Resident dragon and social media entrepreneur Steven Bartlett is aiming to shake up book publishing through a partnership with Penguin imprint Ebury Publishing.
Flight Books will be “a revolutionary, AI powered, data driven, growth focused book publishing venture” Bartlett states in introducing the new venture – using social media channel LinkedIn.
Pointing to the way that fast food has spawned the slow food movement and digital music has spurred a revival in vinyl records, he says that printed books have a new place in today’s digital world.
Introducing the venture he says: “Several years ago before I wrote my first book, someone told me that ‘Books are dead, and that nobody reads books anymore’. For years, people have eagerly anticipated the death of the book publishing industry. Yet books have not only survived, they’ve become even more popular in all their forms.
“If there is one medium of communication that has the greatest chance of becoming part of the counter movement to a world crowded with AI, apps and algorithms… It is the 600-year-old book publishing industry.
“I know this sounds strange coming from a social media entrepreneur, but history tells us that polar opposites become popular together.
“The book publishing industry hasn’t kept up with a changing world. Which means for many authors, it’s more about their contact than their content. We believe we can change that.”
The new business will use the ability Flight Studios has to drill deep into data and, though AI, to interpret what it finds to overcome the gut feel and follow the lead approach that has dominated mainstream publishing, The aim is to use those insights to shape the books and to discover new audiences for them. “Book publishers have become complacent,” he says, “using old technologies, guess work to decide which books to promote. They are scared to lean into the very technology that everybody thought would kill them.”
Social media has already proved to have a huge influence on book publishing creating viral recommendations and especially through BookTok and similar channels.
Bartlett has benefited from this directly as author of Happy Sexy Millionaire and The Diary of a CEO, a spin off from his podcast of the same name. The first books include guests on the podcast including the memoir of ultra athlete Russ Cook who became the first person to run the length of Africa. It is slated for publication on 24 October. A further four titles have been lined up.
Bartlett adds: “This new imprint, Flight Books, is dedicated to empowering extraordinary voices on a global scale. We want to leverage our experience in compelling storytelling to create a global platform for groundbreaking narratives and inspirational stories.
“Our authors and their impactful tales have the power to inspire, educate, and ultimately, shape a better tomorrow. With our AI powered, data first, growth focused strategy together with cutting edge social media marketing, data science and testing capability, we will enable great authors and their books to get the credit and reach they deserve.”
The deal with Ebury Publishing will all Flight Books to tap into Penguin’s global distribution network. It has not declared whether this will change the way that books are produced.
