How Spines is Changing Publishing with AI: Generative AI is reshaping how books are created and published. One startup, Spines, is aiming to go even further by replacing traditional publishers entirely. Its platform uses AI to handle every part of the publishing process—faster, cheaper, and, they claim, just as effectively.
Here’s how it works: Spines helps authors edit their work, improve it, design covers, format layouts, and even distribute their books as e-books or print-on-demand copies. Tasks that could take months at a traditional publisher are wrapped up in just two to three weeks with Spines.
Since launching in 2021, Spines has published over 1,700 books. Popular titles include an autobiography by ex-con Fleece Johnson, a children’s book written by a gun violence survivor, and a motivational guide for women. The company is growing fast, with revenues reportedly increasing by 1,000%.
Recently, Spines raised $16 million in Series A funding, led by Zeev Ventures, to expand its offerings, including audiobooks. This follows a $6.5 million seed round earlier this year.
The Man Behind Spines
Spines was founded by Yehuda Niv, who first dabbled in publishing as an electrical engineering student. Frustrated by how hard it was to publish his manuscript, he created a traditional publishing company, Niv Books, which put out 1,200 books a year.
But when generative AI took off, Niv saw a bigger opportunity: an all-AI publisher. Spines was born out of this vision, combining technology with the publishing process to offer an affordable and fast alternative for authors.
How Spines Works
Spines offers publishing packages starting at $1,200 and going up to $5,000, depending on the services authors choose. Authors also pay a monthly distribution fee, which ranges from $19 to $49, depending on where they want their books sold. Authors keep 70% of royalties, much higher than the industry standard of 10–20%.
While most of the work is done by AI, Spines still involves people for tasks like cover illustration and customer support. The company also trains customer success agents to guide authors through the process.
What Makes Spines Different?
The company claims its AI-powered model makes publishing accessible to more people. Unlike traditional publishers, where deals are uncertain, Spines guarantees authors a finished product because they’re paying for the services.
However, there’s still some mystery around how Spines operates. The company won’t disclose the specific AI tools it uses, calling it their “secret sauce.” Authors also don’t get detailed analytics about what genres or content perform best, even though Spines claims to work with 16,000 genres.
What’s Next for Spines?
While some worry that Spines is just an efficiency machine, others believe it could open up new possibilities for literature. By removing traditional barriers, it’s giving more authors a shot at publishing their stories. Whether this approach will truly transform the industry or just flood the market with more books remains to be seen.
For now, Spines is moving full steam ahead, using AI to make publishing faster, more affordable, and available to everyone.
