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The team behind the publishing AI startup Spines has been labeled “dingbats,” “opportunists,” and “extractive capitalists” by figures within the book industry.
The new company gives authors services such as editing, proofreading, formatting, design, and circulation, all assisted by artificial intelligence, for fees ranging from $1,200 to $5,000. Despite positioning itself as a disruptor in the industry, Spines has sparked major backlash.
Yehuda Niv, co-founder of Spines and former head of a publishing services business in Israel, insists that Spines “isn’t self-publishing” or a vanity publisher. Instead, he describes it as a publishing platform.
AI publisher Spines says it is ‘leveling playing field’
A spokesperson for the company told The Guardian that Spines aims to “empower authors” by addressing the challenges of traditional publishing, where “99% of authors are refused” by agencies.
Those rejected often turn to “vanity publishing,” spending between $10,000 and $50,000 per book, or attempt self-publishing, which requires extensive expertise. Spines, the spokesperson claimed, is “levelling the playing field” by helping aspiring authors to publish quickly “at a fraction of the cost.”
Writers and publishers condemn AI ‘opportunism’
However, the industry has largely criticized the startup. Publisher Canongate expressed disapproval on Bluesky, stating: “Most days books aren’t profitable enough to bother with. But then a new way to exploit people appears – and it’s fully automatable! Now money starts circling, like a curious shark.”
THAT'S when capital perks up.Most days books aren't profitable enough to bother with.But then a new way to exploit people appears – and it's fully automatable! Now money starts circling, like a curious shark.
Similarly, author Suyi Davies said of Spines: “These aren’t people who care about books or reading or anything remotely related. These are opportunists and extractive capitalists.”
Techbros only ever want to ‘disrupt’ for quick £££ and never support or generate social/communal good: @Spines_com New publisher Spines aims to 'disrupt' industry by using AI to publish 8,000 books in 2025 alone https://t.co/a6Ac803JTW
— Samuel Tongue @samueltongue.bsky.social (@SamuelTongue) November 25, 2024
Anna Ganley, chief executive of the Society of Authors, told The Guardian that the Spines model is “very unlikely to deliver on what an author is hoping they might achieve.” She argued that it is “most unlikely to be their best route to publication,” adding concerns about “the lack of originality and quality of the service being offered” due to reliance on AI systems.
Despite the backlash, Spines has successfully raised $16 million in a Series A funding round led by Zeev Ventures, with participation from Aleph, M-Fund, and LionTree. This follows a $6.5 million seed round in April 2024. Although the startup has not disclosed its valuation, it claims significant growth, having published 1,700 books since its 2021 launch and achieving a revenue growth rate of 1,000%. Plans to expand into audiobooks are also underway.
Spines’ AI-driven model arrives amidst wider controversies surrounding AI’s use of copyrighted materials. ReadWrite has reported on lawsuits against companies like OpenAI and Anthropic accusing them of training chatbots on pirated copies of books, and profiting from copyrighted works without proper authorization or compensation.
ReadWrite has reached out to Spines and the Society of Authors for comment.
Featured image: Midjourney
