Artificial intelligence has taken the world by storm and users are curating everything from code generation to resumes to, yes, writing entire books. As an editorial reviewer, the sheer volume of AI-written books and novels has completely changed the landscape. I'm here to tell you that using AI to write an entire book, or even using it to write portions of one, is a poor choice for any aspiring author. AI is fantastic in assisting with writing tasks and things like story prompts, helping find a good metaphor, and answering general questions. What it is not good for is telling a story for you.

How We Know a Book is Written by AI

The biggest tell for me that a story is wholly or partially AI-generated is very common word and phrase repetition. I've recently read a book where the word profound was used over 80 times in a 150-page novella. I've completely lost count of the number of times the phrase 'weaving a tapestry' pops up. And how often in a single story can something be totally captivating? Dozens of times, as it turns out.

In addition to repetitive words and phrasing, there is a complete absence of depth that only human writing can infuse into a tale. The shortcomings are huge in virtually every aspect. Character development is superficial, at best. Depiction of true emotion goes right out the window. The rules about showing and not telling? Poof! Gone. Put all of these together and you have a story that is nothing more than a formulaic assembly of words. Experienced readers and industry professionals will quickly recognize the author named on the cover did not write the book.

How It Hurts Your Brand as an Author

An author’s brand is founded and built up on their voice, which is singular to their style. Relying heavily on AI undermines this because the voice and style are exactly the same as all the other AI-generated stories. Readers connect with neither the story nor the author, and they lose faith in the integrity of the author's personal touch, making it difficult for readers to connect with the book or its author. Literature is a market that values originality and trust is crucial in the author-reader relationship.

Why Traditional Publishers Will Not Consider AI-Written Books

This one is very simple. It's because nobody wrote it. Going back to the first point on telltale signs, they know. Publishers are looking for original content and, rest assured, if they want to create books that aren't written by humans, they can do it in-house. The good news is that it is unlikely the material will make it to a publisher because literary agents who work with traditional publishers will not consider representing the work either.

What's the alternative?

An author is much better off using AI sparingly as part of the brainstorming process, and with minor editing, than relying on it for more. You have to trust your skill and understand that readers would rather hear the voice of a real person. Human authenticity is wholly irreplaceable, making AI generation in fiction a terrible idea.