The increase in generative AI platforms and other tools that can create copy, generate ideas, or produce a narrative has sparked some debate in the publishing world. The main points of contention are the risk of copyright infringement and the protection of intellectual property rights. This is because most major generative AI platforms are trained on existing writing including books, journalism, essays, and blogs, much of which is copyrighted. Critics of AI argue that the platforms curate this material without the permission of, or compensation to, the owner. Organizations such as The Authors Guild are taking the lead on petitioning for legal and policy interventions to protect authorship.
Supporters of AI believe the use of existing works to train platforms may be protected under the U.S. legal doctrine of “fair use,” because the process of training transforms the existing content into statistical data, rather than republishing it verbatim.
Whether you use AI platforms to assist with writing, editing, and marketing a book is solely up to you, but the Author Learning Center does advocate for writers to use it responsibly. Here are six best practices to follow to ensure you can benefit from the support of generative AI platforms without infringing on copyright:
The most effective way to approach using AI at any point in your journey is to think of it as a collaborative partner that can enhance what you are already doing, not act as a substitute. During the writing process, AI platforms can be used to generate writing prompts, brainstorm unique story or topic ideas, assist with outlining, refine story structure, suggest chapter names, and more.
When it comes to self-editing your work, AI can be a powerful assistant to proofread your work, make style and tone checks, weed out plagiarism, increase your vocabulary, and make grammar corrections. Once your book is published, AI platforms can assist with polishing your marketing communications such as social media posts, ad copy, newsletter content, press releases and more.
When using AI platforms to generate copy or prose, it’s important to edit the content to add your unique voice and style, rather than using the content verbatim. This will reduce the risk of replicating copyrighted source material while retaining your creative vision and distinct perspective. Generative AI platforms often default to generic phrasing, common tropes, and predictable examples, leaving recognizable “fingerprints”. While the content may seem polished and professional, it will lack the emotions, themes, and human elements that deeply connect readers to a story or narrative.
With AI platforms as an assistant, writers can explore, brainstorm, and experiment, strengthening their craft and expanding their style.
In addition to concerns around potential copyright infringement and plagiarism, there are concerns that the output generated by an AI tool may not be factually accurate. While AI platforms can be used by writers to accelerate research, they may fabricate facts or references. We recommend fact-checking and verifying any AI-generated historical details, cultural elements, or technical information through reputable resources.
Because AI platforms are trained on existing publications such as books, journalism, essays, and blogs, writers must be careful with how much of their own writing they feed into the platforms. Any content you input may be used to further train the platforms, added to their database of content, and provided as output to other individuals.
We recommend writers avoid inputting entire unpublished manuscripts unless the platform explicitly guarantees privacy and non-training. When using AI platforms to assist with editing, provide only excerpts from various parts of your manuscript to get feedback.
If you do use AI platforms to assist with writing a manuscript and you intend to publish the work, it’s important be transparent with your publisher or publishing platform about how much of the manuscript was generated by AI. Many traditional publishing contracts require a warranty of originality, and full or partial AI writing may violate that warranty.
Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing, for example, requires disclosure for AI-generated content, which is text, images, or translations created by an AI-based tool. However, authors are not required to disclose if used for AI-assisted purposes, such as editing, refining, or brainstorming ideas.
When it comes to disclosing AI usage, honesty is always the best policy. If literary agents, editors, contest judges, or readers detect any AI fingerprints in your writing, it can hurt your reputation, damage your credibility, and affect your career long-term.
Beyond the legalities surrounding AI platforms lies a deeper issue around creative control. When AI platforms are used for tasks that compromise authorship or artistic integrity, it lessens the value of the human voice and the connection with readers. There is a fear that AI-generated books will compete directly with human-written works, saturating the market with cheap, formulaic content, diluting the power of literature.
When using AI platforms to assist with writing, editing, and marketing a book, focus on the non-creative tasks, and leave the creativity and storytelling to your imagination. This will ensure you are producing a quality piece of literature that will resonate with readers and make a difference.
The future of AI as it relates to the publishing industry is uncertain, but with the increasing concerns and controversy, there is an ongoing push for change. Some models for “fair training” of AI platforms have been proposed that might allow AI development while respecting creators’ rights. For now, following the best practices outlined above will ensure you are using AI platforms responsibly and with integrity. For more information on AI usage and platform resources, we recommend reviewing, “How can I use artificial intelligence (AI) to assist with writing, editing, and marketing my book/s?”
The future of AI as it relates to the publishing industry is uncertain, but with the increasing concerns and controversy, there is an ongoing push for change. Some models for “fair training” of AI platforms have been proposed that might allow AI development while respecting creators’ rights. For now, following the best practices outlined above will ensure you are using AI platforms responsibly and with integrity.
For more information on AI usage and platform resources, we recommend reviewing, “How can I use artificial intelligence (AI) to assist with writing, editing, and marketing my book/s?”
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