Generative AI has upended how we write things, or even if we write at all. Now a startup wants to be the main character in the next chapter of that st

Itching to write a book? AI publisher Spines wants to make a deal

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2024-11-19 23:30:02

Generative AI has upended how we write things, or even if we write at all. Now a startup wants to be the main character in the next chapter of that story: AI that replaces the role of the publisher.

Spines is a self-publishing platform that claims that — thanks to being powered by artificial intelligence — it can do all the work of a publisher, and do it faster and cheaper. That task list includes editing a piece of writing, providing suggestions to improve it, and giving users a frank projection on who might read the published work; providing options for cover design and layout; and distributing the finished product in e-book or print-on-demand formats.

Spines’ pitch is that work that might have otherwise taken six to 18 months at a traditional publisher can now be completed in two to three weeks.

Since launching in 2021, the Miami-headquartered, Israel-hatched startup says it has published no less than 1,700 books and is currently growing revenues at a rate of 1,000%. Popular titles, it says, include an autobiography by the ex-con and cult figure Fleece Johnson; a children’s book written by someone who was gunned down as a teen and is now rebuilding his life in a wheelchair; and a motivational guide aimed at women.