I find it interesting that he says a) it's hard to predict breakouts, b) every new book starts with a projection based on comps (i.e. what books have worked in the past few years).
I appreciate the balance required in a role like his... but you can see why publishers publish certain type of books based on their core process.
As someone thinking seriously about publishing, this is an absolute must-watch. The honest breakdown of advances, backlist economics, and how Macmillan is already using AI to cut 1 million print copies was eye-opening.
The reminder that big hits are still “human outliers” no algorithm can predict is gold.
This was a great interview—very open & collaborative. It gave me a better understanding of how important physical books are to the human experience. The future of books will be safe!
I watched this video today — excellent interview, well done. It was refreshing (58:47–59:18):
‘For fiction, maybe it’s a thought partner. Maybe you say, “Here’s my manuscript. Give me your two cents on this character development.”’ ~Jon Yaged
Too often, the conversation around AI gets stuck on the idea of AI as a novelist. I agree — that’s cheating and of no value, since such works can’t truly be owned. What resonated was Mr. Yaged’s framing of AI as a tool, a thought partner. It’s apparent there are applications still to be discovered, and this part of the interview was very open-minded.
I find it interesting that he says a) it's hard to predict breakouts, b) every new book starts with a projection based on comps (i.e. what books have worked in the past few years).
I appreciate the balance required in a role like his... but you can see why publishers publish certain type of books based on their core process.
This is brilliant! A great insight into the world of publishing! Thank you for sharing this.
Loved the interview. I'm an epic fantasy author hoping to break in. Got my 1st of a planned series done. Been rejected probably 50 times though!
Thank you for this incredible episode!
As someone thinking seriously about publishing, this is an absolute must-watch. The honest breakdown of advances, backlist economics, and how Macmillan is already using AI to cut 1 million print copies was eye-opening.
The reminder that big hits are still “human outliers” no algorithm can predict is gold.
This was a great interview—very open & collaborative. It gave me a better understanding of how important physical books are to the human experience. The future of books will be safe!
Great interview! Do you mind explaining how could AI improve the non-fiction formula since AI does exactly that: formula?
I watched this video today — excellent interview, well done. It was refreshing (58:47–59:18):
‘For fiction, maybe it’s a thought partner. Maybe you say, “Here’s my manuscript. Give me your two cents on this character development.”’ ~Jon Yaged
Too often, the conversation around AI gets stuck on the idea of AI as a novelist. I agree — that’s cheating and of no value, since such works can’t truly be owned. What resonated was Mr. Yaged’s framing of AI as a tool, a thought partner. It’s apparent there are applications still to be discovered, and this part of the interview was very open-minded.