A $2.4 Million Book Deal Died Over Suspected AI. Publishing Is Missing the Point, Once Again.

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I’ve written three books. One was represented by an agent. One went direct to the publisher. And one was self-published. In all three cases, the publishing house did very little other than print the book and place it on the shelf. 

Authors are expected to do everything else. Like make sure people know about and actually buy the book. 

Publishing is an industry that’s been around a long time. And they’ve already experienced disruption with the likes of digital publishing, audio books, and Amazon. 

But there’s another dynamic happening now with the rise of AI that signals another big shift, one that’s going to challenge the industry and force it to reconcile its biggest potential disruption yet. 

And every other industry will be watching, learning, and applying lessons from what happens. Here’s my preview of the dynamics, and the implications for every company and leader. 

When AI Becomes the Author 

I recently stumbled upon and fell in love with a new artist and song on iTunes. But then shortly thereafter I learned that it was produced entirely with AI. Suddenly, I became dismayed. I actually didn’t like the song as much. 

But why? 

I study why people resist change. And I was in the middle of the dynamic. The song become a representation of whether human talent still mattered in music. And bigger picture, whether I was going to matter in the long run in world where AI can truly create and build as good as the best humans. 

The publishing business is caught in a similar struggle. The stakes include careers, contracts, and millions of dollars. 

In late July, agents walked away from a debut novel that had landed a deal worth about $2.4 million after questions surfaced about the author’s AI use. Apparently, people familiar with the manuscript reportedly considered it excellent. Quality wasn’t the issue. Doubts about the creative process killed the deal. 

The publisher Hachette did something similar last Spring, canceling the horror novel Shy Girl when signs of AI writing emerged. The Wall Street Journal reports that related disputes are spreading across the book market. 

The Real Fear Behind the Rules 

Publishers can call these policies quality safeguards. But what if the quality is as good or better than a human author? 

The publishing industry’s identity rests on the idea of a human author writing the book. Once software contributes to a compelling product, the author’s special status becomes harder to define. And the industry’s value – agents, copy editors, cover designers, executives – comes into question. 

That discomfort is understandable. Markets, however, aren’t forgiving. Just think Uber and taxis, Nextflix and videos, or music and Napster followed by iTunes. 

People buy books that hold their attention at a price that feels fair. Some might initially balk at an AI-authored book, but if it’s an outstanding read, the value equation may indeed likely be higher than a competing book written by a human being. 

The Market Already Embraces Machines 

Cher released her hit Believe in 1998 with Auto-Tune, and it became that year’s best-selling single. Computer-generated dinosaurs helped Jurassic Park win an Oscar. Many designers use Photoshop to doctor up their photos. The market doesn’t care. 

Machines are already used to augment creative work. We tend to accept them when there’s a verifying human behind the tools that fine tune our creativity. So why should writing be any different – unless perhaps you’re a student that needs to learn how to write? 

Now, consider two novels that are equally hard to put down. One came entirely from a person. AI helped shape the other, which reaches the shelf at a lower price (in part because publishers often force authors to print in hard copy first because they command higher prices, and margins). 

Many buyers will select the stronger value. Give the AI-assisted novel the better story and characters, and the decision becomes simpler still. 

The industry can demand disclosure, investigate manuscripts, and withdraw contracts. Those controls may reassure publishers, for now. But they can’t dictate what readers decide deserves their money. Again, just think iTunes versus Universal or Sony Music. 

Policing the “How” Will Get Your “What” Disrupted 

For the next several years, many companies will focus on policing the production process. The startups nipping at those companies’ heals will focus on using AI to raise quality, cut expenses, and shorten delivery time. In essence, create a better business model that disrupts the old guard. 

I see this pattern in my advisory and consulting work with the Fortune 1000. Teams create layers of AI approval before agreeing on the objectives and the standard the finished work must meet. Leaders are becoming obsessed with the “how” versus zeroing in on the “what.” 

If you assume AI is a disruptor for your business and markets, consider these strategies: 

1. Define quality. Decide what an excellent outcome requires, then hold work created by people and work assisted by AI to that same bar. Don’t debate the how, focus on the what, or your competitors will eventually force that discussion upon you. 
2. Win on value. Most customers compare the benefit they receive with the amount they spend. Put AI to work when it improves that equation without damaging trust or your brand. 
3. Assign accountability. A person being should make the final call, exercise judgment, and accept responsibility for every finished result. Use human judgment to discern what’s good, without the bias of how it was made, as long as it hits #2 above. 

Before you diminish the final product because of how it was made, consider the value of the final product first. The real question is what your customers care most about, and it may ultimately be the “what” versus the “how.”