Writing Your Book in 2026: How to Be an Authentic Author in the Age of AI

@2025 The Author’s Writer

It’s the beginning of a new year. Many people make a resolution to write a book, whether it’s a life story or a book about their business. But, how does one go about writing a great book in the age of AI? The answer is simple: Pick up a pen and write in a journal. Write your innermost thoughts each day for at least 15 minutes per day. Make writing a habit, and your story will begin to flow onto the page. Some days you may not be able to stop yourself from writing. Other days, you’ll not like what you write. That’s part of the process. That process is self-revelatory. You’re going to change as you write your book. You’re going to evolve as a person. You’re going to write a book that changes readers’ minds and hearts.

Writing a book is a process. It takes time. It’s a learning curve. You’re discovering your ideas, finding your gaps, mining your meaning, strengthening your message, then tailoring it to your audience. Writing requires thinking, and writing a book takes commitment. It takes consistency, and it takes courage to keep going so you cross the finish line.

We cannot ignore the emergence of “Narrow” AI (late 2022), which has caused many aspiring authors to doubt themselves before they even begin writing. Should they even bother to write at all? I’ve been asked this question many times by aspiring authors, who wrongly believe that AI can write better and faster. “Narrow” AI in the form of Large Language Models (LLMs) does write more quickly than humans, but much of it is nonsensical gibberish. “Narrow” AI LLMs are based upon algorithms. They cannot possibly know your ideas. They have never experienced or felt what you have. They never lived your life, endured your traumas, and celebrated your joys. They haven’t acquired the ideas you have throughout your lifetime. They haven’t made the same connections as you have. Even if you are writing a nonfiction book, and not your life story, there’s a lot of unique “you” in your book.

Some people argue that AI is only a “tool,” yet AI is much more than a writing implement, such as a pencil, a pen, a typewriter, or a computer keyboard. “Narrow” AI is a compilation of whatever it has been fed firstly from internet scraping,  IP stolen under the “free use” guise or payed out in a lawsuit (copyrighted works that were pirated.) Now the theft is trickier. These corporations have cajoled authors into downloading their precious IP into authenticators, editors, and readers all powered by AI.

What is AI? If you ask any of the “experts,” they cannot really tell you. They say they do not understand how AI works or what AI is going to do in the future. That’s not a comforting thought. There’s a lot of vagueness and ambiguity. Today’s “Narrow” AI is task-oriented, and it can never replace human writing. That’s why only human writing can be copyrighted in the U.S. as this current time. “Narrow” AI is not a panacea, though many think it is. You cannot just speak or type a prompt, such as, “Write me a book about X” and the book appears in thin air. It’s not that easy. And it’s not truly possible. That’s just not how it works. You must still write your book on your own. If you use AI, you must correct the AI and make it sound more like you. That takes a lot of work and effort resulting in mental frustration and fatigue and precious time. People who decide to go the “Narrow” AI route are robbing themselves of the process of self-discovery and authenticity. Maybe they don’t care. But, if you want to be considered as an authentic writer, maybe you should.

So, how does one be an authentic writer in the age of AI? You simply must be true to yourself. There is only one you. You are a unique being. You must protect your authenticity and uniqueness at this very moment for it is scarily at stake.

First of all, don’t be too trusting. Don’t be gullible and believe that everyone in the book industry has your best interests in mind because they don’t.

Secondly, protect your IP. As soon as your book is completed, register it with the U.S. copyright office, as long as it’s human written and you live in the U.S. If it’s written with AI, you can’t.

Thirdly, many publishers are not true publishers in the sense of the word. Anyone can start a publishing company to assist with publishing. They just outsource the work. Many publishers, including traditional ones, are negotiating licensing agreements with AI corporations and will surely be paid a nice sum in return for the IP of authors to feed the AI machine. I don’t know if you know this but AI LLMs constantly need watering and feeding in the form of new data and information. need new data and information. They need good writing. Don’t let it be yours.

Fourth, please don’t fall for scams that are sent via email, such as book club offers, book promotion offers, and author impersonators who “innocently” want to get to know you, etc. None of it’s true. Always check the email addresses of the sender first, then check out the website. No website? That’s a red flag. Always speak with someone. Ask to schedule a Zoom call. You’ll soon find out that these impersonators disappear. So, just send them immediately to your spam folder and do not engage. Professionals will never engage with you via email.

Lastly, and more importantly, never download your IP into any form of AI. This includes AI detectors, AI editors, AI story readers. Most theft occurs digitally. Don’t be sending your electronic document to anyone. Rethink writing only an ebook.  Read the fine print of any company you choose to work with and do know that licensing can always change without you being privy to it.

The most important thing that authentic authors can do in the age of AI is to be authentic. Write on your own. Exercise your brain. You’ll grow as a person and a writer. You’ll be the better for it and your readers will love you for it.