Can ChatGPT write a book for me? Seven reasons to use a ghostwriter instead
Using ChatGPT to write a book might seem like a great idea at first. In 2022, film producer and business professor Jason Cherubini wrote and published a book using ChatGPT in just three hours, then shared how easy the process was in a LinkedIn post. However, if something sounds too good to be true, it usually is. And although Cherubini’s AI-generated book is still available to buy on Amazon, it’s worth noting that it’s only received one review in the past two years; a very critical one-star rating.
Like many people, I have taken a look at my profession and wondered what threat AI poses. I know I am not the only one to ask ‘can ChatGPT write a book?’ and ‘how long will it be until the machines take over ghostwriting?’ I’m sure aspiring authors are looking at it from another angle too. They’ll want to know if AI is the perfect route towards getting their book written, without having to hire – and pay for – a professional ghostwriter. But can you really trust AI to write eloquently about your most personal moments?
Here’s a few things to take into consideration before asking yourself can ChatGPT write a book for me or should I invest in a ghostwriter.
Can ChatGPT write a book for me?
The short answer to this question is yes; ChatGPT can write a book for you. In fact, there has been a surge in self- published, AI-generated books on the market, mostly fiction. Amazon has even implemented a policy to limit the number of self published Kindle ebooks to a maximum of three per day on its platform, which leads me to the more pertinent question we should ask: can ChatGPT write good books for me? At the moment, the answer is a definite no.
The real issue is, foundation models like ChatGPT don’t have human experience. They don’t have any experience at all. This particularly impacts their ability to produce credible non-fiction. Only we can write about the things that have impacted us. ChatGPT can’t invent experiences.
What are the risks of using ChatGPT to write my book?
Using ChatGPT to write a book may be the quick and easy route, but in my experience, one of the biggest problems I have noticed is that AI doesn’t yet know how to structure a book in a compelling way. Yes, it can scrape previous works to imitate a half decent narrative, but it doesn’t really understand plot development, or how to keep a reader engaged from the beginning to end. It can’t know how people change, according to a sequence of events.
In a lot of my experiments, I have found ChatGPT starts off well, but then the quality drops off quickly. This is possibly why more people are using it for short-form writing, whereas in long-form writing i.e using ChatGPT to write a book, it quickly becomes repetitive. It also starts throwing in a liberal sprinkling of metaphors and analogies. I have likened it to reading an essay from a Year 7 student, eager to please their English teacher and show off their abilities to grasp all the techniques they’ve been taught. It’s a laudable aim, just not all in the same paragraph!
Is it legal to use ChatGPT to write a fiction book?
Although it is legal to use ChatGPT to write a fiction book, it’s important to be aware that there are moves to regulate AI-generated content. The biggest issue around AI-generated content is copyright. ChatGPT scrapes the internet for information and there is no way to know where it comes from, or if it is under copyright. This means it is quite easy to inadvertently infringe someone’s copyrights. Similarly, once you tell your story to ChatGPT, it becomes part of the collective. Anyone can have access to your ideas. Ideas are not covered by copyright, only writing.
Last year, a group of 17 authors led by the Authors Guild, including bestselling writers John Grisham, Jodi Picoult, and George R. R. Martin, the renowned author of Game of Thrones, filed a lawsuit against OpenAI. They accused the company, which owns ChatGPT, of "systematic theft on a mass scale" by using their copyrighted works to train its AI tools without permission.
Authors Guild CEO Mary Rasenberger said in a statement: “It is imperative that we stop this theft in its tracks…Great books are generally written by those who spend their careers and, indeed, their lives, learning and perfecting their crafts. To preserve our literature, authors must have the ability to control if and how their works are used by generative AI. The various GPT models and other current generative AI machines can only generate material that is derivative of what came before it…Regurgitated culture is no replacement for human art.”
Open AI denies any wrongdoing.
Is it legal to use ChatGPT to write a nonfiction fiction book?
While it is legal to use ChatGPT to write a nonfiction book, it's important to be aware of ongoing legal disputes surrounding this practice. Last year, nonfiction author Julian Sancton, along with over a dozen other nonfiction writers supported by the Authors Guild, filed a lawsuit against OpenAI. They claimed to represent "at least tens of thousands of authors" whose works were allegedly used without permission to train ChatGPT. The plaintiffs claimed that OpenAI was knowingly “profiting from mass copyright infringement.”
Open AI denies any wrongdoing.
What are ChatGPT hallucinations and how could they impact my book?
Perhaps the biggest issue of all with using ChatGPT to write a book is that AI can have biases and hallucinations. In other words, it makes stuff up. For example, when a CNBC reporter asked ChatGPT to provide the lyrics to Ballad of Dwight Fry, the tool invented the lyrics instead of providing Alice Cooper’s original words. Shortly after, Discover Magazine asked ChatGPT to write a news article on Tesla’s most recent financial quarter. In response, ChatGPT created an article but fabricated the financial numbers in the story.
