Part Two of a Two-Part Series

In our last blog post we looked at some of the drawbacks to using AI in book writing, keying in on the less-than-stellar writing it generates, the lack of originality in the ideas it sometimes comes up with, the hallucinations it creates, and the fact that it cannot fully replicate the author’s own lived experience. Today we’re going to look at some of the publishing-related challenges AI can create.

If you know anyone who has self-published recently, you may realize that Amazon requires all authors to disclose whether AI was used in the writing of their book. One publisher I spoke with this year said with some conviction that the reason for this has to do with copyright: there are numerous AI-related copyright lawsuits making their way through the American legal system right now and depending on the outcome of these lawsuits, people may be required at some point in the future to name AI as the co-author of their book on the front cover and inside copy.

Copyright Issues

How much AI involvement is going to be considered appropriate? Nobody really seems to know right now. One thing we do know is that you cannot claim copyright of a book an open AI wrote. I can name a couple of reasons for that:

1. Your AI went out onto the wild worldwide web and grabbed information other people created … so the information it’s brought back to you is not your intellectual property. It belongs to someone else. And how are you ever going to know if your AI plagiarized material word-for-word from someone else’s copyrighted material? Or if information AI gave you is actually valid, proven, or at some level a threat to your readers.
2. If your AI did the writing in addition to the idea generation, then you are not the author. You might have contributed to the book. You might have revised what AI wrote. But you don’t have clear title to the writing itself.

I know numerous publishers—traditional and independent—who will not publish a book written by AI. As an editor, I might also get to a point where I refuse to edit books written by AI because editing a book written by AI is significantly more time consuming than editing a book written by pretty much anybody I’ve ever edited. I am currently informing clients that if it turns out they have used AI to write segments of their book they need to be prepared that my editing fees will likely be substantially higher than my estimate because AI’s writing is so problematic.

As mentioned earlier, the problem isn’t the grammar or the spelling. The problem lies with the logical underpinnings of the material. And I would not be serving my clients well if I neglected to query or correct material that made them look foolish or uneducated. My clients tend to be brilliant, heart-centred entrepreneurs with years of training and experience and they are authorities in their areas of expertise. But AI can make them sound intellectually foggy, unexceptional, and vague.

Production Nightmares

Most authors also have no idea of the extent to which AI contaminates the behind-the-scenes coding of a manuscript. Hidden formatting issues, corrupted heading hierarchies, and inconsistent styles can make the editing problematic as an editor struggles to standardize the look and navigation of the document,so it looks professional and is consistent with publishing style guides like the Chicago Manual of Style (CMOS). One author I worked with said he had asked his AI to standardize his manuscript to CMOS conventions and I’m not sure he believed me when I told him that if that were the case then his AI hadn’t done a very thorough job. But it’s not just style issues: hidden coding embedded by an author’s AI creates a highly problematic layout project for the graphic designer and the publisher who are ultimately tasked with turning the manuscript into a book.  This causes production delays and you risk upcharges (from both your editor and your publisher) as they tangle with your book’s formatting.

Human Expertise is Non-Negotiable

Thedrawbacks outlined here and in our previous blog post aren’t just minor inconveniences; they are threats to the quality, integrity, and effectiveness of your book and therefore your reputation. This is where human author coaching and professional editing become not just beneficial, but absolutely essential.A skilled author coach helps you discover your unique message, refine your arguments, and ensure your book truly reflects your intellectual development and distinctive voice. They will guide you through the productive struggle that leads to genuine insight and a compelling narrative.

Professional editors, on the other hand, don’t just fix spelling and grammar, contrary to widespread belief. They provide crucial editorial judgment, ensuring logical flow, consistency, factual accuracy, and emotional impact. More importantly, they are equipped to ensure your reputation is supported by your manuscript, rather than damaged by it.

I am sensitive to the fact that a lot of people feel vulnerable around their writing skills and see AI as an answer to a prayer. As I mentioned earlier, I use it myself in my business and appreciate its speed and efficiency. But please, please use it with caution if you are writing a book. It might be a shortcut to publication but it’s a shortcut with many drawbacks … and no soul.

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