Writing Books
Have you ever dreamed of writing a book—maybe a memoir, a children’s story, or even a tea-themed guidebook—but felt overwhelmed by the process? Thanks to AI, book creation is now easier, faster, and more fun than ever. Whether you’re a retiree looking for a creative outlet or an aspiring author hoping to earn passive income, the tools below can help you go from idea to published book—without needing a tech degree or a publishing deal
.Let’s break it down by writing, illustration, formatting, and more.
Best AI Tools for Writing Your Book
1. ChatGPT (Plus)
Website: https://chat.openai.com
ChatGPT is a powerhouse for content creation. With GPT-4o, you can:
- Outline chapters
- Write in different tones and styles
- Summarize or rewrite content
- Generate book titles, blurbs, and descriptions
- Ask for editing suggestions or formatting help
Great for nonfiction, memoirs, guidebooks, and even poetry. Built-in image generation makes it an all-around creative assistant.
Pro tip: Use it to brainstorm or overcome writer’s block!
2. Sudowrite
Website: https://www.sudowrite.com
This is fiction-focused AI with smart features like:
- Character arcs
- Scene suggestions
- Plot twist generation
- Emotion tuning
It’s like having a co-author who doesn’t drink your coffee. If you’re writing novels or short stories, Sudowrite is worth every penny.
🎨 Best AI Tools for Illustrating Books
3. MidJourney
Website: https://www.midjourney.com
MidJourney excels at artistic and stylistic images, especially for:
- Children’s books
- Fantasy & sci-fi covers
- Illustrated guides
However, it has a learning curve and requires Discord to use. Still, it’s one of the most creative tools out there.
4. Leonardo.ai
Website: https://leonardo.ai
A user-friendly alternative to MidJourney with:
- Templates
- Training tools for consistent characters
- High-res outputs
Perfect for children’s books or image-rich content. Fast, sleek, and intuitive.
5. DALL·E (via ChatGPT)
Included with ChatGPT Plus, this AI image generator is ideal for:
- Quickly generating art
- Editing (inpainting) parts of an image
- Maintaining a consistent style
Best for authors who want seamless image generation inside their writing workflow.
Best Tools for Formatting and Layout
6. Atticus
Website: https://www.atticus.io
All-in-one writing + formatting software:
- Works on Mac, PC, and Chromebook
- Easy to use for beginners
- Previews how your book will look on Kindle or print
Price: One-time fee of ~$147
Affiliate program? Yes — great for bloggers and book coaches.
7. Reedsy Book Editor
Website: https://reedsy.com/write-a-book
Free and browser-based, this tool formats beautiful ebooks and print-ready PDFs. You can:
- Add chapters, front matter, and back matter
- Export to EPUB and print
- Collaborate with editors or co-authors
Affiliate opportunity: Yes, via affiliate networks like ShareASale.
Bonus: All-in-One Tool for Visual Books
8. Canva Pro
Website: https://www.canva.com
Great for:
- Journals, planners, and workbooks
- Recipe books
- Picture books
With drag-and-drop design and Magic Write AI, Canva is great for visual creators. Add text, illustrations, and photos in minutes.
Affiliate Program? Yes — available directly through Canva and affiliate networks.
Final Polish Tools
- Grammarly (Link): Fixes grammar, clarity, and tone.
- ProWritingAid (Link): Excellent for editing long books and analyzing writing style.
Want to Sell That Book? Start with a Blog
A blog is one of the best ways to promote your book and earn money through affiliate links. At EarningMoneyatHomeinRetirement.com, we guide retirees and beginners through every step of this journey.
If you want to turn your book hobby into income, check out Wealthy Affiliate. It’s a beginner-friendly platform for learning how to blog, attract traffic, and monetize your content—including book sales and affiliate links.
FAQ: AI Book Creation Questions Answered
Q1: Can I really write an entire book with AI?
Yes! AI can help with brainstorming, writing, editing, illustrating, and formatting. You’ll still need to guide it, but it saves massive time.
Q2: Are these tools beginner-friendly?
Yes. ChatGPT, Canva, and Reedsy are particularly easy for beginners. Tools like MidJourney take more learning.
Q3: Can I make money from books I create with AI?
Absolutely! Many authors self-publish on Amazon KDP and promote their books through blogs and email lists.
Q4: Which tool is best for children’s books?
Use ChatGPT + Leonardo.ai or MidJourney for illustrations, and Atticus or Canva for layout.
Q5: What’s the best free option?
ChatGPT (Free version), Reedsy Editor, and Canva (Free plan) together make a powerful no-cost combo.
Comments
I enjoy receiving questons and commenst from my site visitors, you can leave yours below. -Shirley
3 Responses
I appreciate knowing about the best AI tools for writing as they are very helpful in getting writing tasks done. I have recently used AI to an extent in research and writing, but it is good to know about these tools. I will save this article to refer and share.
Hi Shirley, this is a great article on how-to. At first I was sceptical, about using Ai’s for anything! Now having crossed that barrier, I use Chat gpt, all the time! Instead of driving people mad, with how to do something, how to fix things, issues, quick questions, and more, I just ask Chat gpt!
I also use Canva alot, for designing posters for each article I write, and post to social media. Canva offers excellent tools!
I never thought though, to use Ai, in writing books! The help, advice, and solutions are out there now!
At first one would think, ‘but I don’t have time to do this!’ and now you really don’t need too much time as Ai’s can whip things up quickly, templating, designing, content, images, graph, research and on top of that a friendly chat! lol.
Here you offer food for thought, great links and recommendations for whatever someone wants to do, even starting with a simple idea and then use anyone of those Ai’s to take it further!
Good job and thanks for sharing a super list of what’s what for those looking to make additional income, even at retirement!
Julia. 😊
Thanks Julia for reading my post and your comments. I hesitated at first to use AI also but now I’ve learned how useful it can be, especially to brainstorm for new ideals and to get great oulines. Just have an honest chat with your AI asking how it can help you and see what it replies. – Thanks again – Shirley