AI in Publishing

Let’s talk about something that’s causing quite a stir in the publishing world.

Ever since artificial intelligence (better known as AI) burst onto the scene, there’s been a lot of confusion — and honestly, some fear — about its role in writing and publishing.

I get it. As both an authoress and a reader, I care deeply about protecting the creative process.

In my previous posts, I discussed how AI helped me verify scientific concepts for Percy’s character and served as a virtual research assistant. But I know there are still questions and concerns. So let’s clear up some of the prevalent misunderstandings.

This is probably the biggest misconception out there. When I tell people I use AI, they sometimes assume I’m letting a computer write my stories.

Nothing could be further from the truth! My characters, plots, dialogue, and emotional journeys come entirely from my imagination and experience.

AI simply helps with research and fact-checking — like having a knowledgeable assistant to verify details.

Here’s another myth that needs debunking. AI is a tool, not a creator. Think of it like spell-check or grammar tools — they help polish our work, but they don’t write the story.

The heart, soul, and creativity in a book? That comes from the author.

As I explained in my last post, AI serves as a cost-effective alternative to traditional research assistants. It helps verify facts, check technical details, and provide background information. But it doesn’t create the story or develop characters.

And please don’t get me wrong. I am in no way opposed to hiring actual assistants and consultants. But when you’re just starting out, employing people or paying consulting fees isn’t in the budget.

As an independent author, you’re responsible for paying editors, proofreaders, graphic artists and illustrators, formatters, not to mention buying ISBNs, barcodes, and even your own author book copies — all out of pocket.

So, yes, right now it’s more economical to pay a nominal monthly fee for AI than to hire a research assistant and multiple consultants.

And I do understand that AI isn’t perfect. Just like human researchers, it can also get information wrong.

So do I rely solely on the data AI generates? No. I check other sources to make certain what I’m getting is as accurate as possible.

But AI does point me in the right direction, which helps cut down on added research and fact-finding hours.

The publishing industry is still figuring out how to handle AI disclosure. Remember my experience with the Barnes & Noble’s form? The options were too simplistic — there was no way to accurately describe using AI as a research tool versus using it to generate content.

And that form pigeonholes those of us who create the story ourselves, forcing authors to choose between completely unfair selections.

Here’s what I believe: Authors should be transparent about AI use while maintaining creative ownership of their work.

When I use AI for research or fact-checking, I’m clear about it. But I also make sure readers understand that the creative elements — the story, characters, and emotional content — are purely human.

The most important thing to remember is how handy AI is for up-and-coming authors. Not to write our books for us but to help give us a level playing field in researching and fact-checking.

When an author admits to using AI, let’s not scoff and immediately relegate him to “wanna-be” status. Let’s find out how he used AI. Did he give AI a simple plot idea and then get it to write the entire book?

Or did he come up with the plot, characters, setting, dialogue — the entire book himself and simply use AI to help him fill in gaps, understand a historical aspect, double-check accuracy or continuity… things that a research assistant would do?

If the latter is the case, then he’s used AI correctly and fairly, and he shouldn’t be vilified or pigeonholed in publishing forms.

This isn’t a topic that will go away or be settled quickly. But it is absolutely a discussion we need to have and keep revisiting to ensure fair-use authors are treated with the respect they deserve for creating their own masterpieces — just at a price point they can afford.