Video Summary - How to Write a Book with AI in 2026 (Full Step-By-Step Tutorial)

Summary of the tutorial (AI book creation workflow)

The video presents a step-by-step guide for writing and publishing a full book using a single platform: co-author.ai. The creator argues it’s the fastest/easiest way to produce high-quality books that sell, especially for beginners with no writing experience, by bundling research, writing, editing, formatting, cover creation, and marketing assets into one guided flow.

Key product positioning / tool comparison (tech + product analysis)

Single-tool workflow: The tutorial claims you can complete a book end-to-end in co-author.ai without juggling multiple apps.
Model flexibility: co-author.ai “runs Claude in the backend,” but the system is designed to switch to other models later if they improve.
Why it’s different from generic chat AIs (Claude/Gemini/etc.):
- Generic tools require the user to prompt/training output style and can produce blog/listicle-like results.
- co-author.ai handles the structure/output requirements in the backend so users don’t need to know the correct “book voice” formatting.
Quality / fact-checking emphasis:
- Generated chapters are said to pass a fact-checking agent.
- If edited, the user can re-run fact checking.
Plagiarism scanning:
- The tool claims it automatically scans for plagiarism on generated content.
Cost claim:
- co-author.ai is pitched as cheaper than combining multiple separate tools (writing, keyword research, design/formatting, plagiarism, image generation, etc.).
- Example comparison stated: combined alternatives ~$351–$430/month vs co-author $49/month base (essentials) plus a one-time $150 book credit (for writing a book), depending on plan.

Step-by-step tutorial: how the book is created

Step 1) Choose a profitable topic (demand/competition validation)

Uses the Niche Hunter tool (inside co-author.ai).
Filters rely on:
- Amazon Best Sellers Rank (BSR): selects books with BSR under ~30,000 (interpreted as strong sales).
- Low review count: example uses max 100 reviews to target lower competition.
- Optional category filters (example shown: Self-help).
Goal: find topics with high demand, high profitability, low competition.

Step 2) Create the book (unique angle via competitive analysis)

Uses Analyze competitive advantage:
- Scans the reviews of top books in the niche.
- Generates positioning ideas (“unique angles”) for differentiation rather than copying.
Example differentiation formats mentioned:
- Niching down (e.g., “introverts” within communication skills).
- “Faster/simple” promise (e.g., “5-minute” style approach).
- “More value” framing with scenarios/workbooks.
Then the tutorial enters a guided book flow with 18 steps.

Book setup inputs (title, audience, stance, tone)

The guided flow auto-fills:
- Book title suggestions (and can generate multiple variations)
- Author name/pen name
- Genre/topic/stance
- Target audience and tone
Includes a chatbot/AI assistant contextually for each step (asks the AI to generate variations, etc.).

Step 2 continued) Build the concept from bestselling models

co-author pulls a list of top relevant/high-selling books for the topic.
The user reviews and can remove irrelevant ones.
Concept claimed: it “mixes and matches” the best parts from top sellers while adding the chosen unique angle (positioning).
User confirms positioning and title direction.

Resource + author persona (controls the writing voice)

Allows uploading:
- URLs, notes, or other resources to ensure certain points are covered.
Author persona creation:
- User provides background and (optionally) a writing sample to control tone/style.
- The AI can generate persona text and a described author voice (example: “warm direct coach,” punchy, action-oriented).
- Includes a note to avoid lying and to use real experiences.

Book focus tags

User selects focus tags (e.g., “zero theory,” “freezing hacks,” “awkward silence prevention,” etc.).
These tags affect what the book emphasizes and later appear in the outline.

Step 3) Generate details + create a structured outline

User selects:
- Target length (example: 25–30k words)
- Number of chapters (example: 8 chapters)
- Book structure type (example: How-to vs problem/solution)
Generates an outline with chapters and subsections.
Demonstration: chosen tags reappear inside chapter/subsection titles (e.g., “conversation freeze response,” “3-second pause technique,” “active listening”).

Step 4) Writing the manuscript (generation modes + recommendations)

Two modes described:
1. Generate the entire book in one shot, then edit.
2. Generate one section at a time (recommended) so each section is written with awareness of what came before.
Recommendation logic: section-by-section writing helps avoid repetition/generic tone after several chapters.
After generation:
- The manuscript includes markers indicating past fact-checking.
- If the user edits, they can trigger fact checking again.

Editing capabilities (inline AI tools)

The editor is presented as an “inline agent” workflow:

Highlight text → prompts appear for specific transformations, including:
- Improve readability
- Elaborate/expand
- Rephrase
- Add call to action
- Add historical fact
- Add source/citation (and automatically adds a matching reference section at the end)
- Strengthen with data/studies
- Generate tables from highlighted content
- Generate infographics/diagrams and images

Emphasis: co-author is framed as a co-author draft generator, and the user should still edit/add personal stories.

Formatting + Amazon-ready metadata

Formatting step

co-author auto-formats the book, but users can adjust:
- Styles (e.g., “modern”)
- Font size (example: 12 point)
- Line spacing (example: 1.5)
- Optional drop caps
Export/download manuscript is included as part of this stage.

Book description

Generates an Amazon book description.
Users can regenerate/edit before submission.

Cover design + revisions

Cover generation inputs:
- Title, author name
- Book type/size
- Subtitle badge preferences, author name presence/absence, characters toggle
- Optional style reference image
Revision process:
- Start with an initial cover generation.
- Improve by using a reference bestseller cover and requesting a more text-based cover.
Then it generates the full cover layout, including:
- front/back
- KDP barcode
- spine options (direction, font size/color, whether to show title)

A+ content for Amazon (marketing assets)

A+ content is presented as part of the guided flow for the Amazon product page.
Key features described:
- Auto-populates information (cover, genre, author name).
- User selects templates; AI can auto-pick best-matching templates.
- Generates A+ copy and designs that can be approved/regenerated.

Book trailer / ads (optional)

Trailer creation is optional in the flow.
The tutorial demonstrates an influencer review style:
- Can auto-include pages from the manuscript.
- Generates ad script automatically (modifiable).
- Produces a trailer video for social media/ads.
Notes that multiple trailer types exist.

Publishing guidance (Amazon)

Provides rationale for publishing on Amazon:
- claims 70%+ of US book sales happen on Amazon
- sign-up is free
- uses print-on-demand (printing/shipping only after sale)
Mentions an external tutorial link for Amazon signup/upload.

Plan/credit structure (pricing mechanics mentioned)

Pro plan: includes 3 book credits (enables guided creation flow for up to three books).
Essentials plan: includes everything except writing features (cover generation, A+ content, niche research, etc. may be excluded).
Alternate option: buy one book credit separately, but the tutorial claims it can be more expensive than subscribing.

Main speakers / sources

Main speaker/source: Sean Doit (channel owner, referencing “I” and “my team,” while demonstrating the co-author workflow)
Primary software referenced: co-author.ai
- Includes internal modules like:
  - Niche Hunter
  - Analyze competitive advantage
  - Fact-checking agent
  - Plagiarism scanning
  - Cover/A+/trailer generation

How to Write a Book with AI in 2026 (Full Step-By-Step Tutorial)

Key takeaways