When I first looked for a literary agent, my modest dream was that somebody would actually open the manuscript. In my head, the right agent would read it, be overwhelmed by its brilliance and start phoning publishers before lunch. As I've already admitted, real life was considerably less cinematic.
Now AI can produce pages of manuscript notes in minutes. Does that make agents obsolete? Or does a world flooded with inexpensive text need people who can be trusted even more?
Reading and choosing are not the same job
AI can summarise a manuscript, flag continuity problems and help map genres. It can make a first pass cheaper. But choosing which book deserves backing, who might want it and whether to risk one's reputation on it is another kind of work.
I can use the free EditRoast critique and proofreading skills myself. They do not build a relationship between me and an editor, negotiate an advance or explain what a translation-rights clause may mean for my future. They certainly don't assume responsibility for a contract.
What an agent still offers
Knowledge of specific imprints and editors; timing; positioning; negotiation; territory and format rights; long-term career advice. I suspect the role will move away from “I can read your manuscript” towards “I know where it belongs, and I can help defend your interests.”
A list of contacts is not representation. Anyone can collect names. Knowing which person is genuinely interested in a story like mine now is another matter.
What a publisher still offers
Selection, final editorial responsibility, production quality, distribution, bookseller and library relationships, publicity and connections with readers. The International Publishers Association's Vision 2030 places readers at the centre of its future outlook. That seems right to me. Making a book is one problem; giving somebody a reason to read it is another.
AI has also made authorship a submission issue
There's a twist I hadn't expected: as generating text gets easier, some publishers are becoming more specific about the origin of the words.
Bookouture permits limited AI assistance for grammar checks, style reports and verified research, but not AI-generated creative content in the final manuscript. Storm Publishing similarly asks submitters to confirm that AI use was assistive and that the creative work is their own. An author should read the particular recipient's policy rather than assume everyone works the same way.
I have no interest in asking a machine to invent my life. I do have an interest in something that spots the typo I have stopped seeing.
What I would do as an author
Make the book's genre and reader clear. Follow each submission guideline precisely. Check the manuscript, but resist machine-polishing my voice into something anonymous. Verify rights status for published editions. Keep open the possibility of approaching a publisher directly where its submissions allow it.
In my guide to submitting by genre, I've separated open routes from publishers currently closed to novels, with links to their official guidelines.
An agent or publisher doesn't disappear because technology gets a new button. They may, however, have to explain their value more clearly. I hope some of the benefit goes to writers, who might at least be able to spend less money before their first honest rejection.