For many authors, the appeal of AI as a writing aid is clear. It can generate pages of polished writing faster than any human can, effectively solving one of the biggest hurdles that busy authors face: finding the time to write.

But for an author writing a book to establish expertise or build a thought-leadership platform, leaning on AI to write your book can undermine the very reason for writing the book in the first place.

Your book should reflect the depth of your knowledge and the unique perspective you've developed through your work and experience. The more an author relies on AI to generate their material, the greater the risk that the book becomes generalized, predictable, flat, and disconnected from the author's voice and expertise. A reader buys a book because they are looking for an informed point of view, not a collection of information from many different sources that they could find using the same tools.

AI tools can be valuable in the early stages of the writing process as you are working to flesh out ideas, outline your content, and conduct research to support your claims.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is a great tool when used correctly. It can do some amazing things, like help you brainstorm ideas, get you unstuck when the dreaded writer’s block hits, or create new ways for you to word things. AI can also be a terrific support when you need a bit of a jump-start to get those creative juices flowing.

But what AI can’t do is share your voice, your story, and your creativity. And those are the things that make your book unique.

Both the memoir and self-help genres draw on personal experiences to teach lessons, but memoir emphasizes the story while self-help emphasizes the lesson. Memoir is used to inspire readers and perhaps help them out of a difficult time, while self-help is an expansive genre combining professional advice and personal vignettes to teach self-development, productivity, career planning, wellness, and anything in between. However, in all self-help books, the author explicitly tells the reader what they can take away from the author’s lessons and personal experiences in a certain area.

The children’s book market is a complex, crowded beast filled with nuance and lingo that can be intimidating for authors looking to break into this space. But the first thing that any debut or established children’s book author should understand when developing their manuscript is the difference between the main book categories that make up children’s literature.

As an author, you likely know how challenging it can be to navigate the publishing landscape, especially at the start of your journey. Relying on the expertise, insights, and skills of seasoned publishing professionals can significantly enhance the quality and success of your book.

At Greenleaf, we collaborate with authors at every stage of their journey to help them determine their publishing path. We assist with book development—whether through editing, ghostwriting, or coaching—and guide the entire process.

Behind every great author is a great editor — and behind every brilliant author might be several. The quality of editorial work that goes into a manuscript can be what makes or breaks a book’s success.

Friends, colleagues, family—everyone wants to give you advice when you are writing a book. But what do you do with advice that is confusing or feels contradictory? Here are five tips to help you navigate all that feedback so you can make your manuscript even better.