AI Use Policy

How and when (and whether) I use AI.

I use AI tools to support my editorial work. AI assists with tedious, rote work and helps me find things in your manuscript. I do the creative work and every judgment about your story is mine.

My use of AI is guided by three core principles: transparent disclosure, client consent, and risk mitigation.

Why I Use AI

AI helps me find and organize what’s already in your manuscript. “Staffing out” these tasks to AI saves me time, freeing me up to focus on the creative and analytical aspects of the editing process, which enhances the quality and efficiency of my work. (Efficiency is my love language. Swoon.)

What AI Does

With your explicit permission, I may input, upload, or paste portions—or the entirety—of your manuscript into AI tools, and then perform tasks like:

  • List characters, settings and locations, and the date and time events occur

  • Count the number of times a character or pet phrase appears

  • Cross-check the manuscript against a style sheet or previous works (in a series)

  • Perform complex searches within a manuscript (for example, find all scenes that feature a specific character)

  • Look up manuscript claims

  • Flag possible continuity errors within and across chapters (names, timelines, physical details)

  • Suggest corrections to spelling, punctuation, grammar, and consistency (line edits and copy edits only)

AI never replaces my editorial judgment. While AI assists with pattern recognition; rote, rules-based work; and efficiency, it lacks the contextual and creative insight of a human editor. I use AI as a support tool only, and all final decision-making, including all interpretive and stylistic decisions, lies with me.

What I Do

I remain fully accountable for all editorial decisions by:

  • Reviewing, verifying, and revising all AI-generated content

  • Maintaining detailed records of how I use AI with your work

You are always welcome to see my AI use logs for your manuscript.

In addition, I do not staff out the core tasks of developmental edits. I perform all analyses of your story elements and brainstorm story suggestions myself.

What I Do Not Do

I never use AI to write your story. I won’t use AI to draft scenes, passages, or any story content.

For developmental edits and manuscript assessments, I don’t use AI to edit your text at all. I use AI only to help me find and organize what you’ve already written.

For line edits and copy edits, I may use AI to suggest corrections or alternative wording. I review every suggestion and keep only what I’d stand behind, and every change comes to you as a tracked change you can accept or reject. AI-assisted suggestions appear under a separate reviewer name in Word (such as “Claude”), so you can always see which suggestions began with an AI tool.

I am committed to protecting the originality of your work and the uniqueness of your authorial voice.

Client Consent

I will ask for your preferences regarding AI use every time, for every manuscript. I will tailor my workflow to match your comfort level. Your decision and my actions will be clearly outlined in the AI Tool Usage clause of your editing contract.

In other words, you have the right to say yes, please! and I’ll do many of the tasks I’ve already listed.

You also have the right to say no, thank you! and I won’t use AI at all, and I’ll turn off Copilot in Word.

I’ll also ask about your own use of AI in your manuscript. Your contract records your answer; I don’t test or certify manuscripts for AI-generated content. Knowing your AI use helps guide my edits.

Risk Mitigation

I choose AI tools with strong data security policies and opt-out options for using uploaded material or conversations as training data. I use only paid or professional versions of these tools. I review the terms of use for my chosen AI tools before each project. I use these tools every week on my own projects, so I notice how they change before I use them with a manuscript. I never paste any portion of your manuscript into an internet search, including the AI features built into search engines and browsers. I stay current with AI trends to protect your creative work.

If you have questions or concerns about my use of AI in your project, please reach out or take a look at why I use AI in my editing work (sometimes).

Last updated October 27, 2026