The Page & Podium Podcast with Dr. Amanda Nell Edgar

Want to know where AI can creep into your book project—even if you never intended to use it to “write your book”? This is the second episode in my four-part series on AI and nonfiction writing, and this time I’m walking through the places I’ve actually seen AI enter authors’ projects at every stage of the publishing process. In this episode, I share real examples from writing, editing, cover design, and marketing. I talk about what happens when an LLM starts making repetitive writing choices, why AI can become especially tempting when you hit the blinking-cursor problem, how authors can accidentally outsource their editorial judgment, and why using AI to “just organize ideas” or “just brainstorm” may be doing more of the creative work than you realize. I also explain why I keep coming back to the same concern: AI is most tempting when its certainty meets your insecurity. My professional recommendation is still to keep generative AI out of the creative work of writing your book—and to be cautious about the places it can slip into the rest of the publishing process too. Key topics - Why AI can enter a book project even when the author never planned to use it - Why fear and insecurity make LLMs especially tempting - Why AI-generated prose can become impossible to simply “edit” - How outsourcing difficult passages can interrupt your development as a writer - How LLMs can confidently validate an editorial opinion that is simply wrong - Why AI-generated cover ideas can pull a book away from its genre and market - Why “I’m just using it to brainstorm” may be more consequential than it sounds Resources mentioned Free Memoir Method Checklist https://pageandpodium.com/checklist Page & Podium Publishing Learn more about our collaborative publishing process: https://pageandpodium.com/publishing/ Manuscript Review Get a professional 10,000-foot view of your manuscript, including what’s working, what needs attention, and a step-by-step revision plan: https://pageandpodium.com/manuscript/ Page & Podium Blog Writing, revision, publishing, and book-marketing resources: https://pageandpodium.com/blog Jess Sato: “Why I’m on an AI Detox” Jess talks about how relying on AI for ideation and drafting affected her creativity—and what happened when she stepped away from it: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/why-im-on-an-ai-detox/id1712906510?i=1000785767092 Timestamps 0:00 How AI Is Creeping Into Book Projects 0:29 Part 2 of the Four-Part AI Series 0:59 Free Memoir Method Checklist 1:31 Why Authors Turn to AI 4:27 How Page & Podium Approaches Publishing 6:46 Start Here: AI in the Writing Process 7:44 AI-Generated Manuscripts 9:33 Repetition and AI Writing Patterns 11:25 Can AI Make It Harder to Write Without It? 13:17 AI in the Editing Process 15:04 When AI Writing Doesn’t Sound Like You 16:04 The Blinking-Cursor Problem 18:36 AI and Structural Editing 19:15 A Ghostwriting Example 22:04 Why You Shouldn’t Ask AI to Judge Your Editor 24:48 AI in Cover Design 27:24 When AI Sends a Cover Off Course 28:45 Why Comparable Titles Matter 30:27 AI in Book Marketing 31:54 AI and Thought Leadership 32:54 Jess Sato’s AI Detox 33:51 The Problem With “I’m Just Using AI For…” 35:17 What to Do If AI Is Already in Your Project 36:11 What’s Coming Next in the Series 36:38 Final Reminder: Download the Checklist This is episode two of a four-part series on AI and nonfiction writing. In the next episode, I’ll dig further into how AI affects thought leadership and what happens when we begin outsourcing the thinking behind our ideas. Music licensed through Soundstripe. Code: UR9M41ATXQIRESTE

Want to know whether AI has a place in your writing process? This is the first episode in a four-part series on AI and nonfiction writing, and we’re starting with the most important question: what happens when you let an LLM make creative choices for you? Before you hand over your outline, your prose, or your voice, it helps to understand what writing actually requires—and what you may lose when generative AI starts making those decisions instead. In this episode, I explain why I think of writing as a long series of choices, from your topic and structure all the way down to individual words. Then I look at what happens when AI starts making those choices instead, especially in the two areas where I see the biggest problems for nonfiction writers: voice and structure. I also talk about the difference between generative AI and tools like spellcheck or grammar check, why AI can become especially tempting in the places where you already feel insecure, and why my professional recommendation is to keep generative AI out of the creative writing process. Key topics - How large language models generate writing - Why AI-generated prose can sound clean but still flatten your voice (and how outsourcing word choice keeps you from becoming a stronger writer) - Why AI-generated book structures often fail to support authors once they start drafting - The difference between generative AI and tools like spellcheck or grammar check - Why discernment matters when deciding whether to use a tool Resources mentioned Free Memoir Method Checklist https://pageandpodium.com/checklist Page & Podium Blog More writing, revision, publishing, and book-marketing resources: https://pageandpodium.com/blog Timestamps 0:00 How Nonfiction Writers Should Think About AI 1:00 Free Memoir Method Checklist 1:33 Why I Went Down the AI Rabbit Hole 4:10 My Concerns About AI 7:03 How I Think About Writing 8:28 Writing Is a Series of Choices 9:54 Choosing Your Topic and Message 11:14 How Structure Creates More Choices 13:08 The Choices We Make While Writing 14:36 How Large Language Models Work 17:20 What AI Is Missing 18:40 The Two Biggest Risks: Voice and Structure 19:01 AI and Your Writing Voice 22:05 Why AI-Generated Structure Can Backfire 23:35 Where I Draw the Line on Generative AI 24:32 What About Grammarly and Spellcheck? 25:14 Discernment and AI 26:14 Why Insecurity Makes AI More Tempting 27:37 My Recommendation for Writers 28:27 Final Reminder: Download the Checklist This is episode one of a four-part series on AI and nonfiction writing. In the next episode, I’ll walk through how AI is showing up at every stage of the writing and publishing process—and where I think authors need to be especially careful. Music licensed through Soundstripe. Code: SB7OK7HA77GWOT7E

