What skills will publishing professionals need in the future? How will AI change the jobs we do? And what will the publishing workplace look like?
At London Book Fair 2026, bookcareers founder Suzanne Collier chaired a panel exploring the future of publishing careers with Will Atkinson, Suzy Astbury, Selina Begum and Sofia Salazar Studer.
Grace Henson joined the audience and reports on the discussion.
AI and the future of publishing jobs.
One of the themes discussed was the rapid growth of AI in the industry and how this will affect jobs. The panel were keen to share how AI can benefit the publishing sector, with Selina stating “[The use of AI] is a learning curve,” but one that Springer Nature is embracing. Jobseekers will want to develop their ethics-based skills as AI is incorporated into business structures, which Sofia labelled as “tech savviness”. She did note that utilising AI for administrative tasks will “free time for creativity”, something the audience was happy to hear.
The panel were aware there are responsibilities that come with using AI in a professional environment. As CEO of Inspired Selection, Suzy mentioned the mission her company has to protect confidentiality but saw the benefits it can have to expand curiosity, particularly in a creative industry. Will reiterated this, with an interesting point that “roles in publishing will remain the same, but the tasks involved will change”. Employers will want to see skills that can adapt as technology does.
The industry is progressing, but the panel were optimistic about the changes being seen. Suzy mentioned the shift technology saw around 2010, when people were worried about a surge in digital dependency. She remembered how job titles changed to adapt to this, asking for a ‘digital’ expert, and believes the same will happen for AI. Selina argued it was “too early to predict” how jobs will change, but Will was confident many roles we’re familiar with will remain the same – it will be the requirements that change.
Skills for the future
With a transformation in job titles comes concern over the skills jobseekers will need. A technical proficiency was of course mentioned during the discussion of AI, but there was an emphasis on people skills too. Tasks that people might not think of immediately, such as author care, relies heavily on being a good communicator. This was something Will supported, saying that those with tech skills will have an advantage, but jokingly added, “make sure you can read and count!” which garnered a laugh from the audience.
They highlighted the importance of being able to problem solve too. Suzy made an excellent point, that when faced with “a barrier to success” it’s important for people to “come up with ideas” and take on a proactive attitude, rather than staying stagnant. As someone newer to the industry, Sofia remarked that being able to have “difficult conversations” and proving that you can handle the pressure of them will make you stand out to employers.
Suzanne added that three key skills to make your applications stand out are organisation, prioritisation and time management. Crucially, these are not publishing specific but are soft skills always desired by employers, making them easily transferable.
The future of hybrid working
Halfway through, Suzanne asked the room to raise their hands depending on what they were looking for: remote, hybrid, or office-based work. The response showed a majority favouring hybrid, which was agreed with by the panel. Suzy was passionate about this topic, bringing focus to diversity and inclusivity that remote working can bring to the industry. Will supported this, mentioning that Eye Books works on a fully remote basis. A recent job posting there had seen an influx of applications from Scotland, highlighting the location benefits of remote work.
While it is beneficial to gain skills surrounded by a team in an office environment, the flexibility found in hybrid work can’t be contested. Selina commented that Springer Nature’s global hybrid-based structure allows for employees to find that balance, and is useful for people with other responsibilities, such as carers. Sofia supported this idea, saying that hybrid work was the best “by far” when considering travel costs and fatigue levels. A lot can be learnt from your peers though, and Suzanne encouraged this organic learning through interaction where possible.
Questions from the audience
The audience had a few questions for the panel too, touching on topics such as job-hunting anxiety, concerns over underpaid entry-level roles, and the use of AI in design processes.
The panel were brilliant at reassuring any worries. Suzanne’s answers were taken from the facts: publishing is a large industry, where there is more demand for jobs than there are jobs available. However, she reminded the audience to broaden their searches. The publishing industry doesn’t have a monopoly over the kinds of jobs people want, and there are other sectors that need marketers, editors, or assistants.
Since it began in 1999, bookcareers.com has published a salary survey that can be found on their website. The data looks at what positions are paid better than others and it is about to go through a major update. Suzanne predicts that entry-level roles won’t see a decrease in pay, and in fact it may get better!
As for the audience’s worries about AI, they were comforted by the comments that originality is still vital to keep design fresh and enticing. While AI book covers are sometimes seen in self-published works, the industry itself thrives on creative individuality.
The panel covered many topics of interest, and it was great to hear from experts in the field. A big thank you goes out to all of those involved in making this discussion possible!