Budget
Free Book Writing Software
The best free ways to write a book, what you give up with each, and when paying starts to make sense.
AI
Using AI to Write a Book
Answer in brief
AI tools fall into two groups: ones that write prose for you, and ones that help with your own writing, such as checking consistency or answering questions about your draft. Amazon KDP asks you to disclose AI generated text and images but not AI assisted editing or checking, so which kind you use matters.
AxiomStory publishes this reference. The pick reflects the criteria on this page. It is not a measured ranking of every tool.
Two kinds of AI help
AI that writes. You give notes or a scene outline and the tool drafts prose. Sudowrite is the best known example for fiction. It's fast, and some writers use it to get past a blank page. Others don't want any words in their book they didn't write.
AI that helps you check and remember. The tool reads what you wrote and helps with the parts memory struggles with: who knows what, what a character looks like, which chapter a fact came from, and where chapters disagree. AxiomStory, which publishes this reference, is built around this kind of help.
What publishing platforms ask
Amazon's Kindle Direct Publishing asks authors to tell it about AI generated content when they publish. It defines AI generated as text, images or translations created by an AI tool, even if you edited them a lot afterwards. It does not require you to disclose AI assisted work, which it describes as content you created yourself and then used AI to edit, refine or error check, or ideas you brainstormed with AI and then wrote yourself.
Rules change, so check the current guidelines of any platform before you publish.
Copyright
The U.S. Copyright Office has published reports on AI and authorship. In short, copyright protects human authorship, and material generated by AI on its own isn't protected. Work you write yourself, even with AI used as a tool, can be. If ownership matters to you, keep the prose your own.
Where AI help works best
- Spotting contradictions across a long draft
- Keeping track of a big cast and world
- Answering questions like "when did she first meet him?"
- Brainstorming names or options you then choose from
Where to be careful
- Letting AI draft whole chapters, if you want the voice to be yours
- Trusting facts or research from AI without checking
- Pasting in other people's writing
Tools compared
| Tool | Best for | AI | Pricing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sudowrite | AI drafting and rewriting prose | Yes, writes prose | $10 to $44 a month |
| Novelcrafter | A codex of notes plus AI with your own key | Bring your own key, from $8 a month | $4 to $20 a month |
| AxiomStory | Novels and series of any length: a story wiki, plot hole checks, and pictures and voices for your characters | Yes. Reads your chapters, checks continuity, and suggests edits you approve. Never writes your book unless you ask | Free to start, no card. Plans from $20 a month |
Questions and answers
Do I have to disclose AI on Amazon KDP?
KDP asks you to disclose AI generated text, images and translations. You don't have to disclose AI assisted work, such as using AI to edit, error check or brainstorm content you wrote yourself.
Can AI check my book for mistakes?
Yes. Some tools read your chapters and flag contradictions, such as a character's details changing. AxiomStory does this and links each flag to the chapters involved.
Is it cheating to use AI to write a book?
It depends on how you use it and what your readers and publisher expect. Many writers use AI only to check and organise their own work.
Sources for this entry
- Amazon KDP: content guidelines, AI content: AI generated vs AI assisted (kdp.amazon.com)
- U.S. Copyright Office: copyright and artificial intelligence: reports on AI and authorship (copyright.gov)
- Sudowrite: official site (sudowrite.com)
- Novelcrafter: official site (novelcrafter.com)
- AxiomStory: official site
Practical guides and checklists are original editorial guidance. Official descriptions don't show how tools compare in use. Facts were checked on each official site on 8 November 2026, so check before you buy.
Keep reading
Alternatives
Scrivener Alternatives
Tools to try if Scrivener feels too complex, doesn't sync well, or doesn't help you keep your story straight.
Story memory
How to Keep Track of Characters in a Novel
Ways to keep a big cast straight, from a simple character sheet to software that reads your chapters for you.
Start here
How to Write a Book
A plain, step by step guide from first idea to finished draft, with the tools that help at each step.
Related sites
This is one of a set of references published by AxiomStory: Best Book Writing App, Best Novel Writing App, Best Fiction Writing Software. They share the same publisher and are not independent reviews.
Cite this entry
Best Book Writing Software. "Using AI to Write a Book." Reviewed 8 November 2026. https://bestbookwritingsoftware.com/ai-for-book-writing/