Hi everyone,
I’m reaching out to see if other self-published authors are experiencing a surge in unprovoked hostility regarding "AI accusations."
I’ve been writing my series for months, and it’s currently performing well (hitting Top 5,000 in the Kindle Store). However, I’ve noticed that in certain niche subreddits—specifically r/Isekai—the environment has become incredibly toxic toward creators.
Whenever I share progress or a monthly update, I am met with aggressive, low-effort comments like "Ain’t touching this AI garbage" or people trying to "analyze" the angle of a table on my cover art to "prove" it’s AI.
The most frustrating part isn't even the trolls—it's the moderation. When I defended my work and pointed out that these baseless accusations are insulting to the months of craft I’ve put in, the moderators banned me. When I tried to appeal and discuss how their "Be Nice" rule isn't being applied to those harassing authors, they simply muted me to avoid the conversation.
It feels like some communities are fostering a "witch-hunt" culture where it's okay to bash authors with zero proof, but it's "aggressive" for the author to stand up for themselves.
- Has anyone else dealt with this specific type of harassment recently?
- How do you handle promotion in spaces where "AI" has become a default insult used to gatekeep or devalue human-written work?
- Is it even worth engaging with these communities anymore, or is it better to stick to purely author-centric spaces?
I’d love to hear how you all protect your brand and mental health from this kind of bad-faith criticism.
p.s.
I’ve already filed an official report with Reddit’s Code of Conduct team regarding the lack of professional moderation and the fostering of a hostile environment. I’m sharing this so other authors are aware of what they might face in that community.