Writing a book with AI: how my book came to be

2.11.2026 · 6 Min. · Esther Jaggy Aebi

Many people who want to write a book with AI start with a single sentence: "Write me a book about …". The answer comes quickly. It is neatly worded, well structured and sounds like nothing. No stories of your own, no voice of your own. Nobody reads a book like that to the end.

In October 2026 I published my book "KI-ABC aus Filz" (in German), in print and as an e-book. AI did a lot of the work. But it never worked alone. In this article I show you how I did it and what you can take from it for your own book.

A book needs more than a good prompt

In a publishing house, no single person does everything. There is the programme team, editing, proofreading, production, design, marketing and sales. Each department looks at something different, and that is exactly what makes a book good.

I have attended several workshops and talks about books made with AI. What I took away everywhere: a good book is made in steps, and each step has its own check. I then developed my own process from my explainer videos, because that is exactly how I already work there. And one rule sits above everything: AI does the work. I make the decisions.

From explainer video to book: my seven steps

1. The films first. Characters, style and many explanations already existed from my series AI ABC. The book did not have to invent anything new, it could build on something that already works.
2. The list of terms. The plan was 100 terms. It became 26, one per letter, plus a small glossary. I approved the list before any text was written.
3. A sample page. The page H for hallucination became the template: explanation, an everyday picture, a tip from the character and one sentence "for grown-ups". Only after my yes did it apply to all other pages.
4. The texts. The AI writes in the tone of the videos. Every page must pass the twelve-year-old test: does a twelve-year-old understand every word? In editing I see every change on its own and decide myself: "accept" or "keep original".
5. The images. The characters must look like in the films, the same on every page. The images came in small batches, and I looked at and approved every single one.
6. Typesetting and print. Pages, page numbers, print file and e-book, following the printing platform's requirements.
7. Amazon. The AI prepares description, categories and keywords. I make the final click.

On top of that there is a QR code in the book. It leads to my film series, and that keeps growing. You can find all films on my YouTube channel, with English versions too. A new one comes out every Tuesday and Thursday.

How it worked for the AI ABC in felt

My book was not born at a desk but from films. In my series AI ABC, felt characters explain AI terms in one minute: Lexi the old owl, Netti the spider, Toki the word piece, Piccolo the herding dog, and Maestro. At some point it was clear: this belongs on paper too.

On 17 October I set up the project brief. Ten days later I uploaded the e-book. That sounds fast. It was possible because the characters, the style and many explanations already existed from the series, and because every step had its own check. AI takes a lot of work off my hands. It does not take the care off my hands, and that was the point for me: a good book, not simply a fast one.

Two things helped me most:

Look for mistakes, don't hope. The AI made mistakes, especially with the images. On the first cover, Maestro was missing. On another picture a stranger shepherd suddenly stood in the middle of the scene. I did not find this because the AI reported it, but because I looked at every image.

Write decisions down. Every decision went into a list with a date. For example, that the book got a larger format because the hardcover edition needs more pages. Or that the book says "Fahrrad" instead of the Swiss "Velo", because it is also read in Germany and Austria. That way I never had to decide anything twice.

What AI cannot do when you write a book

I like to be honest here, because this is what many guides leave out.

• Your idea and your reason. Why this book, why you? Only you know.
• Your stories. AI can sort and polish. It cannot live anything.
• Judgement. Only you can tell whether a sentence sounds like you. If a text sounds like AI, it is not finished.
• Responsibility. You stand behind the facts, image rights and prices. And on Amazon you declare where AI was involved.
• The book in your hands. Before selling the printed edition, a proof copy is a must. Much looks good on screen and turns out too small or too dark on paper.

How to start your own book with AI

You do not need your own publishing house to work like this. Three steps are enough to begin:

1. Write one single page first. Have it revised until it really sounds like you. This page becomes the template for all the others.
2. Write down your rules. Who is the book for? Which words do you use, which never? How long are your sentences? Give this list to the AI at every step.
3. Separate writing and checking. Don't let the AI write and check itself in the same step. A separate round for editing and one for proofreading find much more.

If you want to set up a process like this for your own book or another big project, we can do it together in WAItblick (held in German). And if you want to see how my felt characters explain AI, have a look at the AI ABC.

Frequently asked questions

Can I write a book with ChatGPT? Yes. You can write a book with ChatGPT or another AI. What matters is not the program but the process: a sample page, clear rules and separate rounds for writing, editing and proofreading. A single prompt gives you a book nobody wants to read. By the way, my own book was made with Claude Code, an AI that works directly with my files and folders. That keeps texts, images and decisions in one place.

How long does it take to write a book with AI? For me, ten days passed between the project brief and the upload. That worked because characters and texts from my film series were already there. Without groundwork, plan for a few weeks. It is still faster than writing alone, even if you want high quality. The time goes into checking, not typing.

Can I sell a book made with AI on Amazon? Yes. But Amazon asks you to declare when uploading whether text or images were created with AI. I disclosed both and also mention it in the imprint.

Sources

• My book: "KI-ABC aus Filz" on Amazon (in German)
• Amazon KDP: Content guidelines, section on AI-generated content

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