Aspiring authors should hope that artificial intelligence never replaces human literary agents. Rejections would be fast, leave no room for a response, and be utterly discouraging. You know, like what already happens, except for the speed and response part. For example:

Dear [Author Name],

Thank you for giving me the opportunity to review your proposal, [Working Title]. I appreciate the time, care, and creative energy that clearly went into shaping this project, and I’m grateful you considered me as a possible advocate for your work.

After careful consideration, I’ve decided to pass on representing this proposal. This was not an easy decision. Book publishing is an extremely competitive field, and agents must make difficult choices not only based on the quality of a manuscript, but also on market timing, editorial demand, and how well a project fits with our current lists. In this case, while your idea has merit and your passion for the subject is evident, I don’t feel I’m the right agent to champion it successfully in today’s marketplace.

Please know that a rejection at this stage is not a judgment on your talent or the value of your work. Many successful books were declined multiple times before finding the right advocate. I encourage you to continue refining your proposal and submitting it to other agents who may be a better match for your vision.

Thank you again for thinking of me, and I wish you the very best with your writing and future submissions.

Warm regards,
[Agent Name]
Literary Agent

This was a ChatGPT-generated response to my request to create a 200-word agent response to a book proposal. Maybe you recognize some of the phrases. Knowing that AI generated the response above likely takes away much of the encouragement attempted throughout!

Seriously, as time goes on, more and more processes in book publishing will be handled by AI, in part or in whole. Over the years, more and more aspects of publishing have become less subjective and more black-and-white, which in the digital world of zeroes and ones, makes it susceptible to an AI takeover.

I can envision a service where authors pay to upload their proposal and, in addition to a thorough review, receive suggestions for agents who would be most suited to work with them.

I could also envision a tool for agents that analyzes the salability of a proposal and provides a deep dive into the author’s platform, grading the author’s media footprint and its potential to assist with marketing. But maybe AI will eventually replace agents altogether (trying not to think about that too much).

Publishers who are already using AI for a number of business functions will eventually expand it to analyze a book proposal and provide a go/no-go to publish, recommending a proposed financial offer based on the author’s history, potential, and category sales.

None of the above is too far off in the future. Use of AI is just scratching the surface for every business segment and will only expand at an astounding rate.

But remember, it’s only a tool. A good and powerful tool, but still just a tool. You likely won’t be able to win an argument with it about the validity of your book, but pursuing creativity and writing in an interesting manner will protect your work.