Not so long ago, the idea of AI-generated books seemed dystopian. But more writers and business owners are relying on AI tools to create books, and I’ve edited many.
I’ll be honest: I’m not a huge advocate for “writing a book” using AI alone. I think the results can be disappointing, and the ethical implications make me feel uneasy. However, I’m not expecting everyone to agree with me, and AI book writing will continue. All I can do is help authors make their books as good as possible and help mitigate the unique risks that arise with AI writing.
You might assume that editing and proofreading an AI-generated book would be a breeze, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. These books require a lot of intervention – more than a human-written book, sometimes. Their weak points are unique. Professional human editorial help is invaluable in this process.
Hiring a human editor to work on your AI-generated book can:
- Prevent you from publishing material containing factual inaccuracies, misinterpretations, false conclusions and over-exaggerations
- Safeguard your credibility as an author
- Improve the reader’s experience and help them extract more value from your book
- Help you accomplish your goals (i.e., why you wrote the book in the first place)
Before publishing your AI-generated book, consider the questions below.
FREE GUIDES:
- A copyeditor’s review of AI-generated copy – a warning for writers
- Service guide: Developmental editing for non-fiction book manuscripts
Does everything truly make sense?
If the book contains an error, false conclusion or over-exaggeration, you’re to blame – not the AI tool.
As someone who is knowledgeable about the book’s topic (assuming you are), you are best placed to review the manuscript for factual accuracy. In some cases, hiring a subject matter expert to fact-check the content can be very helpful. For instance, if your book is about a medical topic, you might hire a doctor to review it for you.
Many AI users believe it is infallible. A client once said to me, “Much of the manuscript is LLM-generated, so there’s good news and bad news: on one hand, it’s factually correct, on the other hand, it’s a little stiff.” I was alarmed to discover that many elements of the text were not “factually correct” at all!
Spotting these issues involves attention to detail, reading between the lines and thinking logically, which are all parts of an editor’s skillset.
How an editor can help
Copyeditors have a real knack for sniffing out things that aren’t quite right. We analyse text on the closest possible level, enabling us to catch errors, discrepancies and misinterpretations that you might miss.
I recommend reading through your manuscript as the first step in the review process, checking for logic and factual accuracy. If you can, ask a subject matter expert to review it again. Finally, hire an editor to assess the manuscript objectively and go through it with a fine-tooth comb.
Is it immediately obvious that you’ve used AI to write the book?
If you copy text from an AI tool, paste it in a document and hit publish, you’re unlikely to fool anyone. AI content has many tell-tale characteristics, and as more and more AI content gets pushed into the world, readers are becoming attuned to it (and in many cases, critical of it).
As I discuss later, the obvious use of AI in book writing can negatively impact your results and credibility as a writer. So you need to decide the following:
- Is it obvious that you have written the book using AI?
- How much do you care, if at all?
How an editor can help
Humanising an AI-generated book to the point that your readers won’t know you used it is exceptionally difficult. It’s a bit like attempting to paint a rainbow with only half the colours or playing Scrabble with only half the letters.
I find that gen-AI text often works against me, as an editor. Sure, the grammar might be technically fine. The paragraphs may look like they follow a logical flow. But once I start reading closely, I find that the text is full of empty phrases, repetition and vague generalisations – “word salad” that gives the illusion of meaning without actually saying much.
So I face a double challenge. I need to build the connection between what the writer wanted to say and what the text actually communicates – and that’s hard enough, because editors aren’t mind-readers. If the writer’s intent is obscured, I can’t recover it through guesswork. Sometimes, a pause-and-ask is the only responsible next step, which is costly and time-consuming.
But even when I do have a sense of what the writer meant, the language often needs a lot more than light editing. I can’t just swap in a synonym or cut a sentence – I need to break apart overstuffed paragraphs and reassemble the ideas in a way that sounds like natural human writing.
Fully humanising AI writing can be so labour-intensive that it’s often more effective to just hire a human ghostwriter or write the book yourself. But in many cases, it’s too late for that.
In a hybrid line and copyedit, I can work to remove as many tell-tale signs as possible, breaking patterns, removing repetition, varying the language and generally making the text more engaging – but I can’t promise your reader won’t notice your book is written by AI.
Also note that most editors worth their salt won’t be comfortable being held to an AI detector’s rating (i.e., “Humanise my AI-generated book manuscript so that it passes an AI detector test with a score below 40%.”).
The best thing to do? Send me a message to kickstart a discussion about your gen-AI book and your preferences regarding AI detection. I can then offer a bespoke editing plan with unique approaches and objectives.
If you used AI to write part of your book, are the tone and voice consistent?
What if you only use AI to support your writing or to write some of the book?
This is a really interesting scenario that I’ve come across frequently.
