Horror novel ‘Shy Girl’ by Mia Ballard has been pulled from publication by Hachette Book Group after claims that Artificial Intelligence (AI) was used in its writing process.
The decision was first reported by the New York Times on March 19, citing a response from Hachette, which said it would no longer publish the book in the United States this spring under its Orbit imprint.
Its United Kingdom edition — first published last year — will also be discontinued.
Hachette said it conducted a careful review of the text before coming up with the decision.
Furthermore, a Hachette spokeswoman also told the New York Times that the publishing company “remains committed to protecting original creative expression and storytelling.”
She stressed that authors are required to submit original works, and the publisher asks authors to disclose any AI use during the writing process.
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Ballard denies claims
Meanwhile, Ballard disputed any claims that she used AI while writing the book, which was initially self-published in February 2025.
In an email sent to the New York Times, she said: “This controversy has changed my life in many ways and my mental health is at an all time low and my name is ruined for something I didn’t even personally do.”
Ballard explained that an individual she hired to edit the novel’s self-published version had employed AI tools.
However, she could not share any further details about the matter as she is pursuing legal action.
‘Generic metaphors’, ‘repetitive phrasing’
‘Shy Girl’ is about lonely and mentally unstable Gia, who “finds herself at a crossroads when financial troubles lead her to Nathan, a mysterious and affluent man she encounters on a sugar dating website.”
“Desperate for a solution, Gia is intrigued by Nathan’s unconventional offer: in exchange for living as his devoted pet, all of her debts will be erased. But the longer Gia is in captivity, the more animalistic she becomes,” the book’s Goodreads synopsis stated.
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Ballard’s novel has sold around 1,800 copies in the UK since its publication, according to NielsenIQ BookData.
As of this writing, it has nearly 5,000 ratings, with 3.51 stars on Goodreads. A few of the older reviews and ratings, however, have been removed by users in light of the recent issue.
Allegations of generative AI use in the novel surfaced early this year. Readers who made the claims cited “generic and confusing metaphors and repetitive phrasing”.
A YouTube video uploaded in January titled “I’m pretty sure this book is AI slop” became widely shared on social media platforms, fueling the debate on whether or not AI was used in the writing process.
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