If you're a parent on TikTok, you may already have seen this, and if not, you will if you keep scrolling today.
A new side-hustle is emerging, and just like last year's explosion of paid-gaming, it's almost too easy.
There's a new feature of Google's Gemini AI, which allows you to create illustrated children's books with a single prompt. And the books are of such passable quality, people have begun trying to sell them...
How to Create Storybooks in Gemini
Want to test this out for yourself?
- Go to Gemini's new Storybook page.
- Write a prompt for the book, even something as simple as "My 4-year-old doesn't want to brush their teeth, help me create a storybook to persuade them".
- Hit enter, wait a few minutes, and voilà, you should have a 10-page picture book
You can even have the book narrated by clicking on the blue "Listen" button in the top-right corner.
While you could create stories like this using AI before, with this feature you also get consistent illustrations to go alongside the text:
There are still a few mistakes, for instance in one illustration Barnaby the bear was randomly a human child and not a bear, but it was quite easy to correct this single page with a second prompt.
Given how easy it is to create these books, the obvious has happened: AI-generated picture books have already begun flooding e-book marketplaces.
The Perfect Side Hustle, or a Depressing Sign of the Times?
It's hard to argue with a parent using this feature to create books for their own children, but what about people who try to sell these one-prompt masterpieces?
Go on to Amazon, or any major e-book marketplace, then sort by new in the children's section. There are thousands upon thousands of self-publishing authors who are pumping out books like this at suspiciously low prices.
A great many children's books are still lovingly written and illustrated by hand, but they're overwhelmed on every side by these AI-generated tales. And frankly, a lot of it is completely unedited slop.
Publishings Standards Hit Record Low
Here is the front cover of a new book released this week called "Angavory: The boy who chose real power: From weak to warrior, every child can become a superhero" (that's the actual title):
I found this example instantly, on the first page of the new books for children section, and there are countless others like it.
Will it hurt a child to read a mistake-ridden mess? Probably not. As my own mother used to say when I got into Warhammer novels, "at least he's reading". But it's hard not to feel bad for the kids, when you compare this to children's fiction from only a few years ago.
But Is It Profitable, Should You Self-Publish?
If you're considering creating these books and trying to sell them yourself, you may want to reconsider.
While it is incredibly easy to self-publish (all you need is a Kindle Direct Publishing account), the price for these creations is already plummeting, with most now going for less than $1.
There are also thousands of other would-be authors doing the same, so even making a few sales at $1 will be tough.
Instead, it would be far more profitable to invest your time into a proven side-hustle, like paid market research or product testing.
