13 Apr 125. 3 Big Reasons Not to Use ChatGPT to Write Your Book

Anything that makes writing a book a little easier can be appealing, but shortcuts are rarely as good as they look.

Using ChatGPT and other similar software to write your book can result in major problems.

In this episode, you’ll discover 3 significant reasons why I’m advising authors not to use artificial intelligence apps to write their books or their book proposals.

For more writing tips and inspiration, follow me on Instagram @candiceldavis.

Mentioned in This Episode

30 Days of Audio-Based Book Coaching and Accountability

AI Images Not Protected by Copyright

Candis Hickman – Life Coach

The Slow Year

Authors Ignited: Group Coaching Program for Nonfiction Authors

Jump-Start: A free guide to help you jump-start your nonfiction book.

Complete Author Coaching (1:1 Coaching)

Episode Transcript

Hey there, and welcome to Nothing but the Words. I’m Your Book Coach, Candice L Davis.

I hope your week and your writing are both going well.

In the course of one week, three different coaching clients asked me about using ChatGPT to write their books or their book proposals.

I’ve been putting off talking about this topic because it’s so big and changing so quickly, but it does need to be addressed. So in this episode, I want to tell you why it’s a terrible and potentially costly idea for authors, especially those of you who are serious about your books and your professional reputation.

Before we dive into all things AI, I want to share an opportunity with you that I’m really excited about

I’ve just opened up a limited number of spaces for 30 days of audio-based book coaching and accountability.

I’ve done this kind of coaching in the past for shorter periods, but I’ve found that most people want or need longer ongoing support.

The purpose of this coaching is to give you the support you need to develop your book idea, your book proposal, and keep showing up for your writing.

You’ll use the free Voxer app on your phone or your computer, and you can send me text messages or voice messages to ask any questions you have about writing, publishing, or marketing your book.

You can give me your writing schedule so I can help you stay accountable to it.

You can run your book ideas by me so we can strengthen and develop it together.

If you’re looking for a traditional book deal, we can talk through your book proposal and what that should include.

You can talk through any part of the process or reach out to me whenever you feel stuck.

Sign up at CandiceLDavis.com/30days. If you register by Tuesday, April 18, you’ll save 40%.

Okay, on to AI and ChatGPT.

Let me start by saying, I’m not anti-technology or anti-AI at all. Far from it.

In fact, I expect AI to eventually have a positive impact on the publishing industry.

At the very least, we might finally get a spelling-and-grammar checker that’s actually worth something and works.

And I imagine there will one day be paid AI software that writes books in an ethical, if not super creative, manner.

So why do I suggest you stay away from ChatGPT when you’re writing your book. 

There are lots of reasons, but right now, I’ll just share 3 incredibly important reasons with you.

And everything I’m sharing here applies not only to writing a book you plan to self-publish but also to writing a book proposal in pursuit of a book deal.

3 Reasons You Shouldn’t Use ChatGPT to Write Your Book

I actually asked ChatGPT about this topic and the first 2 reasons came from the app itself.

Reason #1. Using ChatGPT or similar software can result in legal issues.

To quote ChatGPT: “Publishing a book by ChatGPT could lead to legal issues, especially if the book contains copyrighted content or if the AI model has been trained on proprietary information.”

What this means is that ChatGPT might give you someone else’s copyrighted material to include in your book or your book proposal if you’re using it for that purpose.

So you could essentially be plagiarizing someone else’s work without knowing it.

Your book could consist of stolen material.

Unfortunately, if it ended up in court, ignorance would be unlikely to save you.

And if you’re wondering how anyone would even know, there’s already software available that can identify AI created content.

Even if no one ever challenges you right to the material, keep in mind that the same phrases, sentences, and paragraphs ChatGPT is giving you it’s also giving to other users.

Your book might say exactly what the book next to it says.

That’s a great way to lose your readers’ trust.

Reason #2. You cannot copyright content created by or with AI software.

Quoting ChatGPT again: “Intellectual Property: Since ChatGPT is an artificial intelligence language model trained on vast amounts of text data, the ownership of the book would be a matter of debate. It would raise questions about who owns the copyright of the content.”

That means any book you write with ChatGPT or using AI software cannot be protected by copyright. 

Anyone who wants to can come along and use your content in any number of ways without compensating you for it.

The U.S. Copyright Office recently ruled that comic book images created by AI cannot be copyrighted.

In fact, as of right now, you can only copyright intellectual property created by a human.

I’m sure the law will eventually catch up to technology. It always does, but for now, your AI created work has no copyright protection.

The third reason didn’t come from ChatGPT. It actually came up in a conversation with my friend Candis Hickman, the creator of the Slow Year.

Reason #3. When you use ChatGPT to write your book you miss out on all the benefits of actually writing a book.

Now, if you’re a person who just wants to generate a book with your name on it, then you probably don’t care about that.

But my clients aren’t those people.

My clients are people who want the benefits of becoming an author of course—a new income stream, a book deal, speaking engagements, media opportunities, or whatever is important to them.

But they also want more.

Here’s some of the “more” you get from writing your own book. 

You’ll stretch and grow in your area of expertise at a deeper level than you could with almost any other process.

You’ll challenge yourself to tell your story or share your ideas in ways that benefit your readers.

You’ll do your own research and stumble upon information you didn’t know you needed but which makes your book and your other work so much better than it would otherwise be.

When you write your own book, you’ll make new connections and develop new philosophies, maybe even changing your opinion on certain topics, as you write your book.

You’ll access the deeper wisdom hidden beneath the facts and the surface knowledge that comes so easily when you talk about your topic.

You are a creative being. You don’t need a software to create for you.

If you don’t use your creativity, it atrophies like an unused muscle.

If you don’t challenge your own ideas, you stop growing.

If you don’t write your own book, you’ll never know how great and unique it could have been.

If you care about the quality of your book and its lasting legacy, know that your readers don’t want a bland concoction created by an app. 

They want you.

They want your personality, your ideas, your character, and your stories.

AI is not going away, and I think it will eventually be a benefit to society and to the publishing industry.

But don’t look for the shortcut. Don’t expect more from your book than you’re willing to put into it.

Invest your time, effort, and resources in your book at the same level that you want to benefit from it.

If you’re interested in coaching to help you do that, check out my 30-Day book coaching and accountability offer at CandiceLDavis.com/30days.

That’s all for this week’s episode, my friends.

Thanks for listening to “Nothing but the Words.” I’m Your Book Coach, Candice L. Davis. And I’ll see you next time.

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