Artificial Intelligence, Blockchain, and Virtual Worlds
The Impact of Converging Technologies On Authors and the Publishing Industry
Artificial Intelligence is already embedded in much of our daily lives and it's increasingly moving into realms that impact authors and the publishing industry. We need to embrace the opportunities and engage in conversations around possible threats in order to reinvent our industry for a very different future.
The pandemic of 2020 has accelerated converging technologies and changed human behavior across the globe to favor digital business models.
In this book, I discuss current technological and societal trends and consider the opportunities for authors and the publishing industry over the next decade.
Writing in the age of AI, including Natural Language Generation models like GPT-3
Copyright law, Blockchain for smart contracts, and micro-payments
AI-assisted translation
Voice technologies, streaming and subscription
Virtual worlds and augmented reality
Global, digital, mobile. A wave of new writers.
It’s time to change our business model. 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.
We are creators. We turn ideas in our heads into books in the physical realm.
We can use these technologies to surf the wave of change and invent the decade ahead — together.
“If you want to be at the forefront of the AI frontier as an author, this is one of the best places to start. The full potential of AI for authors has yet to be defined, but Joanna has gone a long way in explaining and predicting the ways it is likely to impact opportunities for writers. She doesn’t promise to be right about all of her predictions, but her excitement about the possibilities is contagious. One thing’s for certain, this book will help early adopters and adapters to be a part of and shape that future.” Cheryl Rodgers
“Brilliant book. The author clearly explains how automation and AI are disrupting the book publishing industry and what the future could potentially look like. Must read for all indie authors if you don't want to get left behind. Some chapters also spark novel ideas to monetize books in futuristic formats.” Ann Rajaram
“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. I especially liked the discussion about GPT-3 and how it's going to change the way people write. On top of being well written, it's packed full of great references to other books that give it the depth and breadth of a well-researched and thought-out reference that's also accessible. This is a must-read for any creative that wants to understand how their creative process will be impacted by technology. In fact, I'd say it should be required reading for all creatives.” Jarie Bolander
“You want to publish your book and be done? Fine. 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. And better than just asking the questions, she suggests answers, offers solutions, and backs it all up with a truly impressive depth of knowledge (with an awesome resource list at the back–she just blew up by To be Read pile). If you want to still have a writing career in a decade, start reading this now; it will force you to think in new ways.” Matt Buchman