Exploring AI and Books

Despite concerns about AI, it's a boon for books - whether research, illustrations or covers.

What can AI do for self-publishing authors? It is a boon for creating professional covers and illustrations - black and white or coloured - in many genres, and publisher's logos. Rest assured AI does not take over the process. It is a tool used by the designer. AI has to be instructed at every step and the results have to be significantly altered and edited by the designer. You can research your book using AI but DON'T try to write the entire book using AI. It will steal your individuality and give you a synthetic voice and outcome. AI can't write the way only YOU can. This blog will look at different ways BriarsBooks is helping self-publishing authors.

There are several ways authors react when I say BriarsBooks is using AI. They are prepared to "give AI a go" , OR they back off and begin to talk about AI robbing creatives of their livelihoods, OR they are delighted and send me their own AI generated material to incorporate in the book.

I began using AI almost 2 years ago mainly to help an overseas author, who was a bit cash-strapped, to create illustrations for her book because there was no way she could afford an illustrator. The results were mediocre at best and the project lapsed. But AI, in the last 6 to 9 months has burst onto the international scene and its creative power is remarkable. My author in Vienna is now able to generate her own 60 images using the free version of Google's Gemini. Is she delighted? Yes!

Am I now out of a job? No! AI CANNOT do everything. All of its efforts have to be edited to work. That takes a human being. Nothing AI creates is book-ready or print-ready. But it does mean the job can be done more quickly and costs are lower for the self-publishing author.

AI in action

CREATING FRONT COVERS

This author said he didn't want AI to create the cover; he wanted a "human" to do it. I explained that AI always needed human help and was also a boost to productivity and a significant cost-saver for him. We needed to have "a conversation" to allay his suspicions before I could start.

BACK AND FRONT COVERS USING AI

This author was nervous about AI, thinking it would make the cover look artificial. I showed her some covers BriarsBooks had created using AI and she was surprised. In the end she couldn't believe how natural her cover looked.

Meet the authors

What are they writing about and why are they self-publishing?

Author writes and illustrates children's books

Lynette was very dyslexic as a child and could not read or write. She only discovered in mid-life that she was a story-teller and an illustrator - and she's never looked back.

Meet a self-published builder

Why would a builder self-publish a book that has nothing to do with building?

Science manager changes subjects

At the end of a successful career in science management, a man begins writing and it's not about science.

Suburban writer's sixth book

You never know what talented neighbours you might have. This one writes historical fiction.

Coast-to-Coast triathalete writes about the great outdoors

Murray features 20 of the best Wellington regional walks in this detailed guide to the tracks

Thousands of copies of this book have been printed and it's still going

In remote Central Otago a couple restored a sprawling former Sanitorium. This is the story.

NZ Scottish expatriate comes to the attention of the Skye Book Festival

Not many people know enough Gaelic to speak and write in it but this bi-lingual author managed both in his fine self-published tribute to a distinguished Scottish academic

Why do people start to write books? Sometimes they just feel compelled to.

(Above) First-time author gets a good turnout at her rural book launch. (The boar was part of the story.)

Counsellor writes a book and gets a surprise Hindi translation

This experienced Christian counsellor writes about healing the soul from a spiritual perspective.

Genealogy Book launch

Book launches are one way of introducing people to your book.

Military man writes autobiography for family

The kids had heard the stories for years and begged for a book so Dad complied.

At last! It's here

Author delighted as biography of three generations of the family finally arrives.