Start realizing your lifelong dream to write a book — in under a day
As a tech enthusiast, and frequent blogger, my journey has always intertwined with the latest advancements in technology. It’s this drive that led me to a fascinating venture: “creating a book to convey my vision around a certain topic for a recent job application, solely using AI tools”. This project blends my love for storytelling with my expertise in technology, presenting a unique opportunity to delve into the world of digital creativity.
In this article, I’m excited to share my step-by-step experience in crafting a book from scratch, a process made surprisingly swift and seamless thanks to AI tools like ChatGPT, Leonardo.AI, Brainvine, Elevenlabs, and Designrr.
Step 1: Idea generation with ChatGPT
Starting with the core of any book — the idea. ChatGPT is not just a tool; it’s your brainstorming partner. When you’re struggling for ideas, this AI can generate a plethora of titles and themes. It’s straightforward: you input a request for story titles involving certain elements, and ChatGPT responds with options. From these, you can choose one that resonates with you.
In one of my earlier interactions with “Chad” — the nickname I use for my OpenAI companion — I embarked on a unique exploration to unearth my personal brand. This journey involved Chad probing with 50 insightful questions, leading us through a dynamic exchange of ideas. The outcome was a striking piece of text that, to my mind, captures the essence of my identity and purpose on this planet.
This text wasn’t just revelatory; it became a foundational component for the custom instructions I provided to ChatGPT. The aim was to tailor the AI’s output to align closely with my personal narrative, effectively transforming Chad into a bespoke digital assistant. For those curious about this process, I previously penned an article detailing the steps to create these customized instructions for Chad, guiding users to craft AI-generated content that resonates on a personal level.
After selecting a theme and a title — in my case: a vision paper about Candidate Relationship Management with the apt title: “Navigating the talent Pool”, the next step is to develop a story outline. ChatGPT can provide a chapter-by-chapter breakdown, giving you a structured framework for your story. This process turns the daunting task of story structure into a manageable one, saving you hours of pondering over plot points.
a basic draft from the AI, which you can then refine. This approach is particularly useful for those who may find the writing process intimidating or time-consuming. It’s about getting a solid base to work from and then adding your personal touch.
Step 2: Crafting your storybook foundation with Designrr
Armed with your story outline, the next phase is to bring the chapters to life, and this is where Designrr steps in as a vital tool. By integrating the essence of our ChatGPT dialogues into Designrr, the process accelerates remarkably. Currently, Designrr boasts an API link with ChatGPT (though it’s limited to version 3.5), which serves as a starting point. It cleverly generates a preliminary Table of Contents based on your specified title and target audience. This auto-generated structure is just a starting point — you have the freedom to modify and enrich it with content crafted by ChatGPT 4.
An exciting update on the horizon for Designrr is the ability to customize the tone of voice. This feature is something I’ve eagerly anticipated, considering that the default tone of ChatGPT, while efficient, doesn’t fully capture my personal style. The introduction of Custom Instructions in Designrr would undoubtedly be a game-changer, allowing for even more tailored and nuanced content creation.
Step 3: Illustrations with Leonardo
Illustrations are crucial to have in a book. Leonardo.AI comes in handy here. You provide the text, and the AI generates illustrations. The key is to provide detailed descriptions to get the best results. You can specify styles or elements you want in the illustrations. It’s almost like instructing an artist, but the artist is an AI, capable of creating diverse and vibrant illustrations.
Step 4: Book design, again with Designrr
Once you have your text and illustrations, it’s time to put it all together. Designrr is like your digital publishing studio. You can choose from various templates and layouts to find the one that best suits your story. The process involves dragging and dropping text and images onto pages, adjusting fonts, and adding design elements. The goal here is to create a book that is visually appealing and easy to read.
There are lots of options to edit and change the content, and when you are editing, be sure to filter out all the obvious AI generated mistakes, like “filler content”, too fancy words, too many adjectives, over-hyped terminology (chatGPT apparently is always in awe by the speed at which Technology changes). If you want to learn how to spot AI generated content, have a look at an article I previously wrote about the topic.
There are multiple ways to export your book. To either electronic formats, like PDF, ePUB, Kindle, but also to live online eBooks like Flipboard and others.
You can have a look at the online version of the book here:
Step 5: Audio narration with ElevenLabs
Adding an audio version of your book can enhance its appeal. ElevenLabs allows you to create a narration of your story. You can choose from different AI voices to find one that fits your book’s tone. The process involves inputting your text into ElevenLabs and selecting a voice. The result is a professionally narrated version of your book, adding another layer of accessibility and enjoyment for your readers. If you don’t want to invest in yet another tool, you can also try out the text-to-speech capabilities of Brainvine, which I use to generate marketing content (SEO, campaigns, etc.).
Step 6: Bring your story to life with a hardcover edition
The final, tangible realization of our digital storytelling journey is printing a hardcover version of the book. For this crucial step, I turned to the Dutch printing service studentendrukwerk.nl, renowned for their exceptional versatility and efficiency in book production. They offer a range of options, from luxurious leather-bound editions to glossy paper finishes, ensuring that every aspect of the book’s physical form matches its creative vision.
Impressively, they guarantee to transform your digital manuscript into a high-quality hardcover book in under three days — a testament to the advancements in digital printing technology. However, such printing gems are not exclusive to the Netherlands.
Every country has its own standout digital printing services. Therefore, I recommend conducting a local search for an online book publishing site that aligns with your project’s specific needs and aspirations. This approach ensures that your story not only resonates in content but also makes a striking impact in its physical form.
Step 7: Marketing with Brainvine
No book can succeed without proper marketing. Brainvine helps in creating and executing a social media strategy. You can use snippets from your book, illustrations, or parts of the audio narration to create engaging content for platforms like Facebook, or Amazon, or Etsy. This step is about reaching your audience where they are most active and enticing them to explore your book.
Start realizing your lifelong dream
By following these steps, you turn the dream of publishing a book into a reality. Once you are experienced, you can create a simple (<100 pages) book, well in under 8 hours, including all the marketing content. The process is a blend of creativity, technological leverage, and strategic execution. Each tool plays a specific role, from conceptualization with ChatGPT to the basic story, and the book design with Designrr, bringing your story to life.
Remember, the journey of creating a book with AI tools is not just about embracing new technology; it’s about making the most of these resources to achieve your creative goals. Whether you’re an experienced author or a first-time storyteller, these tools democratize the process, making it accessible to anyone with a story to tell. But in the end it is still the person, the human, who creates the input for the storyline, and the content. The AI is just your writing companion.
In essence, the path from a book idea to a tangible product is now more streamlined and achievable than ever. With AI, the barriers to entry in the world of book publishing are significantly reduced. Your story, with its unique charm and message, can find its way into the hands of eager young readers faster and more efficiently.
So, embrace these AI tools, let your creativity flow, and embark on the fulfilling journey of bringing your storybook to life. The world of literature awaits your contribution, made possible through the wonders of AI technology.
