AI is becoming a part of authors’ creative toolkit, from scene ideas to editing & marketing
Like a lot of you, I’ve watched the debate over authors’ use of AI swing between hype and hair-on-fire. In my own circles, the reality is far more practical: most career novelists are experimenting with AI somewhere in the workflow — usually to increase productivity and remove friction, not to replace voice.
But then, the folks in my circle are fellow authors, not imitators who are using AI to churn out one or two cookie-cutter novels a day, every day.
What the latest surveys say
Fresh data paints a mixed picture. BookBub’s May 2025 survey of 1,200+ authors found that about 45% are currently using AI. Of those using AI, the top use cases are research (81%), marketing copy (about 73%), outlining/plotting (72%) and editing (70%). (That’s heartening — Authors A.I. has developed the top AI editing tool for authors on the market: Marlowe.) It’s safe to assume AI usage will continue to climb over time as authors become more familiar with their options. ChatGPT currently leads platform use, with Claude close behind, and most authors who use AI don’t disclose that fact to readers (74%).
Across the broader book trade, nearly half of industry pros now use AI tools at work (BISG survey, Sept. 23, 2025), even as 98% report significant concerns about implementation. Publishers Weekly’s 2024 salary & jobs report likewise shows 53% of publishing companies are using AI, up from 23% in 2022.
Bottom line? Use is growing, but worries remain.
Seven snapshots from working authors
Over the past week I asked a set of working novelists how and why they’re using AI. Here’s what they told me.
Keyla Damaer (Scars of Perfection; Beyond the Portal). Keyla, an Italian author who writes across the genres of science fiction, fantasy, and horror, treats AI as a toolbox. She uses Google’s Gemini to brainstorm story ideas, to write stories, blurbs, social media posts, and newsletters, to edit, to write code for my website and my newsletter, to set up applications, to write texts of songs, business emails, creating covers and art in general. “I’ve been using [Gemini]’s latest models for over a year and never looked back,” she said. “My productivity skyrocketed because I don’t have to wait days or weeks for beta readers’ feedback. … A few seconds and I get the answer. It’s a dream come true.”
S.J. Pajonas (First Flyght, Removed). For S.J., who writes science fiction romance and cozy mysteries, her entry point was personal: “My journey with AI began in April 2022, after a bout with Covid left me with debilitating brain fog for nearly eight months,” she said. AI became a lifeline, then a core part of her work. “What began as experimentation with brainstorming, editing, and enhancing my writing has grown into a deep and multifaceted integration.” Today, as co-founder of the Future Fiction Academy, she sees AI as “not just a productivity tool, but as a creative partner.”
Danica Favorite (Her Cowboy Inheritance; Shepherd’s Creek series). Danica, who writes cowboy romances, loves dictating first drafts and uses AI to tidy them up. “I dictate directly into a recorder app on my phone, which automatically transcribes it, and then I put the text into ChatGPT for cleanup,” she said. AI also helps her brainstorm plot bridges: “Because I am a plotter, I like to share my outlines and ask if anything is missing, or if I cannot see how to get from point A to point C, I can ask for possibilities.” As the marketing chief for the book publishing platform Publish Drive, she co-hosts (with Steph Pajones) the Brave New Bookshelf podcast, which just passed the 50 episode mark (check it out!).
Kevin O. McLaughlin (Valhalla Online). For Kevin, a prolific science fiction author, AI is about eliminating drudgery. “I’m probably a bit of an oddball when it comes to AI use,” he said. “I have no interest in using AI to do things I enjoy, but I’m very happy to use it to tackle stuff I don’t like!” His current favorite use of AI is to transcribe dictations with MacWhisper. He also scribbles down ideas in his notebook, snaps photos of the pages with his phone, and upload the images to ChatGPT. “It has better than 99% accuracy even though my handwriting is almost doctor-level atrocious,” he said.
Kate Seger (fantasy; publishes under a pen name). Kate said: “I use AI like a second set of eyes, helping me spot repetition, pacing issues, or places where I can push deeper into emotion. I also use it to generate imagery & copy for my marketing newsletters, TikTok & other social media posts, for book descriptions and more. It helps me streamline the marketing so I can spend more time focused on writing.”
Christie Bickelman (contemporary romance). Christie stress-tests her manuscripts with AI: “I asked ChatGPT to read my manuscript (20,000 words) and tell me any continuity issues that it saw,” she said. The system flagged factual errors, a wrong protagonist name, and even cocktail details. “Everything that it found, I was relieved that I had asked the question.”
Amy Wegner Campbell (fantasy). Amy uses AI for visuals: “AI allows me to include far more art than I could otherwise afford, and to make the image in my mind translate to the page!”
These authors span genres and career stages. What unites them isn’t a single tool — it’s a bias toward leveraging AI where it reduces drudgery and staying hands-on where voice and judgment matter.
Patterns that are starting to emerge
- Friction removal beats “full automation.” Dictation cleanup, transcription, continuity checks, and outline sanity checks are among the most popular uses of AI by authors.
- Marketing help is now mainstream, including AI to help fashion blurbs, ad hooks, newsletter drafts, short social captions, and image assist for posts. (PublishDrive’s AI Metadata Generator is a common time-saver for descriptions, BISAC/Thema categories, and keywords.)
- AI visuals are booming for those on a budget — especially for special/collector editions — while professional human designers are still the mainstay for series branding and retailer compliance.
- Personal ethics vary, but there’s broad agreement on guardrails: don’t mislead readers about authorship, and don’t ship anything you wouldn’t proudly put your name on.
A note on ethics & disclosure
As creators, we should insist on ethically sourced tools and fair licensing. Trade bodies and media have highlighted both adoption and anxiety: half the industry is using AI, yet concern is high (BISG); more publishers are adopting AI across workflows (Publishers Weekly); and the press continues to flag controversial “AI book mills” that erode trust.
The U.S. Copyright Office reiterated in 2025 that copyright protects human authorship; fully machine-generated text or images don’t qualify, though works with meaningful human creative control can be copyrightable. That standard aligns with how most of the authors above are using AI — as AI assistants, not as co-authors.
My take (and an invitation)
At Authors A.I., we’re tool-agnostic but craft-obsessed. If AI helps you write faster and better — or if it frees you to spend more time on the scenes only you can write — that’s the sweet spot. If it gets in the way of your voice, toss it. The point isn’t to be pro- or anti-tech; it’s to be pro-book.
How are you using AI in your process? What’s working, what’s not, and where do you draw the line? I’d love to feature more voices in a follow-up post.
And want to get started on your AI editing journey? Start with Marlowe for free.
