Verified purchaser
Good drafting tool, but not yet a complete premium book platform
First Book ai is useful for getting from an idea to a structured manuscript quickly. The guided workflow helps with outlining, drafting, and getting past the blank page. For first-time authors, consultants, coaches, and business owners, that part has real value.
But for me, the product still feels more like a manuscript generator than a complete book-building platform.
The main gap is what happens after the manuscript is created. A book needs more than chapters of text. It needs proper structure, polish, and production features that make it feel credible and ready to publish.
I would like to see a proper table of contents, preface, copyright page, author bio, stronger front matter, and better back matter. These details matter because they make the book feel complete, not just generated.
The page structure and formatting also need to feel more premium. The final output should not look like plain text exported into a PDF. A professional book needs better typography, spacing, headers, footers, page numbers, chapter opening pages, section breaks, pull quotes, callout boxes, and a layout that feels intentionally designed.
I would also like built-in, editable front and back covers. If the tool is helping users create a book, it should support the full book package, not only the manuscript. Editable cover design, back-cover copy, author bio placement, and copyright details would make the workflow much stronger.
Another important improvement would be chapter-level editing after generation. Right now, too much depends on getting the first setup process right. Book writing is rarely linear. Once I see the draft, I want to go into each chapter, edit the content, refine the ideas, add personal stories, adjust the tone, and regenerate or improve sections without feeling stuck in the original process.
I would also like support for uploading my own documents to create an Author DNA or Brand Voice profile. For example, previous writing samples, LinkedIn posts, website copy, brand guidelines, podcast transcripts, case studies, personal background notes, frameworks, and existing bios. That would help the AI understand my writing style, tone, professional background, point of view, and the language I actually use.
For a business book, this is important. The book should not just sound well-written. It should sound like the author. It should reflect their stories, expertise, positioning, values, examples, and way of explaining ideas.
Direct publishing options would also make the product much stronger. Once the book is generated, edited, formatted, and designed, users should be able to prepare it for popular publishing platforms such as Amazon KDP, Apple Books, Google Play Books, Kobo, Draft2Digital, IngramSpark, Gumroad, Payhip, or Shopify. Even if it does not publish directly, it should at least guide users through metadata, categories, keywords, author bio, description, ISBN, pricing, and export requirements.
What I like:
The guided book creation process
Fast manuscript generation
Helpful outline workflow
Useful for turning ideas into a structured draft
Good starting point for authors who struggle to begin
What needs improvement:
Add a table of contents
Add preface and front matter
Add copyright page support
Add author bio section
Improve page structure and premium formatting
Add better typography, spacing, headers, footers, and chapter openers
Add built-in editable front and back covers
Allow users to edit each generated chapter inside the app
Allow chapter-by-chapter regeneration and refinement
Support uploads for Author DNA and Brand Voice
Allow users to upload bios, writing samples, brand guidelines, transcripts, and previous content
Create a persistent author profile that shapes tone, examples, style, and positioning
Add direct publishing options or guided publishing exports for popular marketplaces
Support marketplace metadata such as title, subtitle, description, categories, keywords, ISBN, pricing, and author bio
Overall, First Book ai has potential. It is good for generating a first manuscript draft, but it does not yet feel like a complete premium book production platform.
The biggest improvements would be better post-generation editing, stronger page formatting, editable covers, full front matter and back matter, Author DNA or Brand Voice uploads, and direct publishing support.
That would make the product feel less like a one-way AI manuscript generator and more like a real book-building, branding, formatting, and publishing workspace.
Casper_FirstBook.ai
May 4, 2026Thank you for all this great feedback. We're glad you like the product, in particular the manuscript generation stage. What comes after - formatting, front and back matter, cover design, chapter-level editing, brand voice, and publishing guidance - is exactly where we're focused next. You've essentially mapped out a big chunk of our roadmap.
A few things worth noting right now: chapter-level editing and regeneration are already possible inside the app, and the Author DNA side is something the intake form starts to address, though nowhere near the depth you're describing with uploads and persistent profiles.
We'd love to have you in our Skool community where we share updates as features roll out. Your input is exactly the kind that shapes what we prioritise. Thanks again for taking the time. 🙏