Editing Your Book, Using AI, and Choosing the Right Length

Podcast 5 — Editing Your Book, Using AI, and Choosing the Right Length

How long should your book be, and where does AI fit into the editing process? Author Jonathan David shares his approach to short stories, chapter length, personal revision, spoken-text playback, and preparing fiction for audiobook narration.

Podcast Highlights

I choose the length of my books with my readers in mind. For some of my fiction, I aim for approximately 60,000–80,000 words, based on my experience and reader feedback. That is a personal target, rather than a rule for every author or genre.

My recommendation for developing your writing process is to begin with a complete short story. Practice writing and revising 500 words, then move to 1,000 and 2,000 words. These smaller projects give you a manageable way to develop your style before taking on a longer manuscript.

I revise while writing, review the previous chapter before beginning the next, and listen to the text being read aloud. For my fiction, sound and rhythm matter because I write with audiobook narration in mind.

My preference is to write and edit my fiction myself. For nonfiction based on my recordings, I use AI assistance to organize or clean up transcripts, followed by my own review. I also discuss using AI for supporting material such as cover concepts and book descriptions.

About these notes: The following steps organize the personal methods discussed in this podcast. They describe my workflow and preferences, rather than requirements for every writer.

Step-by-Step — Choose a Manageable Book Length

1. Consider the readers you want to reach.
   Think about the reading experience you want to offer. In my process, I talk with readers and consider their feedback about book length instead of choosing a large word count simply to make the book longer.
2. Choose a short story or a longer book intentionally.
   Decide whether your idea needs a full novel or can work as a shorter piece. Consider the time required to draft, revise, produce, and distribute the finished work.
3. Set a target that matches your project.
   I mention a personal range of approximately 60,000–80,000 words for some of my fiction. Choose your own target according to the material and intended reading experience.
4. Check the arithmetic if you plan by chapters.
   Multiply your planned chapter count by your average chapter length. For example, 25 chapters of 3,000–5,000 words total 75,000–125,000 words. Adjust the count or average length if you want a different total.
5. Choose a chapter rhythm that suits the book.
   I discuss chapter lengths of approximately 2,000, 3,000, or 5,000 words in different projects. My current preference is a consistent length within a book so readers have a predictable stopping point.

Step-by-Step — Practice with Short Stories

6. Begin with a 500-word story.
   In this exercise, I recommend targeting exactly 500 words. Write a complete piece with a beginning, development, and ending that fits within that limit.
7. Revise the story before increasing the length.
   Review the wording, clarity, flow, and completeness. Use the word limit to practice deciding what the story needs and what can be removed.
8. Move to 1,000 words, then 2,000 words.
   Complete and revise each project before taking on the next. Use the progression to develop control over a larger amount of material.
9. Set an overwhelming long draft aside while you practice.
   If you already have a large manuscript that is difficult to revise, keep a copy and work on smaller pieces temporarily. Return to the draft with a clearer process and more experience.

Step-by-Step — My Chapter Editing Routine

10. Draft one chapter and revise as you go.
    I work on the wording during the writing session rather than leaving every correction until the entire book is finished.
11. Return to the chapter the next day.
    Before drafting the next chapter, review the previous one. Use this pass to catch problems you did not notice during the first session.
12. Listen to the text while reading along.
    I use spoken-text playback on my device. Follow the words on the page as they are read aloud and listen for passages that sound awkward or unclear.
13. Refine wording, punctuation, and rhythm.
    A sentence can look acceptable on the page but sound wrong when spoken. I adjust the text with the intended narration and voice of the story in mind.
14. Continue to the next chapter.
    Repeat the pattern: draft, revise, return for another review, and move forward. This spreads the editing work throughout the project.
15. Use audiobook narration as another review.
    When narrating the completed book, listen for remaining problems and correct them. Review any affected audio so it stays consistent with the final manuscript.

Step-by-Step — Decide How You Will Use AI

16. Establish your boundaries for the project.
    Decide which parts you will create yourself and where you want assistance. My preference is to keep AI out of my fiction prose and technical writing.
17. For transcript-based nonfiction, define the editing task.
    I use AI to clean up, summarize, or organize material from my own recordings. Specify which of those tasks you want, because each produces a different result.
18. Review every edited passage yourself.
    Compare the result with your source material. Check for changed meaning, missing examples, transcription mistakes, and details added without support.
19. Consider supporting uses separately.
    In the podcast, I distinguish the manuscript from supporting material such as cover artwork and back-cover descriptions. Review those outputs before using them as well.
20. Describe AI involvement clearly.
    I discuss a sample story created from my idea using AI-generated prose and explain that readers were confused about who wrote it. Use clear wording to distinguish your own writing, AI editing assistance, and AI-generated text.
21. Document your process if that is part of your workflow.
    I record my writing sessions, including my screen and face, so viewers can watch the work develop. If you choose to do this, organize the recordings by project and session.

Future Publishing Plans

In this episode, I discuss plans for False Reality Publishing, including a proposed submission process involving recorded writing sessions, an author conversation, and an audiobook. These are future plans discussed in the recording; any actual submission requirements, payments, or royalty arrangements would need to be set out in published guidelines and a written agreement.

Disclaimer: My videos and podcasts express personal opinions and are intended strictly for entertainment; commentary may include speculation, hearsay, satire, or fictional material and should not be treated as verified fact or professional advice. Fictional works may contain mature themes and are recommended for audiences 18 and older.