Editing a Book with AI: 5 Best Steps

“Technology is best when it brings people together—and AI editing tools help bring authors closer to their polished, published selves.” — Matt Mullenweg, Founder of WordPress

Editing is often the most daunting stage new indie authors face while writing a book, but it doesn’t have to be like that. Imagine having a tireless assistant who spots every typo, suggests smoother sentences, highlights structural issues, and never gets tired of reading your manuscript. This is the relief that editing a book with AI can bring to the table.

Why Every Indie Author Should Embrace AI Editing

In the ever-evolving publishing landscape, artificial intelligence (AI) has emerged as a revolutionary tool for both authors and editors. Leveraging AI for editing a book can enhance the manuscript’s quality, streamline the editing process, and provide insights that human eyes may overlook.

Artificial Intelligence isn’t here to replace your voice or creativity. It’s here to support it, to enhance it. Whether you’re polishing your first draft or preparing for publication, AI tools for editing a book can help catch overlooked errors, clarify your prose, and enhance your storytelling with surprising precision, inspiring you to reach new creative heights.

In this writer’s guide, we’ll walk you through how to harness AI editing tools in five practical steps, complete with examples to show how these tools work in real-life writing scenarios.

Let’s dive in and discover how you can edit smarter, not harder by editing a book with AI.

Understanding AI in Editing

AI editing tools use advanced machine learning algorithms to analyze text and offer suggestions to improve grammar, style, tone, structure, and even clarity. Rather than replacing human editors, these tools act as a first line of defense, performing repetitive and mechanical tasks so you can focus on refining your message and engaging your readers.

Benefits of Editing a Book with AI

• Accuracy: AI tools can identify and correct grammatical errors, punctuation mistakes, and spelling errors with high precision. AI can detect everything from minor typos to complex grammatical missteps. Example: AI flags “Their going to the store” and corrects it to “They’re going to the store.”

• Consistency: AI ensures consistency in style, tone, and terminology across all chapters of your manuscript. Example: If you use “email” in one chapter and “e-mail” in another, AI will catch the inconsistency.

• Efficiency: AI speeds up the editing process by quickly scanning large volumes of text. AI scans thousands of words in seconds, saving you hours. Example: A tool like ProWritingAid can review a 70,000-word manuscript in minutes.

• Cost-effectiveness: Using AI can reduce the number of hours needed from human editors, which can reduce the cost, making quality editing more accessible to new indie authors.

• Objective Feedback: AI provides unbiased feedback based on data-driven analysis and suggestions,  without emotional attachment to the content. This objectivity can give you the confidence that your manuscript is being evaluated purely on its merits.

Types of AI Editing Tools

There are various AI tools available, each catering to different aspects of the editing process.

Grammar and Spell Checkers

Tools like Grammarly or ProWritingAid catch common grammar mistakes, typos, and awkward sentence structures. Example: Changing “She don’t like cold weather” to “She doesn’t like cold weather.”

Style and Tone Analyzers

Programs like Hemingway Editor or StyleWriter highlight passive voice, adverbs, and overly complex sentences. Example: “The report was written by the manager” becomes “The manager wrote the report.”

Structural and Content Editors

Tools like AutoCrit or Fictionary help identify pacing issues, weak character arcs, and story structure problems. Example: Pointing out that your protagonist disappears for 40 pages and suggesting ways to re-integrate them.

Plagiarism Checkers

Tools like Turnitin and Copyscape compare your manuscript to millions of online sources to verify originality.

5 Steps to Editing a Book with AI

Ready to get started? These five steps will walk you through how to edit your book using AI in a way that preserves your voice while improving your manuscript.

Step 1: Choose the Right AI Tool

Select an AI tool that aligns with your editing needs. Consider factors such as the type of feedback you require, the complexity of your manuscript, and your budget. Are you looking for grammar checks, stylistic advice, or feedback on plot structure?

• Example: A nonfiction author might prioritize clarity and tone, using Hemingway Editor and Grammarly.
• Example: A fiction author may opt for AutoCrit, which assesses pacing, dialogue, and word choice specific to the genre.

Pro Tip: Many tools offer free trials. Test a few to find the one that aligns best with your workflow and writing goals.

Step 2: Upload Your Manuscript

Once you’ve chosen a tool, upload your manuscript—usually as a .docx, .pdf, or .txt file. Most AI tools allow you to upload your manuscript in various formats, such as Word documents or PDFs. Ensure your text is properly formatted for optimal analysis.

• Example: Jane uploads her 80,000-word romance novel to ProWritingAid and chooses the “Fiction” setting for targeted analysis.
• Example: Sam pastes his short story into Hemingway Editor’s web app for a quick readability assessment.

Pro Tip: Before uploading, remove tracked changes or comments. Clean formatting helps the AI deliver better results.

Step 3: Review AI Suggestions

The AI tool will generate and highlight issues, providing suggestions for improvement. You’ll often see color-coded highlights for different types of feedback (grammar, readability, style, etc.). Review each suggestion carefully, keeping in mind that AI is not infallible. Use your judgment to accept or reject the recommendations.

• Example: A paragraph flagged for passive voice might be rewritten from “The cake was eaten by the dog” to “The dog ate the cake.”
• Example: If the tool flags the overuse of the word “really,” it may suggest stronger alternatives like “extremely” or “completely”—or simply remove it.

Important: Use your judgment. AI can’t always grasp context, nuance, or sarcasm. Don’t blindly accept every suggestion.

