lacrima Mortis are doing there...
Maybe he spots my message and contacts me?
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