WorkDraftboardPublishing / Technology2026
The State of AI in Self-Publishing 2026
2,500
authors surveyed
2,500
respondents
Self-published authors with at least one title on Amazon
surveyed
In the field now
This survey is in the field now. Results, embeddable graphics, and the full coverage report land in July 2026. For embargoed access, contact press@wonkbird.com.
The study
AI has moved from publishing-industry panic to publishing-industry plumbing — but nobody has put real numbers on what self-published authors are actually doing with it. We're surveying 2,500 self-published authors with at least one title on Amazon, in partnership with Draftboard, a growth toolkit for independent authors.
What we're asking
- What share of indie authors use AI to draft, edit, or translate their manuscripts — and how many disclose it
- How AI is changing the economics of authorship: cover design, blurbs, ads, and keyword research budgets
- Whether authors who use AI tools earn more or less than those who don't
- What authors believe readers would think if they knew — and what readers actually think (companion consumer poll)
- The genres where AI adoption is highest, state by state
Why it will travel
Every market gets a local angle (which states have the most AI-assisted authors), every books desk gets an ethics angle, and every business desk gets an income angle. Results land with embeddable charts, full data tables, and a methodology statement.