Navigating the rapid digital change as a Publisher

The rapid rise of artificial intelligence (AI) has disrupted countless industries, including publishing, offering innovative tools to maximize the value of backlist content. We are working with James Powell a former non-fiction book publisher turned consultant, and together we have seen first-hand the potential AI offers in reshaping how we manage, repurpose, and monetize existing intellectual property. But with every breakthrough comes a need for balance, caution, and strategy. We have explored the advantages and disadvantages of using AI across backlist content and how the thoughtful use of AI, especially in posing deep, research-driven questions, can unlock its true potential.

One of the greatest challenges for publishers with a deep backlist is ensuring content remains visible and relevant. AI-powered tools can enhance searchability by generating keywords, improving metadata, and updating content for modern SEO standards. This ensures that older publications can be reintroduced to new audiences or rediscovered by readers who might never have come across them otherwise. Take Burleigh Dodds Scientific Publishers for example who use the Librios GenAI platform. They now can offer new subscription services based on a safe & secure environment to merge their years of research materials with subscriber’s data & documents with the latest AI models to generate entirely new business intelligence.

‘The service is an outstanding example of the positive power of AI to organise data. Its ability to absorb over 2000 research reviews and provide informative summaries by pinpointing the key knowledge and learnings, as well and providing a signpost to the original research, is now an invaluable tool for researchers, product developers, policymakers and those with a remit to make agriculture and food production more sustainable.’ R Burleigh, Burleigh Dodds Science Publishing, Cambridge UK 2024

AI can comb through vast archives of backlist titles, identifying key themes, popular topics, or high-performing content. By analyzing audience engagement and identifying trends, AI can suggest which titles are relevant for repurposing into new formats such as audiobooks, e-books, or even multimedia experiences. This opens up fresh revenue streams for publishers with minimal upfront investment.

AI can also simplify the complex task of tracking rights and licensing agreements for backlist content. By automating data extraction from legal documents and cross-referencing information, publishers can ensure that they are making full use of available assets while potentially avoiding legal pitfalls.

AI tools can automate routine tasks such as tagging and metadata extraction, and even light editing, reducing time and labour costs. For publishers managing a substantial backlist, this allows for greater efficiency in pushing content back into the market without a significant drain on resources.

While AI excels at data analysis, it often struggles with the subtleties and nuances that define high-quality editorial judgment. Decisions about which backlist titles to promote or repurpose require not just data but an understanding of market trends, reader preferences, and creative vision—elements that AI cannot fully grasp. Yet!

The ease with which AI can bring backlist content to market raises the risk of oversaturation. Too much content, especially without a clear marketing strategy, can dilute the impact of high-quality titles. Publishers must be cautious not to flood their own channels, ensuring that each release is targeted and meaningful. The B2B business case seems the most relevant at the moment for publishers whose backlist can bridge into departmental subscriptions.

AI’s ability to generate or rephrase content raises ethical questions around originality and the integrity of authorship. There’s a fine line between repurposing content and producing derivative work that diminishes the value of the original. Maintaining transparency about AI’s role in content creation is crucial.

One of the most exciting opportunities in AI is not just what it can do on its own, but how it can enhance human inquiry. Boydell and Brewer, a non-fiction history publisher with their specific research nuances, are testing using our virtual assistants powered by AI to process vast amounts of information quickly, but the quality of the output is heavily influenced by the questions we ask.

For publishers, this is where the power lies: moving beyond surface-level inquiries into deep, abstract research questions that can unearth new opportunities in backlist content. Instead of asking, "Which titles sold well five years ago?", ask, "How can we reframe existing content to resonate with today’s biggest cultural conversations?"

By pushing the limits of AI with thoughtful, research-driven questions, publishers can unlock deeper insights, create more relevant content, and explore possibilities that would otherwise remain hidden in the data.

AI has the potential to revolutionize the way publishers manage their backlist content, offering tools that improve discoverability, efficiency, and revenue generation. However, the human touch—especially in editorial judgment and ethical considerations—remains essential. By learning to ask the right questions and using AI strategically, publishers can not only unlock the value of their existing catalogue but also shape the future of the industry in exciting new ways.

So the question is, are we bold enough to break free from basic ask a question? We should challenge AI with deeper, abstract queries – and curate the outcome into new thinking.