Nigerian author Jerry Falade has lost a publishing deal worth more than $2 million after concerns emerged that artificial intelligence may have been used in writing or editing his debut crime novel, Call Me, I’ll Hide the Body.
The novel, scheduled for publication in 2028, sparked a bidding war involving 14 publishing houses, with Macmillan U.S.‘s Minotaur imprint reportedly securing the rights. However, Falade’s literary agents later withdrew the manuscript, saying they could no longer verify that AI was not involved in its creation.
In an email to publishers, the agents said they initially trusted Falade’s assurance that the manuscript was written and edited without AI, but later concluded they could no longer authenticate how it evolved from its original draft to the final version.
Marc Gerald of Europa Content, which handled the U.S. auction, said an editor first raised concerns about possible AI use. Although the agency initially accepted Falade’s explanation without using AI-detection software, it cut ties with the author on July 29 after saying aspects of his account had changed.
Falade has denied using AI, arguing that Black authors are unfairly subjected to such allegations when their work gains international attention. He noted that some white authors have openly acknowledged using AI without facing similar consequences.
He also referenced U.S.-based Black authors Mia Ballard and HM Wolfe, who lost publishing deals earlier this year over similar claims. Falade added that AI-detection tools are known to produce false positives and maintained that publishing professionals who reviewed the manuscript would have identified any genuine misuse of AI.
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