Erin Cox and Ralf Biesemeier on stage at Frankfurter Buchmesse
By Eric Dupuy | @duperico
‘Not using it is not an option.’
Publishers face a “war for attention” in an oversaturated content market, a challenge that artificial intelligence may help address but cannot resolve alone, panelists said in a panel during the Frankfurt Book Fair last month.In a session titled “From Attention to Action: AI and Publishing Marketing,” Erin Cox of Publishing Perspectives moderated a discussion featuring Ralf Biesemeier, managing director of digital publishing at Zebralution, and Amanda Collins, an AI agent created specifically for the panel via ChatGPT.
The experiment proved emblematic of current AI limitations: Collins malfunctioned mid-discussion, ceasing responses—an unscripted interruption that underscored Biesemeier’s central thesis that artificial intelligence remains an imperfect tool requiring human oversight.
“Reaching the right customer with the right message is the biggest challenge,” Biesemeier stated. Publishers must achieve both reach and relevance simultaneously, he explained, emphasizing that visibility without pertinence yields negligible returns.
The panel identified three primary obstacles for publishers integrating AI into marketing workflows. First, attention itself: the sheer volume of competing content makes discoverability increasingly difficult. Second, data scarcity: most independent publishers lack comprehensive reader data because book sales occur across fragmented, often untraceable channels beyond their control. Third, the technological competency gap: publishers require in-house AI expertise rather than dependence on external platforms like ChatGPT, which pose content security and copyright risks.
An audience member questioned how smaller publishers could access audience data necessary for AI-driven targeting, noting that unlike Google or major tech firms, publishing companies rarely possess detailed reader profiles. Biesemeier acknowledged the constraint but offered an alternative framework: publishers should analyze contextual environments—websites where potential readers research related topics—rather than relying solely on user data. “You can derive data from many other sources,” he noted, suggesting contextual targeting as a bridge between data-poor publishers and AI capabilities.
The panelist cautioned against over-reliance on third-party AI tools. “You wouldn’t want to rely on tools like ChatGPT for doing things for you,” he said. Publishers should develop internal competence and host proprietary systems to maintain control over content and its applications.
Biesemeier stressed that AI adoption remains optional only in theory. “Not using it is not an option,” he stated, comparing the technology’s trajectory to earlier transformative innovations. “It’s like the internet in the early days—people thought it would go away. It won’t.”
He emphasized that AI requires human collaboration to function effectively. Left to itself, the technology cannot solve publishing’s core problems. Confirmation bias presents a particular risk: the longer users interact with AI systems, the more the systems mirror user preferences, potentially reinforcing assumptions rather than challenging them.
For executives considering AI integration, Biesemeier offered straightforward guidance: avoid fear, prioritize experimentation over perfection, and embrace speed over polish. “Experience over perfection,” he stated. “It’s about speed more than perfection.”
The panelists advocated for incremental adoption rather than comprehensive strategy overhauls, positioning AI as one tool among many in publishing’s marketing arsenal. Success depends not on the technology’s capabilities alone but on publishers’ willingness to invest in understanding, testing, and integrating it into existing workflows.
The session highlighted an emerging consensus: AI will reshape publishing marketing, but only through publishers’ active participation and critical evaluation.
Watch a recording of the panel below:
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