Want to make your prose stronger at the sentence level? Before you start tweaking individual words, there’s one important rule: sentence-level editing comes last. In this episode, I explain why you should finish drafting and structural revision before you start polishing your prose—and why editing too early can actually make perfectionism worse and keep you from finishing your book. Then I walk through three concrete sentence-level editing techniques you can use to make your writing tighter, clearer, and more intentional. These are simple things you can actually search for in your manuscript, which makes them especially useful when you're ready to move from big-picture revision into the finer details of your prose. Key topics * Why sentence-level editing should come after structural revision * What a reverse outline can show you about your manuscript * Why polishing individual chapters too early can derail your draft * How sentence editing can trigger perfectionism * Why learning to tolerate imperfection is part of finishing a book * How to use the word “and” to find unnecessary lists * Why lists of similar adjectives can weaken your prose * How searching for “of” can help you tighten wordy phrases * Using possessives to make sentences shorter and stronger * How to vary sentence length and structure * Simple ways to rearrange sentences without completely rewriting them * When it may be time to get professional feedback on your manuscript Resources mentioned **Free Memoir Method Checklist** https://pageandpodium.com/checklist **Manuscript Review** Get a professional 10,000-foot view of your manuscript, including what’s working, what needs attention, and a step-by-step revision plan: https://pageandpodium.com/manuscript Timestamps 0:00 How to Strengthen Your Book’s Prose 0:30 Welcome to Page and Podium 0:40 Free Memoir Method Checklist 1:25 Why Sentence Editing Comes Last 2:17 Finish Structural Revisions First 6:40 Avoid Perfectionism While Drafting 11:20 Tip 1: Look for Lists and “And” 15:20 Tip 2: Tighten Phrases with “Of” 18:15 Tip 3: Vary Your Sentence Structure 20:25 Get a Manuscript Review 22:08 Final Reminder: Download the Checklist Music licensed through Soundstripe. Code: ZQP8CICXIAJM4LAI

If you're writing a nonfiction book, you need an outline. Yes, even though you'll discover things as you write that you can't plan for now. Even if you already have years of content. And yes, even if you have the entire book mapped out in your head.   A strong outline gives you the 10,000-foot view of your book while you're down in the weeds writing individual sentences and chapters. It gives you a writing plan, helps you stay focused over a long drafting process, and keeps your ideas moving toward one cohesive book instead of several different books mashed together.   In this episode, I walk through three different ways to outline a nonfiction book depending on what you're writing: a narrative outline for memoir and narrative nonfiction, a content-based outline for authors who already have a lot of existing material, and a persuasive problem-cause-solution outline.   Key topics   * Why every nonfiction book needs an outline * How an outline helps you see the whole book while you're drafting * Using your outline as a practical writing plan * Why an outline keeps a long-term project cohesive * Three different ways to outline nonfiction * The major structural beats of memoir and narrative nonfiction * How to organize years of podcasts, newsletters, social posts, talks, and other content into a book * How to build a topical outline using a simple spreadsheet * Why problem-cause-solution works so well for persuasive nonfiction * How to get professional feedback on your outline before you start drafting   Resources mentioned   **The Memoir Method: 7-Step Structure Sequence** Work through the seven steps I use to help memoir writers build a strong narrative structure: https://pageandpodium.com/structure   **Free guide for turning your existing content into a book** If you've already created podcasts, social media posts, newsletters, talks, videos, or other content, start here: https://pageandpodium.com/guide   **Outline Review** Want professional eyes on your outline before you start—or keep—writing? Learn more about our Outline Review service: https://pageandpodium.com/outline   Timestamps   0:00 Why Every Nonfiction Book Needs an Outline 1:16 How an Outline Gives You the Big Picture 3:45 How an Outline Becomes Your Writing Plan 6:29 How an Outline Keeps Your Book Cohesive 8:11 Three Ways to Outline a Nonfiction Book 9:56 Narrative Outlines for Memoir and Narrative Nonfiction 11:39 The Key Beats of a Narrative Outline 16:04 Memoir Structure Support 17:08 Content Outlines for Content Creators 18:23 How to Organize Existing Content into a Book 23:14 Persuasive Outlines: Problem, Cause, Solution 25:53 Final Advice and Outline Review Support 26:40 Closing   Music licensed through Soundstripe. Code: MCIZHYPXDWGQDA9G