Red Pen Romance

———— AI POLICY ————

I work only with human-created stories.

Every manuscript I edit was imagined, planned, and written by its author—and every edit is done by me.

———— MY PROMISE TO YOU

  • I edit your manuscript myself, start to finish.
  • I do not use generative AI to edit, analyze, or write any part of your manuscript.
  • I never enter your manuscript into a generative AI tool. That includes AI-detection software.
  • I use ordinary spell check and grammar assistance, as well as Google for occasional research.

———— WHAT I ASK OF MY CLIENTS ————

Fine to use

  • Spell check and grammar checkers that correct errors without rewriting your sentences
  • AI to research colloquialisms, idioms, or common phrasings to confirm appropriate usage
  • AI as a research aid for general facts pertinent to your manuscript, as long as none of its wording goes into your book

Not accepted

X

AI used to brainstorm ideas, characters, names, or titles that did not originate with you

X

AI used to plot, outline, or develop the story

X

AI used to draft, expand, rewrite, rephrase, or substantively polish prose

X

AI or machine translation from one language to another

X

Revising from extensive AI-generated feedback or critique

If any part of your book falls under “Not accepted,” sorry—I’m simply not the right editor for it.

———— WHERE THE LINE FALLS ON GRAMMAR TOOLS ————

Fine

A tool that fixes a typo, a comma, or a verb tense is fine, as is one which suggests a better single word or moves around a word or short phrase. So long as the sentence is still yours and you approved the change yourself, we’re good.

Substantive prose revision

Tools that rewrite, rephrase, or restructure a full sentence, paragraph, or more, are what I call “substantive prose revision” tools. I simply cannot accept a manuscript that has used them. If you’re not sure which side something falls on, ask me.

———— COVERS AND MARKETING ————

Books I edit can’t be published or promoted with AI-generated covers, illustrations, or marketing materials. That includes ad images, social graphics, promotional video or audio, and AI-written blurbs or ad copy.

If you work with a cover designer or marketing provider, please confirm with them that no generative AI was used. If AI-generated materials are used on a book I edited, I will ask you to replace them or remove my name and Red Pen Romance from the book and its marketing.

———— WHY I HOLD THIS LINE ————

Editing is a conversation with an author’s voice and their unique imagination. I want to spend the remainder of my working life deep in that conversation, and I want readers who see “Red Pen Romance” in a book to know what it stands for.

I also stand firmly with the illustrators, designers, translators, editors, and writers whose work was used without their consent to build these tools.

———— NOT SURE WHETHER SOMETHING COUNTS? ————

Ask me before booking.

Asking never costs anything, and I would always rather have the conversation up front. Please know, if AI use comes to light after booking, I may pause work, ask for earlier drafts, and/or end the project under my Terms & Conditions and our signed editorial services agreement.

Start your inquiry

———— HOW THIS POLICY WAS BUILT ————

This policy reflects my own position on human authorship. Its definition of AI-generated content is informed by the Kindle Direct Publishing Content Guidelines. The policy’s approach to authorship and an editor’s own use of AI is informed by the Authors Guild’s AI Best Practices for Authors. My policy is stricter than both, including on brainstorming, plot development, and translation, and those stricter rules are my own. Red Pen Romance is not affiliated with or endorsed by Amazon or the Authors Guild.

The full terms are in my Terms & Conditions, which are included in my quotes, invoices, and services agreement.

“But editors are still the world’s readers. And thus the eyes of the world.”

— Betsy Lerner