Jump to Heading:
- Definitions
- Legal and Ethical Considerations
- Embracing AI While Retaining Creative Control
- Alignment With Distributor Policies
- AI and Editing
- Tellwell’s Use of AI in Publishing Services
At Tellwell, we understand that generative artificial intelligence (AI) technology is having an impact on the publishing landscape. Our AI content guidelines recognize the potential benefits of AI while ensuring our practices and those of our authors align with the policies of key distributors. Our main concern is maintaining the availability of our authors' work in the marketplace.
We firmly believe in the rights of humans as creators to receive credit for their work.
Definitions
AI-Generated Content:
Content created predominantly by AI tools, including text, images, and translations.
- A human writes a prompt to an AI program and copy + pastes the unedited output into their manuscript.
- A human prompts an AI to create an image and uses it without alteration.
- The final form reflects the AI’s creative decisions, not a human’s.
AI-Assisted Content:
Content primarily authored by humans, with AI tools used for refinement, editing, and/or generation of ideas.
- A human writes a draft and uses an AI program to improve clarity, grammar, or structure.
- A human prompts an AI program to suggest ideas, outlines, or examples that the human then selects and revises for their composition.
- A human generates images with an AI program, then curates, edits, or combines them with their own work.
Legal and Ethical Considerations
Authors must consider copyright and ownership when using text or images from popular AI tools like ChatGPT, DALL-E, or Midjourney in a commercially published book.
While AI-generated content does not produce direct copies of existing works, it creates images or text based on proprietary data. Because these data may have included content protected under copyright, this has raised concerns about whether some of the training material was used without the permission of the rights holders.
At this stage of its evolution, AI-generated content may contain errors or biases, and often presents its inaccuracies as fact without proof.
Before using AI-generated content in a commercially created work, it’s important to check the terms and conditions of the AI platform being used to ensure that it permits commercial use of its generated content. This is just the first step, however. It is important to consider the ownership and copyright aspects of the AI-produced content. Since AI tools are trained on vast datasets that may include copyrighted material, there is a risk of inadvertently infringing on someone else’s copyright.
To mitigate this risk, start with a thorough review to assess the uniqueness and originality of the AI-generated content yourself. Secondly, where possible, obtain a legal opinion from a copyright expert to evaluate the potential risks associated with using such content in your commercial work. Taking a proactive approach is one way to uphold the legal and ethical responsibility to respect and credit original creators, ultimately protecting the integrity of the author’s own creative work and reputation.
Embracing AI While Retaining Creative Control
In many scenarios it is acceptable to include AI-assisted content in a published book. On the other hand, there are always risks associated with including AI-generated content in a commercially published work. AI can add depth and new perspectives to written content, but the author remains the heart and soul of the book. AI content must always be carefully reviewed by the author.
Alignment With Distributor Policies
It is important to familiarize yourself with the policies of major distributors, listed below. All have broad requirements around AI-generated images. Failure to disclose use of the AI-generated content could result in your book being removed from retail sale by one or more distributors. As of 2025, no distributor requires disclosure of AI-assisted content.
Here are the AI policy statements from our key distributors:
- IngramSpark: Content created using automated means, including content generated using artificial intelligence or mass-produced processes, may be removed to uphold catalog integrity and prevent content that is misleading or of marginal value. Source: IngramSpark's Catalog Integrity Guidelines.
- Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP): Authors must disclose to Amazon if text, images, or translations are AI-generated, while disclosure is not required for AI-assisted content (see definitions below). All content must still meet quality standards. Source: Content Guidelines - Kindle Direct Publishing
- Kobo: AI-generated content is explicitly listed as content that is not allowed. Kobo states that they are actively developing machine-learning tools to detect and screen out AI-generated content, pirated content rewritten by AI, and other low-quality submissions to protect author revenue and catalog integrity. Source: What Content is Not Allowed? - Kobo Writing Life Help Centre
- Draft2Digital (D2D): They do not accept content that has been generated entirely by AI/LLMs that has not gone through extensive editing from a human. They support AI-assisted content but do not want mass-produced, low-quality books or content generated solely by a machine. Source: Draft2Digital Content Guidelines
It is advisable to use AI content sparingly and ensure it blends seamlessly with original work. Doing so maintains the integrity of the book, adheres to distributors’ requirements, and safeguards retail availability.
It is important to note that similar or identical AI-assisted content could appear in other books. Carefully review any AI-generated content to ensure originality.
AI and Editing
If the author has purchased editing services from Tellwell, our editors will determine which portions of the work were composed or assisted by AI, and assess this material just as they would any original author content. The editor’s review will be aimed at maintaining coherence and consistency with the author’s unique voice and writing style, focusing on the quality, relevance, and coherence of the AI-generated content in the context of the overall work. The editor will seek to mitigate factual errors, stylistic discrepancies, and redundancies. Editors will not provide legal advice or a comprehensive review of the AI-generated content’s compliance with copyright laws.
Tellwell’s Use of AI in Publishing Services
We recognize that some AI applications can complement the creative process. While Tellwell is open to new technologies supporting the work of authors, we are committed to keeping human creativity and expression at the forefront of all our processes.
For instance, we may use AI-assisted features in Photoshop to adjust the dimensions of an author-supplied image for technical compatibility with printing requirements, always with the author’s approval and creative input. We may use AI tools to elevate clients' work, if required, to reduce unnecessary costs and effort, but we will never compromise human passion and professionalism in any book we help to publish.
Conclusion
Given these complexities, authors should exercise caution when using AI-generated content for commercial purposes. When considering the use of the intellectual property of others without express permission from the owner of the content, it's advisable to consult with legal experts in copyright law to understand the implications and risks associated with the use of AI-generated content.
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These guidelines may be updated at any time to reflect the latest developments in AI technology, changes in distributor policies, and publishing industry best practices. We have made every effort to ensure the accuracy of the information provided in these guidelines. However, this document is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Authors are encouraged to seek legal counsel to address specific concerns regarding the use of AI-generated content. Tellwell is not responsible for any actions taken based on the information in this document.