Researchers reported last year that AI may hallucinate as much as 27% of the time, with mistakes and factual errors found in 46% of responses. This could potentially be very problematic for non-fiction writing and means there is a strong onus on human fact-checking.
Can I edit my book using ChatGPT?
This is another yes and no question. There are some fantastic AI tools out there for editing. Grammarly, for example, is very effective at correcting straightforward typing and spelling errors. There are also a bunch of plagiarism checkers which are very useful indeed. The issue is that editing needs to go further. There needs to be human input to make sure what is written makes sense, there are no factual inaccuracies and problematic errors.
One of the most harrowing examples I have seen is an AI-generated obituary for an NBA star called Brandon Hunter which was published on MSN. The headline read: Brandon Hunter useless at 42. The rest of the copy was not much better. One incoherent sentence read: Former NBA participant, Brandon Hunter, who beforehand performed for the Boston Celtics and Orlando Magic, has handed away on the age of 42, as introduced by Ohio male’s basketball coach Jeff Boals on Tuesday. I don’t think I will be leaving my editing to generative AI for a while yet.
Do you have any advice if I want to use ChatGPT to write a book for me?
Earlier this year, the Authors Guild released an AI best practice guide for authors. The guide advises authors to disclose if they have used AI to write any content and suggests that AI is better suited for brainstorming rather than actual content creation. You can read the full best practice guide from the organisation here.
Who can write my book for me if ChatGPT isn’t the best option?
If you think your book has potential and you’re serious about getting a publishing deal, then you should seriously think about working with a ghostwriter to give your book the best chance of success.
At The Ghostwriters Agency, our ghostwriters have all personally either collaborated on a bestseller or won an award for their work. We understand exactly what it takes to craft a compelling manuscript. Collectively, our ghostwriters have written hundreds of books, including those for TV stars, celebrities, household names, millionaires, billionaires, business giants, and even individuals with extraordinary stories – or their beloved pets! Our writers' works have been published by the world’s leading publishing houses, including Penguin Random House, HarperCollins, Hachette, Simon & Schuster, and Pan Macmillan.
When you hire a ghostwriter through us, you're partnering with seasoned professionals who have a proven track record of success.
What are the benefits of using a ghostwriter instead of ChatGPT to write my book?
From my own perspective, perhaps selfishly, what is it that I can bring to the party that ChatGPT and the like are currently unable to do? The main strengths of a human writer are:
Interviewing
Most people believe that the strength of a ghostwriter is writing. This is true to a great extent. I also believe that one of our most important abilities is interviewing. We know how to help authors tell their stories. The questions we ask help them to voice elements of the story they may never have told before, or wanted to tell. These are always the elements that are at the centre of a strong narrative. ChatGPT doesn’t do the job of an interviewer.Plotting
As briefly alluded to earlier, ghostwriters know how to create a narrative arc that will keep a reader engaged all the way through a book. This is not as straight- forward as it might sound, particularly in a work of 60,000+ words.Curation
Not everyone is a natural storyteller. Often, when we relate an anecdote, we will throw in a lot of unnecessary detail that will distract, even bore, a reader. A ghostwriter will help condense a story down into its most compelling parts. ChatGPT will, however, include it all.Drama
Related to the above point is that ghostwriters will encourage authors to add detail they might not think important: the sights, sounds and smells that build an evocative picture around a story. Again, AI won’t look for these prompts.Duty of care
Ghostwriters have a duty of care to the authors they work with. There may be an urge to settle scores in a book, but this can put authors on legally perilous ground. Ghostwriters can advise on what can and can’t be recorded on the page. ChatGPT is not familiar with these, often subtle, dangers.Accessibility
Ghostwriters will spend many hours of one-to-one time with authors, helping them through the process and maintaining the momentum. AI models rely on the author being fully committed and self- motivated. Even though these generative models are quick, they still rely on author input.Experience
Finally, ghostwriters will have collaborated on many titles and know what makes a good book.
Do writers use ChatGPT?
Despite the limitations of the current models, I still use ChatGPT. It is fantastic for research, or prompting a thought process. When writing about a particular subject, I will often ask it about the various challenges or opportunities in that area. It helps me go off and explore ideas I might not otherwise have considered. It is also great for the various drudge tasks ghostwriters need to do. The first time I used it, for example, was to rearrange a list for the appendix into alphabetical order. If I had done it manually, it would have taken a few hours and not have been the best use of my time. ChatGPT did it in seconds.
Is ghostwriting legal in the UK?
Ghostwriting is completely legal in the UK. Ghostwriters have been around for centuries. We are simply writers-for-hire, helping others to get their stories on the page. It is a legal, commercial arrangement that is completely above board.
How can I find a good ghostwriter?
I might be slightly biased, but I’d say you are already in the right place. The Ghostwriting Agency has more than eighty ghostwriters on its books. A condition of membership is that these ghosts have previously collaborated on a bestseller. Therefore, our clients know that they are getting the best in the business, who will help them create the books they have always wanted to write.