Can machines work alongside humans to improve the storytelling process? We’ll share how an AI-powered analysis can help storytellers visualize and understand their stories — including character network, personality traits, emotional valence, and whether or not you’ve got a dynamic protagonist leaping from the pages. StoryFit identifies features applicable to all stages of book development, from acquisitions to marketing, and we’ll provide real-life examples to support your publishing decisions. March 20, 2019 techforum.booknetcanada.ca #TechForum

1. MARCH 2019
How Can AI Champion Great
Storytelling?
Monica Landers
CEO
Mary Brendza
EVP, Publishing

2. B R E A K
S E C T I O N

3. Agenda
How Does It Work?
Zoom In: One Book
Zoom Out: Broad Applications Of AI

4. AI onText is hard
Social listening
Search Engine
Chat bots
AI on NarrativeText is harder
AI + Text

5. Complexity
Adjectives
Tension
HDP
Character
Interaction
Action
Network
Analysis
Character
Network
Length
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Character
Development
Pacing Theme
Topics
Style

6. StoryFit

7. Start with the book
Measure key features (100,000+)
Compare to thousands of other books
Generate actionable insights
StoryFit Simplified

8. Trends
Top 200 Bestsellers
2000-Present

9. Style Trends: Dual POV
7%

10. Book Trends: Dystopian
7%
12%
20%

11. Tone Trends: Funny
30%
1
10%

12. Themes: Mental Health
2%
10%

13. Themes: Crime
22%
30%
12%

14. Data-Powered
Insights

15. Content Insights
Predictive Analytics
01
BOOK TO MOVIE
03
CREATIVE
DEVELOPMENT
Content Insights
Track Multiple Iterations
02
MARKETING
Metadata (Keywords + BISAC)
Comps
Marketing Collections
04
01
02
03
04
AI Informs Throughout the
Story’s Lifecycle
ACQUISITIONS
I N V E S T O R P I T C H D E C K 15

16. B R E A K
S E C T I O N

17. “It is better to fail in
originality than to
succeed in
imitation.”
H e r m a n M e l v i l l e

18. S E T T I N G S E X T E R N A L
R E F E R E N C E S
T O P I C S
& T H E M E S C H A R A C T E R S
S.T.A.G.S What AI Sees In A Book

19. United Kingdom
Cambridge
London
Manchester
Northumberland
Oxford
Bamburgh
Clifford
Cogsworth
S.T.A.G.S. Setting

20. High Schools
Setting

21. T h i s b o o k h a s a n
e x t r e m e l y h i g h n u m b e r
o f m e d i a r e f e r e n c e s —
s p e c i f i c a l l y m o v i e
r e f e r e n c e s — r e l a t i v e t o
o t h e r YA b o o k s .
Media References

22. T h i s b o o k m a k e s u s e
o f t h e t e c h n o l o g y
r e f e r e n c e s a t a ra t e
c o n s i s t e n t w i t h
c o n t e m p o ra r y YA .
8Tech
References
Technology References

23. Medievals v. Savages
Overall Topics

24. Events, Actions, Movement

25. T O P 1 0
C H A R A C T E R S
Character Networks

26. Top 3 Traits:
1. Authority-Challenging
2. Sympathetic
3. Smart
Protagonist Personality Traits

27. Protagonist Needs

28. Neutral
mid-line
Protagonist Emotional Journey

29. C H A P T E R 1 3
• Greer reacts to eating
raw deer liver.
C H A P T E R 9
• The dead stag’s head creeps
Greer out.
• Greer doesn’t like food with
blood in it.
C H A P T E R 1 3
• Greer attempts to make
sense of how Shafeen was
shot and why no one is
helping him.
• “What the hell happened?”
D I S G U S T F E A R A N G E R
Protagonist Emotion Over The Book

30. C O N S C I E N T I O U S N E S S E X P R E S S I V E N E S S E X T R A V E R S I O N
Protagonist Personality Change

31. B E S T S E L L E R S C O R E I N D U S T R Y A P P E A L
S.T.A.G.S. Predictions
YA | Contemporary, Mystery, Thriller

32. Contemporary Micro-Genres
58%
75%

33. Coming of Age
15%

34. FRIENDSHIP HIGHSCHOOL
Relationship Types/Age Groups
12%
10%
24%
3%

35. DIVERSITY LGBTQ
Characters in Books
5% 5%
20% 15%

36. Theme: Feminism
4%
10%

37. 01
02
03
04
Ways to Apply AI in Marketing
I N V E S T O R P I T C H D E C K 37
01
BOOK TO MOVIE
Audience Mapping
Data-Driven Comps
Success Metrics
03
CREATIVE
DEVELOPMENT
02
MARKETING
04
ACQUISITIONS
37
Content Insights
Predictive Analytics
Content Insights
Track Multiple Iterations
Metadata (Keywords + BISAC)
Comps
Marketing Collections

38. • Robert Langdon Series
• Symbolist
• Art historian
• Albino villain
• Work romance
• Harvard professor
• Secret Societies
• Louvre
• Paris, France
• Rome, Italy
• Museums
• Gripping
• Pageturner
• Fast-paced
• Short chapters
• Art
• Christianity
• Holy Grail
• Quests
• Conspiracy theories
• Mary Magdalene
• Religious Mysteries
• Books made into movies
• Tom Hanks
CHARACTER-BASED:
SETTING-BASED: STYLE-BASED: TOPIC-BASED:
OTHER TYPES:
Keywords

39. TITLES GENRE % SALES LIFT IN 12 WKS
50 Fiction 29%
100
Mixed Fiction & Narrative Non-
Fiction
92%
200 Mixed Fiction & Non- Fiction 22%
996 Backlist Romance 13%
1,400 Fiction 24%
Success Metrics: Keywords

40. A N D T H E P O W E R O F B R O W S E C AT E G O R I E S
BISAC Codes

41. TITLE
MATCH
SCORE
CHARACTERS
TONE &
STYLE
SETTING
TOPICS &
THEMES
SENTIMENT
Kindred 77 4.3 4.1 2.2 3.7 3.1
Room 75 3.9 1.9 2.1 3.3 2.9
3.2 4.5 2.2 1.8 2.1
SORTED BY
CHARACTERS
Comparables: The Handmaid’s Tale

42. Go Direct to Your Customers
Thrilling Creature Features
Shockingly Powerful Women
Romance with a Twist
Marketing collections to grow
and mature your audience

43. Monica Landers
CEO
monica@storyfit.com
(512) 350-6575
Mary Brendza
EVP, Publishing
mary@storyfit.com
(512) 680-5297
AI superpowers for creative decision makers