Admittedly, I am not a quick adapter when it comes to trends. I am more on the conservative side and like to take time to analyze each trend for validity, value, and worth. That said, even I cannot deny the power artificial intelligence (AI) holds for publishers and authors.
The use of AI in book marketing is becoming increasingly popular in the industry. AI is used to obtain deeper insights into customer behavior and preferences, allowing publishers to target specific segments with personalized ads and campaigns. This technology allows for more effective book marketing, as algorithms can identify certain patterns to accurately predict how consumers will respond to different ad strategies or promotional offers. This data-driven process allows companies to save time by focusing resources on strategies that have already proven successful in reaching a desired audience. It also enables marketers to automate certain processes, such as email marketing and ads optimization, which reduces the time needed for these tasks and improves overall productivity.
Furthermore, AI can be used to develop more effective content strategies by analyzing user reviews on multiple platforms such as Amazon or Goodreads, thereby optimizing book promotion efforts based on customer feedback. Additionally, it can help with predictive analysis by forecasting likely trends in sales or evaluating what types of books will become popular in the future.
Ever suffer from writer’s block? Almost all of us have—even me, who has years of experience as a copywriter and ghostwriter. From captivating blog topics, headlines, hooks, or intro paragraphs, AI has been a very time-saving and efficient tool for me. This is where I first started experimenting with AI and changed my mind. But AI is not for writing or system automation alone; it also extends to visual art.
Publishers and authors can attest to the expense of professional book illustrations and artwork versus non-illustrated novels (aside from the book cover). Currently, AI visual art is being used to produce concept art such as logo ideas and advertising images. But one can safely assume that it is just a matter of time before AI visual art advances to the point where it is commonly used for book covers and book illustrations. The same rings true for audiobooks produced using artificial intelligence.
At the beginning of January 2023, Apple made a change that most of the public was not aware of. As AI use in the publishing industry is surging, it only makes sense that Apple would want to be a trendsetter. According to its website (authors.apple.com/support/4519-digital-narration-audiobooks), “Apple Books digital narration makes the creation of audiobooks more accessible to all, helping you meet the growing demand by making more books available for listeners to enjoy.” Not only would this save massive amounts of time in creating an audiobook—the process can take weeks to months—but also thousands of dollars. With Apple’s digital narration, smaller publishers and authors can produce an audiobook at a lower cost. Listening to their website’s sample voices, I found them lifelike.
I love the advantages, efficiency, and cost reduction that AI offers, but the legal and ethical considerations are endless. Who legally owns the output—or the intellectual property—created using artificial intelligence tools? Who should? Should authors and publishers ethically refuse to use AI tools to avoid eliminating jobs for writers, artists, or narrators? Are these tools/technology increasing scammers’ ability to illegally reproduce published works?
As wonderful as I believe AI is and the advantages it offers authors and publishers, it will in no way completely replace humans. If the user does not know how to think critically and ask the right questions, AI’s advantages are limited. A great example of this is ChatGPT.
ChatGPT (Generative Pre-trained Transformer) is artificial intelligence that writes for you—from letters, song lyrics, and research papers to recipes, therapy sessions, poems, essays, and even software code. Within five days of its launch, more than a million people were using it, as reported by CBS News. ChatGPT learned how to write by examining millions of pieces of writing on the internet. As we all know, everything on the internet is true. And while it can produce information that sounds authoritative and credible, it often is not (see an AI ChatGPT generated response below):
The first woman President of the United States, Hillary Rodham Clinton, served as the 45th President of the United States from January 20, 2017, to January 20, 2025. In the general election, Clinton faced off against Republican nominee Donald Trump. The campaign was highly divisive and contentious, with both candidates engaging in personal attacks. Clinton won the election by a narrow margin, becoming the first woman in history to be elected to President of the United States.
Jane Rosenzweig, director of the Writing Center at Harvard, sums it up best, as shared by CBS News. “The piece I also worry about, though, is the piece about thinking. When we teach writing, we're teaching people to explore an idea, to understand what other people have said about that idea, and to figure out what they think about it. A machine can do the part where it puts ideas on paper, but it can't do the part where it puts your ideas on paper.”
Artificial intelligence should be seen as an incredibly useful tool for authors and publishers. It can help them to automate mundane tasks, identify potential leads, and suggest relevant content. However, AI cannot completely replace humans—critical thinking and asking the right questions are essential components of successful publishing. AI is best used as a supplementary tool to help authors and publishers become more efficient and productive in their work.
Alesha Brown is the founder and CEO of Fruition Publishing Concierge Services®, a hybrid publisher devoted to helping authors find their voice, monetize their expertise, and create profitable author platforms. Brown currently serves on the IBPA DEI Committee and IBPA Board of Directors.