Posted by 
Way back in December 2022, Ammaar Reshi, a product designer, used AI tools ChatGPT and Midjourney to produce what may have been the first published AI generated book for children, titled “Alice and Sparkle.”
He completed the project in a single weekend and published it on Amazon’s platform. The book narrates the story of a young girl, Alice, who creates an AI companion named Sparkle. While the project showcased the potential of AI in content creation, it also sparked debates regarding the ethics and quality of AI-generated art and literature.
For the fun of it, here are 5 snippets from reviews of the book:
Aitch Alexandar – “Very successful proof of concept!”
Amazon Customer – “Imagine writing a book. Imagine drawings. Congrats! You put in more effort than the “creator” of this book.”
BW – “This is a piece of history. The story isn’t anything that profound but how this book was created is an amazing achievement.”
Beansbro – “…sometimes (Alices’) legs are broken and not even connected to her hip, and sometimes her hands are fused together into claw shapes. And the backgrounds are just as bad, where objects and characters fuse into each other. I honestly think children would be a bit disturbed by the illustrations. The robot also changes and never looks even remotely similar to its last incarnation.”
Samuel – “Wonderful children’s book written by a collaboration between the author, and an AI Technology.”
That was well over two years ago, and my, how times have changed.
AI has improved significantly (understatement of the century?) and now it’s possible to create short fiction and illustrations that even the most diehard AI skeptics would admit are pretty darn good.
Is This for You?
If you yearn to earn by publishing short story fiction, using AI to help you create stories can be your ticket to publishing multiple books in a relatively short amount of time.
With tools like ChatGPT, Claude, and Sudowrite, you can generate, edit, and refine short stories in minutes. Pair that with Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP), and you’ve got yourself an automated publishing business.
But here’s the real question: How do you make money from it?
- In this guide, I’ll show you step-by-step how to:
- Use AI to write high-quality short stories fast
- Pick genres that actually sell
- Publish & optimize for maximum sales
- Drive traffic & reviews to your book
- Scale this into a legit passive income stream
Let’s get started.
Step 1: Choose a Profitable Genre
Not all books sell the same. If you want to make money, focus on genres that already have an audience.
Best Genres for Short AI-Generated Stories
- Romance – Always a bestseller (bonus: short romance books do really well).
- Thrillers & Suspense – Fast-paced, binge-worthy reads.
- Sci-Fi & Fantasy – Endless creative possibilities (AI is great at these).
- Horror – Short horror stories are in high demand, especially in anthologies.
- Children’s Books – Simple stories with illustrations (AI + Canva = easy).
How to Research Hot Topics
- Amazon Best Sellers – Check what’s trending in Kindle short reads.
- TikTok (#BookTok) – See what books are blowing up.
- Reddit & Writing Forums – Find niche trends before they go mainstream.
Once you pick your genre, it’s time to write.
Step 2: Use AI to Write Your Short Stories
Best AI Tools for Story Writing
- ChatGPT (for brainstorming & drafting)
- Sudowrite (for refining and enhancing prose)
- Claude AI (for better long-form coherence)
How to Generate a Story With AI (Step-by-Step)
- Get a High-Quality Story Idea
Prompt AI with something like:
“Give me 5 original short story ideas for a [GENRE] book that could be a best-seller on Amazon.”
Pick the best one.
- Flesh Out the Outline
Use this AI prompt:
“Expand this idea into a 5-chapter outline with a beginning, middle, and twist ending.”
- Write the First Draft
Now, feed AI this prompt:
“Write a 3,000-word short story based on this outline. Use engaging, descriptive language and strong character development.”
Boom. You have a full draft.
- Edit & Make It Unique
- Run it through Grammarly to clean up mistakes.
- Use Sudowrite or Claude to refine sentences.
- Add personal touches—make sure it doesn’t sound robotic.
Step 3: Format & Publish on Amazon KDP
Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP) lets you publish books for free and sell them on Amazon.
How to Format Your Story
- Use Google Docs or Scrivener to format properly.
- Save it as a PDF or EPUB for Kindle.
- Use Canva to design a killer book cover (or hire a designer).
How to Upload to KDP
- Go to kdp.amazon.com and sign up.
- Click “Create a New Kindle eBook.”
- Enter your title, description, and keywords (SEO matters).
- Upload your formatted story and book cover.
- Set your price ($2.99–$4.99 is ideal for short reads).
- Hit publish and let Amazon do its magic.
Step 4: Drive Traffic to Your Book (Marketing 101)
- Optimize for Amazon SEO
- Use keywords in your book title & description (example: “A Chilling Short Horror Story”).
- Pick relevant categories (e.g., Horror > Short Stories).
- Write a compelling book description—hook the reader in.
- Leverage Social Media & Content Marketing
- Post excerpts on TikTok, Twitter, & Instagram (#BookTok is HUGE).
- Start a Medium or Substack blog and link to your book.
- Run Facebook & Pinterest ads (cheap clicks).
- Get Reviews Fast
- Offer free review copies to book bloggers & ARC readers.
- Run a Kindle Free Promo for 24 hours to boost downloads & reviews.
- Ask buyers to leave honest reviews (Amazon favors books with more reviews).
Step 5: Scale & Automate for Passive Income
Once you have one book selling, repeat the process and scale up.
- Batch-create books—Use AI to generate multiple stories.
- Launch a series—Readers love book series (more sales per customer).
- Consider audiobooks—Use AI voice narration for extra revenue.
The more books you publish, the more passive income you generate.
Final Thoughts: AI Can Make You a Published Author (If You Do It Right)
Selling short stories on Amazon isn’t a get-rich-quick scheme. But if you combine AI with smart marketing, you can publish books fast and make real money.
- Pick a genre that sells.
- Use AI to write fast, but edit like a human.
- Leverage Amazon SEO & social media to drive traffic.
- Get reviews ASAP to boost rankings.
- Keep publishing—more books = more income.
Now, go write your first AI-powered book and start selling.