Track AI Drafts That Survive a Major Manuscript Rewrite

Track the origin of retained content through revisions. A major edit does not automatically turn AI-generated material into AI-assisted material under the KDP definition. Distinguish retained generated passages from independently written replacements and verify the final publication against that record.

Start with the content that entered the project

Save the generated draft separately from the working manuscript. Record what the tool produced, when it was used, and which part of the book it was intended to support. The record should identify the actual output rather than merely saying that AI was used somewhere during planning.

For example, an author may ask a tool to draft a chapter about organizing a craft workshop, then replace the introduction, rearrange the middle, and expand the examples. The resulting chapter has a revision history that cannot be described accurately by looking only at its latest filename.

Distinguish editing from independent replacement

KDP defines content created by an AI tool as AI-generated even when substantial edits follow. Its AI-assisted category covers situations in which the author created the content and used a tool to improve it, as well as brainstorming followed by the author's own creation.

Apply that distinction to what happened. Rephrasing a generated paragraph and moving it to another section remain part of the generated material's history. A separately written explanation based on the author's own work needs its own record. Do not choose a classification solely because the final prose sounds personal or differs substantially from the first draft.

Preserve identity while sections move

Give the original units stable identifiers in an editorial record. When a generated example moves from chapter two to an appendix, record the new location beside its identifier. A location-only note becomes misleading as soon as chapter numbers change.

Keep the system simple enough to maintain. The record might contain an identifier, origin, current destination, revision note, and retained status. It does not need to reproduce every keystroke. It does need to show which generated units, or edited descendants of those units, remain in the final publication.

Record deletions and replacements explicitly

Mark material as removed when it is no longer used, and identify the replacement when one exists. An old generated section sitting in an archive is different from a generated section still present in the book. A clean record makes that distinction visible without requiring a reviewer to compare every historical file.

Check for fragments carried into nearby sections during revision. A deleted chapter may have supplied a definition, example, or summary that survives elsewhere. Searching for exact phrases can assist this review, but extensive editing means a search result alone cannot establish the full history of retained content.

Review text, images, and translations separately

A manuscript rewrite does not determine the origin of the cover, diagrams, or translated passages. Keep those records alongside the text history and check their final versions. An author-written chapter may still contain a generated illustration that requires its own consideration.

For a diagram reconstructed after generation, document what was generated and how the final asset was made. Avoid treating a changed file format or a new export as evidence of independent creation. The useful record describes the actual creative process and retained material, not just the last software operation.

Reconcile the record with the publication files

Before preparing the disclosure, inspect the exact manuscript and artwork selected for upload. Confirm that removed drafts have not returned through an older export and that newly added material has an origin entry. Resolve unknown entries while the relevant files and contributors are still available.

Retain the record with the edition files for later updates. It supports accurate disclosure and editorial review, but it does not replace the publisher's responsibility to check content and rights. If the record cannot explain a retained passage's origin, investigate that passage rather than assigning the most convenient label.