Let’s face it: In the world of commercial writing, large language models such as ChatGPT, Grammarly, Jasper AI, and others are here to stay. In the low-end, mass-market, non-fiction book marketplace, their use has become nearly ubiquitous. I sometimes find ghostwriting work on the platform Upwork, and I’m astonished to see the high number of project postings that, for example, ask for a 30,000 word book to be written for $300. To meet that price, I’d have to write it in less than one day. I also see many postings that say something like, “I have a book written by ChatGPT that’s very boring and needs to be humanized.” This particular task is very difficult. It’s like saying, “I have a Chevy that I want upgraded to a Cadillac.” It’s not so simple—you have to analyze and edit every word, sentence, and paragraph. You might as well start from scratch.

But reality is reality: Many of my valued clients embrace the ease and low cost of AI-generated text. They cannot afford custom, professional writing of the highest quality. It’s just not in their budget. They want the Chevy, not the Cadillac. The problem is that when you use ChatGPT “straight from the box,” you get what you pay for: boring, unoriginal text that you could use as SEO fodder on your website or as a free ebook to download. But no one would pay money for it.

My Hybrid Method

Is there a middle road? Yes! Some of my valued clients don’t require literary-grade writing that will attract the attention of a major publishing house or hit the New York Times bestseller list.  For certain non-fiction books, my exclusive hybrid package leverages the power of ChatGPT with my years of professional experience to give these clients an affordable option, just like a car company offers vehicles at various price points. (In fact, the concept of the “price ladder” was invented by GM president Alfred Sloan in 1921.) My client can commission a book that is factual, with perfect grammar, and which delivers their message to their readers. I use ChatGPT like I would use an intern: To provide basic research on a topic that was unknown to me.

Recently I wrote a 15,000-word travel guide to Cebu Island, in the Philippines. I’d never been to the Philippines and knew nothing about Cebu. My client was on a tight budget. I worked by asking ChatGPT precise questions, such as “How do you get to Cebu Island?” Then I fact-checked what Chat GPT wrote, deleted the repetitive filler and bullet points, added a few details I found on my own, and ended up with a few paragraphs of good text. In the process, I saved time, which lowered the cost. I did this over and over again until I had hit every topic on her outline. It was a good book for the price!

This hybrid approach only works for budget books that aren’t destined for a Big Five publisher. It’s absolutely not suitable for any kind of creative writing, such as a novel, as well as many self-help books. It cannot be used when the author is proposing a new or novel idea. ChatGPT aggregates what it finds on the internet, which means it can only be used for familiar subjects. But for a small niche of clients, it’s a useful tool that can help me deliver a quality manuscript to a valued client on a budget.  

This is the bottom line: Every manuscript that leaves my laptop and wings its way to my valued client meets my high standards of quality. No exceptions! My clients deserve the very best, and that’s what I deliver.

Thomas Hauck – named to the 25 Best Ghostwriter Blogs and Websites in 2025 on Feedspot: https://bloggers.feedspot.com/ghostwriter_blogs/