Transitions between gen-AI and human text can be incredibly jarring and confusing. The tone and style will likely be completely different. And, of course, the contrast will make it obvious to readers that you used AI.
The hybrid approach also adds a whole range of formatting inconsistencies that a copyeditor will need to address. Ultimately, your book may read as if there are two different authors, diluting the strength of your narrative voice and impacting the reader’s experience.
How an editor can help
Developmental editing can identify imbalances and contradictions in tone, structure and content.
Line editing can adjust your AI-generated text to blend more seamlessly with the text you wrote unassisted.
Copyediting can also fix the styling and formatting so that your reader has an uninterrupted experience and your published book looks tidy and professional.
Is the structure within chapters consistent? Is the content balanced?
In every AI-generated non-fiction manuscript I’ve ever reviewed, the headings were inconsistent from chapter to chapter.
I’ve made up an example to explain what I mean. Here are imaginary headings from a book about different fruit types:
| Chapter | Apples | Oranges | Pears |
| Subheadings | The history of apples | The history of oranges | Pears through the ages |
| Different types of apples | Oranges: Nutrition | Different types of pears | |
| Common pests and diseases that affect apples | How to grow oranges | How to grow pears | |
| Health benefits of eating apples | Common pests and diseases that affect oranges | Challenges of growing pears | |
| Fun facts about apples | Fun facts about oranges | Fun facts about pears | |
| Summing up | Conclusion | Summing up |
Chapters don’t necessarily need to have the same structure. It depends on the book and the information you’re sharing. However, in our fruit example, the chapter structure should be consistent.
An untidy, inconsistent structure can result in a poor reading experience. Your reader should be able to locate information easily and find everything they need. In the example above, the reader will be disappointed if they want to learn how to grow apples because the author simply hasn’t provided that information.
You’ll also notice that the wording of the subheadings is inconsistent in the fruit book – “Summing up” versus “Conclusion”, and “Health benefits of eating apples” versus “Oranges: Nutrition”. Inconsistent wording creates an illusion of laziness and lack of care. It also makes book navigation challenging.
How an editor can help
A developmental edit (sometimes called a structural edit) will flag inconsistencies within your book’s structure, so it’s worth investing in this service. Still, this is an easy check to carry out yourself when creating a book using AI.
Map out your book structure by writing out the chapter titles and listing all the major subheadings beneath them – just like I did above. Check that your structure is consistent, logical and complete.
Does your book boost your credibility or weaken it?
Having a book published under your name can boost your credibility. You can call yourself a published author and use this as a marketing tool. However, a book that contains generic information might suggest you only have surface-level expertise rather than real authority and tell readers you have little to add beyond what’s already out there.
You create real authority when you share original perspectives, real-world experience and a distinct voice – something AI alone can’t provide. You don’t want your readers to view your book as a marketing ploy.
What’s more, AI-generated writing is surprisingly easy to identify. Consider how you would feel in your reader’s position – you purchase a book you think is written by an industry expert with the hope of learning from their original insights. You quickly realise they didn’t write the book at all and merely recycled the thoughts and experiences of other experts (this is precisely what AI does). Your respect for that individual would probably decline, and you might look elsewhere for inspiration and guidance.
AI tools can be very helpful for creating an outline and compiling simple ideas for a rough draft. They can also help you develop and articulate complex thoughts and experiences. After all, not everyone is a natural writer. But don’t fall into the trap of over-relying on these tools. Always try to add something that sets you apart and offers real human insight.
If you struggle to write yourself but you want to publish a book, AI isn’t the only solution. Consider hiring a skilled human ghostwriter to assist you. When you have a draft, it’s time to find a qualified professional copyeditor to provide the finishing touches and ensure your book is something to be truly proud of.
How an editor can help
As an editor, I can’t wave a wand and magically produce the kind of passion and unique knowledge that will make your book competitive, valuable and original. Nor can AI. Those things reside within YOU.
This is where developmental editing for AI-generated books is so helpful. It can identify weak areas that harm your credibility and highlight parts that need bolstering with evidence, insights, research or case studies. Developmental editing helps you shape the manuscript into something that’s more coherent and purposeful, meeting the needs of real readers.
I’ve found that developmental editing really helps writers unlock extra value from their books, and it leads to many “aha” moments! Note that this process takes place prior to line editing, copyediting and proofreading.
Do you want human feedback on your AI-generated book manuscript? Send me a message!
Does your book contain insights and unique information that set you apart from competitors?
With AI, you can produce a book in a fraction of the time it would take to write one manually. The trouble is that your competitors might just do exactly the same thing – possibly on the same topic, aimed at the same audience.
Chances are, those two books will be very similar. Without any human input, they may even contain the exact same information written in a slightly different way.
