Let’s face it. Generative AI (GenAI) is probably the most talked about subject for fiction and non-fiction writers (and editors, publishers, cover creators, etc.) today. The topic is pretty much everywhere you look, and with good reason.
People are pissed about GenAI. Those companies have stolen our (yes, I’m one of them) works to train their AI babies. And that is wrong. If nothing else, we deserve our royalties for what would’ve been sales of books. And the AI companies should have to pay fines on top of that for blatantly disregarding the law.
There’s also the whole concern over plagiarism, but I’m in the camp that feels there can be no action taken regarding that because there’ve been no examples of it happening (except when told to). The AI doesn’t regurgitate chunks of prose from this book and that book to create a new story; it calculates patterns, ‘learns’ when and where to put words. So let’s put that aside for this discussion. And let’s also put aside some other concerns: the ecological disaster that is the AI business model and the fact that AI writing has no feeling, no soul. It’s cold and kinda dull.
For writers like me (and hopefully you), the core of our conviction is never use AI for creative generation. That means no plot designs, no rewriting of scenes, no style emulation (rewrite this story so it sounds like King, or Straub, or Pelayo!). No generative prose.
But does that mean we can’t use it for other purposes? There is non-generative AI, and maybe you’re not aware of it, but you use it every day (you probably use GenAI, too, and aren’t aware, but again, let’s ignore that for now).
And there’s no reason not to use it. It’s here. It’s being integrated into every aspect of your life, so unless you intend to go full Luddite, the ecological concerns are going to have to be solved in another manner besides ‘Do Not Use.’
Using AI for business purposes, to free up more of your time for writing and editing, is no different than using things like spreadsheets, calculators, web development templates, etc. It doesn’t shape your art, or change it. It just lets you do more of it.
How can you use AI responsibly, safely, and ethically, as a writer? Here are some examples:
1. Administrative Support. Things like Calendly or Google Calendar can streamline and automate scheduling, calendar management, and more. This will help you coordinate things like book tours, signings, virtual appearances, and meetings.
2. Research. Yes, we’re all aware that Google is the go-to for looking up information. But soon-probably within a year-all Google searches will be conducted through AI on the backend, so it behooves us all to learn how to phrase prompts and search queries to obtain the best possible information. For example, in AI, you have to tell the tool to provide citations and to eliminate any sources that aren’t verified. And the upside will be that as fast as Google is now, using AI for obtaining factual data, creating historical timelines, even providing trivia about time periods, will be nearly instantaneous. And it can be done without creating narrative text, so no GenAI issues.
3. Business Analytics. Dashboards, sales data analysis, reader demographics. It can all be charted, graphed, and summaries in seconds, which is a great help for writers who are actively involved in their own sales and marketing efforts.
4. Website Updates & Changes. Not all authors are also web designers, or even competent at updating the information on their websites. Or creating storefronts. AI can take your existing code, and with a simple command (modernize the format of this page; change the font and graphics colors on this page), your site can have an updated look. Or you can tell it to create an entire store front. You can even use it to evaluate your online presence and recommend improvements relating to SEO, click-throughs, readability, mobile features readiness, etc. And contrary to popular believe, this isn’t going to put web designers out of business. After all, that website has to be up and running before you can use AI to modify or update it. And who’s doing that? Web designers – many of whom are already using AI to either code or QC check the code that’s being used.
5. Ad Optimization. If you’re advertising on Amazon or Facebook, AI can automate and optimize your spend model to maximize sales and profitability.
6. Transcription. AI speech-to-text tools can record and transcribe recordings, including interviews or even notes you speak into your phone.
7. Formatting a document for publication. AI can do ebook formatting and create print-ready PDFs if you don’t have those tools on your computer (and if you do, like in Word or Acrobat or Calibre, you’re using AI already).
8. Proofing. Using AI to proofread and grammar check is not the same as using GenAI to edit something. A tool like Grammarly or even ChatGPT can not only spot spelling mistakes and misused words, but also punctuation issues and even repetitive words. These tools can be used with the GenAI/content analysis functions turned off and they are more accurate than Word’s spell/grammar check.
9. Backup and Security. Tools like Carbonite, Acronis, Rubrik, and Veeam can provide automated backup services and also provide added security beyond what your computer presently has.
Now, not all of these will be applicable for all writers. Maybe only one or two will be helpful for you. Maybe none at all. And like I said earlier, this is separate from the concept of not using it on principle because of environmental concerns or moral concerns.
From what I see, and the experts I talk to, AI is here to stay. We’re living through one of the most dynamic periods in technological history. Change is happening, whether we want it to or not.
The key to success isn’t to resist change — it’s to find ways to use it responsibly and to our benefit, without compromising our principles. Otherwise, we will be left behind.
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