A UK start-up aims to help readers distinguish human creativity from machine output by launching an “Organic Literature” certification for books.
Books By People, founded by rare books specialist Esme Dennys alongside Conrad Young and Gavin Johnston, has partnered with several independent publishers to introduce verification stamps on book covers. The initiative seeks to safeguard creative integrity as AI-generated texts increasingly populate online marketplaces.
The Organic Literature stamp signifies that a book was written by a human author, allowing only limited AI use for auxiliary tasks like formatting or brainstorming. Publishers qualify by adhering to the certification’s standards, with annual spot checks planned. Fees for participation will scale based on the number of titles a publisher produces annually.
The first book set to carry the stamp is Telenovela by Gonzalo C Garcia, scheduled for release this November through Galley Beggar Press. Other initial publishing partners supporting the scheme include Bluemoose Books, Snowbooks, Scorpius Books, and Bedford Square Publishers.
Sam Jordison, co-director of Galley Beggar Press and an adviser for Books By People, highlighted the initiative’s perceived value. He told The Guardian,
This initiative is incredibly important for publishers, for authors and, most importantly, for readers. It is both a seal of quality and an assurance of the shared humanity that we look for in books. I’m very proud to be the publisher who will have the first stamp – and it feels very fitting that that stamp should go on Telenovela, a book about the fight for truth and against authoritarianism.
The launch occurs amidst ongoing friction between AI developers and the creative sector concerning copyright and training data. Earlier this year, Anthropic faced accusations of using pirated works to train its AI, while concerns persist about the unregulated influx of AI-generated content, sometimes containing misinformation, on platforms like Amazon.
This isn’t the first attempt to visibly mark human authorship; in August, Faber placed “human-written” stickers on Sarah Hall’s Helm. At the time, Faber CEO Mary Cannam emphasised that the publisher’s logo itself inherently represents human creation.
The Publishers Association CEO, Dan Conway, acknowledged such voluntary efforts positively but indicated the industry isn’t currently pursuing mandatory labelling. He commented,
As the Publishers Association it’s critical that we continue to support publishers and authors in standing up for human creativity and critical thinking.
Conway also noted the PA is pushing online retailers to curb the spread of low-quality AI content. Books By People plans an international expansion in 2026.
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