Using an AI tool to provide the bare bones of your book is an efficient way to use the technology, but you need to flesh it out with your unique voice and knowledge. Add unique points to AI-generated lists and change up vocabulary so that it aligns more with your natural voice. Be sure to add stories, case studies, quotes, statistics and anything else that’s impossible for other brands to replicate.
How an editor can help
I can assess originality and strength of brand voice in a dedicated developmental edit before moving on to line editing and copyediting.
Clean, consistent writing helps ideas land with your audience, and thoughtful edits can turn flat, AI-written content into something that communicates real value in a trustworthy voice.
Editing helps bring originality to the surface. My hybrid line and copyediting service refines tone, tightens structure and polishes language and syntax to make your manuscript more engaging and credible.
Get in touch to discuss Kingsland Editorial’s range of comprehensive editing services.
Has your book been moderated to prevent possible legal ramifications?
While creating your book – and certainly before you publish it – imagine that you’re standing up in front of stakeholders or customers and presenting the material.
- Is there anything in the manuscript that would make you feel uneasy or uncomfortable saying in front of stakeholders or customers?
- Would you be able to defend everything that’s been written if questioned?
- Would you fully understand what the book is saying?
- Will the statements and conclusions stand up under scrutiny?
AI-generated text is not infallible. Narrative can be incoherent. Stories can be unrealistic. Conclusions can be false. Statements can be over-exaggerated.
I’ve already spoken about credibility, but have you considered the potential legal ramifications of publishing a book that hasn’t been thoroughly reviewed and moderated? Imagine it makes a false statement about something or says something discriminatory. You can’t stand up in court and say, “It was the AI’s fault!”
Verification and moderation are especially important if your industry, such as health, finance or law, has specific compliance requirements. Without careful monitoring, you could face legal ramifications and reputational damage.
Adding a simple moderation step to your book creation and publication process can prevent you from making false or damaging statements that land you or your company in legal hot water. Have the text reviewed by several team members in different departments with unique expertise. If you need to, hire industry or legal experts to review the book and provide feedback. They can flag anything that is potentially harmful or incorrect.
Also – and this might sound obvious – you should thoroughly review the AI-generated text. Remember that this book represents you, and it’s your responsibility.
How an editor can help
After your manuscript has been reviewed by yourself, peers, colleagues, friends, family, subject matter experts and/or legal experts, hire an editor/proofreader to review the book.
Editorial professionals have a real knack for detecting things that don’t quite make sense and we flag problematic or contradictory statements, discriminatory language and bias.
Have you thought about hiring an editor to review your AI-generated book?
You’ll get the best results from writing a book yourself or hiring a human ghostwriter. However, you might just want to get a book out quickly to begin attracting customers and building your brand identity. In this case, AI tools can provide the brainstorming and writing support you need.
Whether you use AI tools to help you with parts of your book or create the whole thing, machine-generated text requires human editing and proofreading. In that sense, it doesn’t differ from human-written text.
Here’s how I can help you with your AI-generated/assisted book:
Developmental/structural feedback
- Providing developmental feedback on content originality, depth, value, balance and comprehensiveness
- Assessing the book’s structure – chapters, subheadings, paragraphs and transitions
- Evaluating whether the book achieves your desired goals (for example, establishing yourself as a subject matter expert or persuading the reader to buy your product) and provides the reader with the value and information you promised from the outset
- Flagging areas that can be bolstered with further research, evidence, detail or unique insights/case studies
- Telling you which parts are illogical, vague or confusing, and those that just don’t do what you say they will
- Highlighting repetition across the whole book and within chapters and paragraphs
- Flagging redundant content – things that just aren’t necessary or hinder the book’s development or flow
- Sense-checking information and flagging possible inaccuracies, over exagerations and false conclusions
- Evaluating the reader’s hypothetical experience when reading your book and advocating for their needs
Find out more about my developmental editing for AI book packages here.
Line editing, copyediting and proofreading
- Refining the clarity, tone and flow of your writing
- Tightening sentences to improve readability and eliminate wordiness
- Ensuring consistency in everything, from style and formatting to terminology, spelling, grammar, punctuation, hyphenation and capitalisation
- Flagging vague or generic content and suggesting where more precision or insight is needed
- Correcting grammar, punctuation and spelling
- Maintaining a consistent, professional tone that suits your audience
- Identifying and improving awkward, overly technical or AI-sounding phrasing — and either flagging or fixing it, depending on your preferences
- Ensuring everything is where it should be, including tables, graphs, images and headings
- Reading with your audience in mind, ensuring the text is clear, accessible and engaging for the people it’s written for
Let’s chat about your AI-generated/assisted book manuscript! Send me a message to get the ball rolling and discuss your text’s unique needs. I’m very happy to complete sample edits on request.
