Converging technologies and the future of publishing.
How emerging technologies could change writing, publishing and the business of being an author, and the opportunities they create. Written and narrated by Joanna Penn.
Written in 2020 before the advent of generative AI, Joanna Penn accurately predicts many of the changes now happening in the publishing industry and beyond. For up to date help with AI for authors, join Joanna’s community at Patreon.com/thecreativepenn where she shares tutorials, articles and answers questions on AI, creativity, and author business.
How will converging technologies change the way we write, publish and read?
New technologies are already embedded in much of our daily lives, and they are increasingly moving into realms that affect authors and the publishing industry.
We need to embrace the opportunities and engage in conversations around possible threats, so that we can reinvent our industry for a very different future.
In this book, I discuss technological and societal trends and consider the opportunities for authors and the publishing industry in the years ahead.
If we embrace this wave of converging technology, we can create abundance in our industry, enabling new forms of creativity, growing the market with new products and experiences, and expanding revenue for the entire supply chain.
Who this book is for
This book is for authors, publishers and anyone in the book business who wants to think ahead about how technology could change the way books are written, sold, licensed and experienced.
It’s for curious creators who would rather understand change and help shape it than be left behind by it. You don’t need a technical background.
What you’ll learn
The book looks at six areas of change and what they could mean for authors. Here are the questions it answers.
- How could language generation tools change the way books are written?
- What does copyright law look like as technology changes?
- How could blockchain, smart contracts and micro-payments help authors get paid?
- How could machine-assisted translation help authors reach readers in other languages?
- What do voice technologies, streaming and subscription mean for books?
- What opportunities do virtual worlds and augmented reality offer storytellers?
- How will a global, digital, mobile audience bring a wave of new writers?
- How can authors change their business model to thrive?
Listen to a sample of the audiobook
Listen to a sample of the audiobook, narrated by me.
Where to buy
Available in ebook, paperback and audiobook, narrated by me. Buying direct from my store gives you the best price on bundles and supports me directly. Thank you.
What readers say
★★★★★
I'm a pretty nerdy technical person that also happens to write books. I found Joanna's book well written and full of great insights into how technology is going to impact creatives.
Jarie Bolander
★★★★★
You want to have a career? Then you need to be asking the questions that J. Penn asks in this book. It doesn't go wide, instead it goes deep and looks hard at technologic forces that will be re-shaping the future of publishing over the next decade.
Matt Buchman
About Joanna Penn
I’m an award-winning, New York Times and USA Today bestselling author. I write non-fiction for authors as Joanna Penn, and thrillers, dark fantasy, horror and travel memoir as J.F. Penn.
I’ve hosted The Creative Penn Podcast since 2009, with interviews on writing, publishing, book marketing and making a living with your writing.
I have a Master’s degree in Death, Religion and Culture from the University of Winchester (2026) and a Master’s in Theology from the University of Oxford. I live in Bath, England.
Podcast episodes about technology and publishing
I talk about technology and the future of publishing regularly on The Creative Penn Podcast. These episodes cover topics from the book.
- What machines can’t replace: why AI makes us more human, with Anna McPhee
- Book marketing, AI book discoverability and resilience, with Ricardo Fayet
- Accessibility and AI: how new tools are opening doors for indie authors, with Jeff Adams
- AI, creativity and the future of publishing, with Nadim Sadek
- Trends and predictions for indie authors and the publishing industry (Joanna Penn)
- Writing the future, and being more human in an age of AI, with Jamie Metzl
- Book discoverability in an age of AI: GEO for authors, with Thomas Umstattd Jr.
Questions about technology and publishing
Do I need a technical background to read this book?
No. I explain each technology in plain language and focus on what it could mean for authors and the publishing industry. There is a resource list at the back if you want to go deeper.
Is the book still relevant?
Technology moves fast, so some of the specific tools in the book have moved on since I wrote it. The bigger questions about copyright, licensing, global markets and new formats remain, and I keep exploring them on the podcast.
Is the book optimistic or pessimistic about technology?
Optimistic, but not naive. I believe that if we embrace converging technology, we can create abundance in our industry, and we also need to engage in conversations about the possible threats. The book considers both.
Next steps
Get the free Author Blueprint
Join my email list and I will send you my Author Blueprint, with the steps on the author journey from idea to published book and beyond, plus my newsletter with tips on writing, publishing and marketing.
Listen to The Creative Penn Podcast
New episodes every Wednesday, wherever you listen to podcasts: interviews and solo shows on writing, publishing, book marketing and making a living with your writing. Browse the podcast.
Watch on YouTube
Tutorials, interviews and full audiobooks of my non-fiction on The Creative Penn channel.