Step 4: Implement Changes

Now it’s time to revise your manuscript based on the suggestions you’ve accepted. Incorporate the accepted suggestions into your manuscript. This step may involve rewriting awkward sentences for better flow and adjusting the tone. Reordering paragraphs for better structure or restructuring paragraphs. This might include replacing weak verbs with stronger, more vivid ones.

• Example: Instead of “He went to the store quickly,” you change it to “He dashed to the store.”

Pro Tip: Work in chunks. Don’t try to edit everything in one sitting. AI helps you move faster, but your brain still needs breaks.

Step 5: Seek Human Feedback

While AI can significantly enhance the quality of your manuscript,  feedback remains from human editors or beta readers. Beta readers, critique partners, or professional editors can spot emotional flatlines, confusing plot points, or character inconsistencies. They can provide insights on the emotional and creative aspects that AI might miss. Keep in mind, AI is your co-editor, but it’s not your only editor.

• Example: AI might miss your character suddenly knowing a secret they weren’t present to hear.
• Example: A human editor might point out that a key scene lacks emotional resonance, even if it’s grammatically flawless.

Challenges of Using AI for Editing

While powerful, AI isn’t perfect. Be aware of its limitations.

Over-Reliance on Technology

Relying solely on AI can lead to losing your unique author voice and style. AI can make your writing sound robotic if you accept every change. Maintain your unique voice by balancing AI suggestions with personal creativity.

Limited Contextual Understanding

AI may struggle to understand the context and nuances of the text, resulting in inappropriate suggestions. AI may suggest a change that makes no sense, given the scene’s context. Always reread the full sentence or paragraph before making edits. Human oversight is necessary to ensure the integrity of the manuscript.

Privacy and Data Security

When using AI tools, be mindful of data privacy and security. Choose reputable tools that protect your manuscript from unauthorized access. Choose trusted platforms that encrypt your files and don’t store your work without permission. Always read the terms of service.

Wrap-Up: Make AI Part of Your Editing Process

Editing your book using AI offers numerous benefits. AI can transform your writing process, saving time, increasing accuracy and consistency, speeding up the editing process, and giving you greater confidence in your final draft.

The key is using it wisely. By selecting the right AI tools and integrating them into your workflow, you can produce a polished and professional manuscript. However, it is essential to balance AI technology with human creativity and oversight to ensure the final product is both technically sound and artistically compelling. Always blend AI feedback with human insight.

Whether you’re revising your debut novel or tightening a blog post collection, AI can be the game-changer that gets your book publication-ready without draining your time or budget.

Embrace AI as your editing ally. With the right tools and approach, you can take your writing to new heights. With the right strategy, you can harness technology to refine your manuscript and captivate your readers.

We hope you’ve found the strategies useful and motivating. We hope they’ll equip you with the insights and tools needed to help you succeed as a new author.

For more guidance, see the first part in this series, Engaging AI-Generated Content: 6 Secrets or

AI Empowers New Indie Authors: 5 Best Hacks.

Writing is a journey of continuous learning and improvement. You don’t have to go it alone. We’re excited to continue the journey with you, providing guidance and encouragement every step of the way. Our goal is to provide essential insights and practical advice to help you navigate the writing world with increased confidence.

If you have a draft you want to publish and are wondering how AI can help, read it. Is Your Book Ready to Self-Publish? Lastly, for help writing a non-fiction book, read Write Your First Non-Fiction eBook: a 30-Day Workbook for Getting It Done.

Don’t wait. Start today!

How can we help? To let us know, please fill out our Contact form. Happy writing!

FAQs

Many new authors have questions about using AI in the editing process. Below are answers to common concerns that build on the topics in this guide, providing more insight into maximizing the benefits of AI tools while preserving your voice and creative vision.

How do I know which AI editing tool is best for my genre?

Answer: Start by considering the strengths of each tool. For example, AutoCrit offers genre-specific feedback for fiction writers, while Grammarly focuses more on grammar and clarity, making it suitable for nonfiction or general writing. If you’re writing a memoir or novel, tools that analyze pacing and dialogue may be more helpful than basic grammar checkers.

Can I use more than one AI tool in the editing process?

Answer: Absolutely. Many writers use a combination of tools to cover different editing layers. You might start with Grammarly for grammar and spelling, then move to Hemingway Editor for readability, and finally use AutoCrit or ProWritingAid for style and structural feedback. Using multiple tools gives you a well-rounded editing experience, but always apply your judgment when reviewing suggestions.

What’s the best way to maintain my writing voice when using AI?

Answer: To preserve your unique voice, don’t unquestioningly accept every suggestion. Read each one in context and decide whether it aligns with the tone and personality of your writing. Often, AI tools suggest overly formal or simplified alternatives. Feel free to ignore them if they don’t fit your style.

How often should I run my manuscript through an AI tool during the editing process?

Answer: It depends on your workflow, but many authors benefit from running their manuscripts through AI tools multiple times. Once after the first draft to catch significant issues, again after major revisions, and once more before sending it to beta readers or a human editor. Think of AI as a checkpoint, not a one-time fix.

Is there a risk of over-editing when using AI tools?

Answer: Yes, if you’re not careful, you can end up editing the heart out of your work. AI tools sometimes push for uniformity, which may dilute the emotional tone or creative quirks that make your writing stand out. Always weigh each suggestion and trust your instincts. Your voice is what makes your book unique.