Using AI as your author assistant: Why it’s ethical, efficient, and essential

Authors have legitimate concerns about using artificial intelligence. But using AI as your author assistant gives you an ethical advantage.

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Last week, I sent my newsletter subscribers an email about a discount on BookVoice, a new tool that lets authors create book videos with artificial intelligence (AI) voices.

One of my subscribers replied, “I will never use any service that uses AI.”

Earlier that month, another subscriber wrote to me, “I’m torn about the use of AI.” They asked what I thought about it.

I’m sharing my thoughts on the subject here as a way of helping others think through what does and doesn’t work for them.

Don’t use AI to write your book

I’m against using AI to write your manuscript.

I won’t go as far as saying that publishing an AI-written book is cheating, especially if you make it clear that technology created the book. But it’s problematic. And it’s not smart.

For starters…

• AI-produced content is often poorly written.
• AI-generated information can contain errors. (And some of those errors are funny.)
• Because of the way most AI tools generate text, you could be using someone else’s copyrighted words in your text. (If you can do that to someone else, what’s to stop them from doing that to you, eh?)
• AI-written books can’t be copyrighted.
• If AI writes the book, you’re not the author.

That last point is important.

You’re an author. I don’t think that sacrificing quality (and perhaps your integrity) to publish a mediocre-at-best manuscript quickly is why you get out of bed in the morning.

Using AI as your author assistant, not as your replacement

But there are other smart ways to use AI in your work.

And, those of you who use artificial intelligence tools for the more mechanical and repetitive tasks are going to skate past those who aren’t. That’s because using AI selectively – and especially for the work you don’t like and usually put off doing – will free up mental space and time for the creative work you love and do well.

Authors who are willing to use artificial intelligence tools for the more mechanical and repetitive tasks are going to skate past those who aren’t.Click to tweet

This will give you a competitive advantage over those who don’t. You will be joining the increasing number of authors embracing the help AI tools offer.

Statista reports that in 2023, 23% of authors surveyed said they use AI in these ways:

• 47% as a grammar tool (think Grammarly)
• 29% for brainstorming plot ideas and characters
• 26% for marketing
• 14% to structure or organize drafts
• 7% to generate text

I’m sure those percentages increased in 2024 as people began to learn more about AI, the tools available, and how those tools can help.

What can AI do as your author assistant?

Here are just a few of the tasks AI can help with.

Pre-writing support

• World building
• Outlining
• Generating character backstories to spark ideas
• Creating detailed setting descriptions to build from
• Suggesting plot complications or plot twist ideas
• Developing character interview questions
• Creating character voice guides
• Generating sensory detail lists for different settings

Research assistance

• Suggesting content (what’s missing from your nonfiction outline or manuscript?)
• Summarizing research articles or historical documents
• Generating lists of follow-up questions for deeper research
• Creating timelines of historical events relevant to the story
• Compiling lists of period-appropriate names, clothing, or terminology
• Organizing research notes into coherent categories

Administrative tasks

• Creating submission tracking spreadsheets
• Drafting query letters and synopses
• Generating keywords for book metadata
• Creating chapter summaries for quick reference
• Organizing character traits and relationships into databases
• Tracking plot threads and story arcs
• Generating book title and cover ideas

Post-writing tasks

• Editing and proofreading
• Analyzing style
• Detecting plagiarism
• Formatting
• Improving dialogue
• Creating chapter summaries for series bibles
• Generating discussion questions for book clubs
• Drafting reading group guides
• Creating content warnings
• Suggesting comparable titles for marketing
• Translation
• Creating audiobook scripts
• Exporting for different publishing platforms

Beta reading support

• Creating feedback questionnaires for beta readers
• Organizing and categorizing beta reader feedback
• Generating revision checklists based on feedback patterns
• Creating character and plot consistency checks

Marketing and promotion

• Drafting author Q&A responses
• Drafting multiple versions of book descriptions for different platforms (Amazon, Goodreads, author website)
• Creating social media posts about the same book for different platforms
• Generating blog post ideas related to the book’s themes
• Brainstorming newsletter content for author mailing lists
• Suggesting relevant hashtags for book promotion
• Creating first drafts of author bios in different lengths

None of these tasks involve writing the actual story. But they’re all supporting activities that can drain your creative energy and time.

By delegating these tasks to AI, then refining the outcomes accordingly, you will have more time for what you enjoy most: crafting stories and connecting with readers.

By delegating these tasks to AI, then refining the outcomes accordingly, you will have more time for what you enjoy most: crafting stories and connecting with readers.

Is using AI as Your author assistant cheating?

I realize that even when you see how AI tools can make your life easier, you still might be thinking, “But is it cheating?”

Nope.

What are we all trying to accomplish as authors?

The goal isn’t to prove how hard we worked, is it? Of course not. We want to:

• Create engaging stories that impact readers or help someone do something better, smarter, or faster
• Build meaningful connections with our audience
• Develop a sustainable writing career
• Deliver quality books consistently

We get lots of help doing that without using AI, so what’s wrong with adding an AI tool to our arsenal?

AI for authors: The food processor of writing

Let me explain it a little differently.

I’m a bit of a purist when I cook. For example, I rarely bake from a box mix. I’m all about recipes.

