Thad McIlroy

"Thad McIlroy brings his expertise to bear on one of the most important and potentially disruptive forces in contemporary publishing: the impact of generative AI. Rich in insight… The AI Revolution in Book Publishing is foundational for anyone who wants to understand how artificial intelligence is affecting both writing and publishing." — Maja Thomas, Chief Innovation Officer, Hachette Livre

"A great overview of how AI might, or might not, fit into trade publishing. Thad's analysis of the current state of the business adds important context to how the new technology can be best utilized." — Jim Milliot, Former PW Editorial Director and current Editor-at-Large

"I'm amazed at the breadth of what's covered in The Al Revolution in Book Publishing ... When I read Thad McIlroy I feel like we're having a conversation!" — Joe Wikert, President, Revenue Path Group

"Thad has accomplished the nearly unimaginable: clearly, authoritatively, and comprehensively explaining the multiple dimensions and intersecting issues of AI in publishing." — Bill Kasdorf, Kasdorf & Associates

"For publishing professionals, this book is more than just a theoretical exploration of AI. It's an invaluable resource that demystifies the complex world of AI." — Ken Brooks, Treadwell Media Group

The AI Revolution in Book Publishing is the first book to look deep inside artificial intelligence specifically as it impacts authors and book publishers. It's concise and direct — only what you need to know.

My goal for readers is that, by the end of this book, they'll feel enabled to join the AI conversation, to express an informed opinion, that they'll feel equipped to make personal choices around the technology, and have a path to learn how to use AI, if they choose to do so.

I do not want to inundate readers with lots of blah-blah about the underpinnings of AI technology — I'm not going to talk much about AI in the abstract. I want instead to give you a solid grounding in AI for book authoring and publishing.

For book publishers large and small: the #1 guide to creating and distributing metadata for maximum sales.

The Metadata Handbook shows how metadata works, enhancing findability, discoverability, and, of course, book sales. It introduces industry standards (think ONIX!) and best practices, and outlines the essential components for successful metadata creation and distribution. This handbook, co-athored with Renee Register, is a must for every publisher, both for print books and for ebooks. Authors have also found it valuable.

The second edition, published in January 2015, is fully-updated (to ONIX 3.0) and expanded to include the most recent information on metadata standards, practices, and use in the publishing industry.

There’s been a void in our understanding of startup activity specific to the book publishing industry. Here is the first quantitative analysis of that activity, specifically in the U.S. It answers questions like:

• How many startups launched in the last decade?
• How many of these are still in business today?
• What is the primary business focus of the startups?
• How much money have they raised?
• How many companies have exited via a merger or acquisition (or in a couple of cases, an IPO)?