Blog Post 6: A Visit from Erik Hanberg

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Our first guest this quarter was Erik Hanberg. He is an author, entrepreneur and publisher. He has released several books of several genres. One of the genres he has written books about and has experience in is nonprofit management, fundraising, marketing and leadership. His books have sold tens of thousands of books to nonprofit organizations. One of his biggest books is ‘The Little Book of Gold: Fundraising for Small (and Very Small) Nonprofits’ which is a step-by-step guide to professional fundraising. The other genres he has written/ published in were science fiction, mysteries (suspense & cozies) and literary drama.  


One of the biggest takeaways from Erik is his take on self-publishing and content creation, especially the uncertainty that AI brings into the field. He discussed how the rise of AI has influenced every single industry, emphasizing how writing, audiobook, and even programming is being impacted. He talked about how AI can be useful & beneficial in things like brainstorming, editing and even generating drafts. AI is even taking over jobs in programming. He discussed how while AI can be incredibly helpful, it lacks a certain touch that humans can add. 


In summary, Erik’s talk in class discussed a wide range of topics. The main points are self-publishing and writing in the age of AI. It is easier for writers to publish now but without large publishing houses, the burden of promoting falls on authors. 

 


Some of the questions I had for Erik are: What do you think people prefer, people narrating or AI narrating? Do people have to credit AI in writing?


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