And, I bypass the time-saving pre-cut raw vegetables in my supermarket’s produce section because the home veggie prep process is therapeutic for me – up to a point. When I have to dice, chop, or shred a lot of veggies for a soup or my favorite Moosewood Restaurant vegetable-tofu lasagna, I’m all about my Cuisinart food processor.

The food processor gives me a more precise result in a fraction of the time it takes with a totally manual process. It’s a serious time-saver…but it’s only part of the vegetable prep process. I’m still scrubbing, peeling, and cutting up the produce I run through my food processor.

I see using AI as an author assistant the same way. 

Using AI to write your book? That’s cooking with pre-cleaned, pre-cut veggies. Using it as an author’s assistant? That’s the food processor of authorship.

I’m comfortable using several AI tools for a number of tasks that don’t come easily to me, from writing SEO-friendly headlines for these blog posts to creating themed chapter titles.

4 reasons using AI makes sense

Getting help from an AI tool is this millennium’s alternative to calling a friend to brainstorm (and that’s still legit – I do that, too). Only with AI, you get that help almost instantly without taking your friend’s time.

Let me explain.

1. There’s a difference between using AI as a helper and using it as a creator.

Authors have always used tools that make writing easier. For example:

• Typewriters, and now, computers
• Dictionaries and thesauruses
• Microsoft Word’s spelling and grammar checkers and other grammar tools
• Libraries, then later, Google, for research

AI is simply another resource, not a replacement for your creativity.

2. You’re already acknowledging other forms of help.

You often acknowledge your editor or research assistant, right? There’s nothing wrong with thanking your favorite AI tool for help with whatever it did for you. Be transparent with your readers about how you use AI as an assistant.

You can use your AI experiences for social media content, too.

For example, if you used it to identify character names, write about why and how. Sharing some of the backstory will help humanize you with readers while it offers interesting insights into the writing process.

3. It’s more efficient.

As already noted, many tasks that AI can help with (like drafting social media posts or organizing research notes) take valuable time away from your creative writing process.

Using AI for tasks like these lets you focus more energy and brainpower on the actual storytelling or writing. That’s a good thing!

4. It’s a pretty awesome helper.

via GIPHY

Think of it as a digital virtual assistant.

Your favorite AI tool can quickly gather information or generate options, but you maintain creative control and make all decisions.

Case in point: While writing this, I knew I hadn’t listed everything a good AI tool could help you with, so I asked QuickWrite and Claude for help. Both delivered.

Then I used ChatGPT to write the FAQs at the end of this. (Can you imagine how much time that saved me?)

Using AI as your author assistant elevates you and your work

I view this type of assistance from technology as no different from human help. In fact, I think it’s smarter.

Readers deserve your best work, and they don’t care how much time it took you to produce it. (Do you want to know how long it takes me to create my most time-consuming articles here, including the annual literary calendar or holiday gift guide? You do not. All you care about is that the content helps you.)

To produce your best (and most professional) work, you simply must be efficient. Otherwise, your author career isn’t sustainable.

Using AI for some author administrative tasks saves time. Anything that saves you time is a gift, especially if you struggle to find time to write. When you use the resources available to be more efficient, you’ll have more time to do what you do best – write.

Using AI for some author administrative tasks saves time. Anything that saves you time is a gift, especially if you struggle to find time to write.Click to tweet

Where do you stand?

You can maintain your integrity while embracing AI assistance.

Still, if you choose not to use AI as an author assistant, you will be fine.

AI can bring you new and better ideas while making you more efficient, but efficiency isn’t important for everyone.

You might enjoy doing everything yourself, too. There’s a lot to be said for that kind of hands-on quality control. And there’s something quite satisfying about it, too.

Others, though, are attracted to the potential for being more productive in less time. They are the authors will move farther ahead faster.

Start small

If you’re open to exploring the possibilities AI offers, start small.

Pick one task from the list above – maybe one you dislike the most. Then craft a “prompt” – the instructions you give the AI tool – that will get you what you want, and see what happens.

I’m looking forward to exploring how AI can help me work smarter and more efficiently. Maybe you are, too!

Want to see how you can create short videos with AI voices quickly and easily? Watch the BookVoice demonstration here. I’m having a lot of fun creating with it!

FAQs About Using AI as an Author Assistant

1. Is using AI to assist with my writing considered cheating?

No, using AI as an assistant isn’t cheating. Think of it as a tool, like a grammar checker or a word processor. AI can help with tasks like research, editing, and marketing, but it doesn’t replace your creativity or authorship.

2. Can AI actually improve my efficiency as an author?

Absolutely! AI can handle time-consuming tasks such as outlining, research summaries, or drafting social media posts. This frees up more time for you to focus on storytelling and creative writing.

3. What tasks can AI help with in my writing process?

AI can assist with pre-writing tasks (like character backstories and outlines), research, administrative duties (like organizing notes), editing, and even marketing content such as social media posts or author bios.

4. Should I tell my readers if I’ve used AI tools?

Transparency is always a good idea. Just like you might thank an editor or research assistant, acknowledging AI assistance can build trust with your readers and offer them insights into your creative process.

5. How do I start using AI as an author assistant?

Start small. Choose one task you dislike or find time-consuming, such as generating social media content or outlining chapters. Experiment with prompts and refine your results as you go.

Are you using AI in your author business? Please tell us in a comment how you use it and how it helps you.