If you're working in publishing today, whether as an editor, translator, designer marketer or writer, you've probably wondered how AI (artificial-intelligence) might affect your role. Perhaps you’ve felt a bit uncertain, curious, or even excited about the possibilities.

I understand these feelings. At Ludenso, we partner with leading publishers worldwide. Through these collaborations, we've gained valuable insights into how publishers with varying workflows tackle common challenges and how they approach AI integration differently.

This post is your AI starter pack: it outlines common pitfalls and tools to try, with zero tech skills required. Just bring your curiosity and a bit of courage to experiment.

Why embrace AI?

Publishing moves deliberately and slowly, for better and for worse. This offers a strategic advantage: we can observe how AI is transforming faster-moving fields like software development. A decade ago, programmers built everything from scratch. Today, the most effective programmers integrate AI into their workflow. Not to replace their expertise, but to extend it. A great programmer becomes even better with AI, and is far better equipped to leverage it than someone without their foundational knowledge.

The same goes for publishing. As an editor, writer, or designer with deep domain understanding, you’ll have a competitive edge when applying AI tools. Whether it’s streamlining tasks, or fuelling creative output, AI can elevate the work you're already great at. 

Yet, with all the excitement, there are a few important considerations.

Navigating pitfalls thoughtfully

Research reveals a cautionary note: extensive reliance on AI can dramatically weaken critical thinking. A 2024 Swiss study revealed a significant negative correlation between frequent AI usage and critical-thinking abilities, mediated by increased cognitive offloading. Simply put, the brain becomes lazier and allows the technology to undertake certain tasks, such as remembering telephone numbers.

Like search engines before it, AI can change how we think, not just what we do. Used mindlessly, it can dull critical thinking, as seen with the “Google Effect”, where we forget information but remember how to find it. Staying sharp is key to maintaining the quality your readers count on.

With this in mind, get ready to save time, level up your quality and have some fun while you're at it! 

Practical AI tools to enhance your work

📚 For editors

• Grammarly: for grammar checks and stylistic improvements
• ProWritingAid: offers instant feedback on manuscripts, grammar checking and paraphrasing

✍️ For content creators

• ChatGPT: for brainstorming, outlining, summarising and exploring new ideas
• Novelcrafter: tools for authors looking for plot ideas and creativity boosts 
• Jasper: for crafting marketing copy, blog posts and advertising content.

The image above shows how Jasper can generate LinkedIn posts aligned with your brand by setting tone, audience, message and length.

🎨 For designers

• Canva: helps you to easily create polished visuals

This image shows how a screenshot from Ludenso’s site was used to prompt the AI to create a sales deck as a mood board that can be refined in Canva.

• Midjourney: for unique illustrations and conceptual art.

🎓 For education use

• ClearRevise Exam Study Tutor: Ludenso’s AI-powered tutor is embedded in textbooks and tailored to exam specifications. Students can receive page-referenced, curriculum-aligned support

In the picture, students can select a textbook, and then receive instant tutoring.

• Curipod: helps teachers to create interactive lessons with polls, quizzes and collaborative activities.

Continuously build your AI literacy

The tools above are just a few examples. Some are free with optional upgrades, while others require a paid subscription. There are thousands more available. To find one that fits your needs, head to FutureTools.io and explore by category, for example, “copywriting” or “translation”.

AI literacy isn’t about mastering everything; it’s about staying curious and continuously learning. By building your AI literacy, you're positioning yourself as an invaluable team member.

Stay curious

Ultimately, the best way to address any uncertainty or excitement you might feel about AI is by learning from experts in the field. I highly recommend finding newsletters about your specific area. Some of my favourites are Absolutely Textbook and AIxEducation. Substack is a fantastic place to discover voices tailored to your interests, whether you're curious about AI in Higher Education, or passionate about open-access publishing. Find something you genuinely look forward to receiving in your inbox, and you'll naturally stay informed. And if you like what you just read, consider subscribing to the Letters from Ludenso where I’ll be sharing more from the intersection of publishing and edtech.

By embracing a hands-on approach, you'll confidently navigate the future of publishing, empowered by both AI and your domain expertise. Best of luck!

Ingrid F. Skrede is Chief Marketing Officer and Co-Founder at Ludenso. She was named one of the leading women in AI in EdTech by ASU+GSV in 2024.

Early in my publishing career I was advised to “Work harder on yourself than you do on your job”. This was the single best advice I’ve ever been given. It may sound counterintuitive to what we are taught at school – get great grades and work hard to achieve success – but it’s your soft skills that will make the greatest difference in your career.  

Although trickier to learn than ‘hard’ (technical) skills, developing great soft skills is an important part of your personal and professional development, regardless of your role. Getting on with colleagues, clients, partners, agents or suppliers is vital to sustaining your position and being promoted.  

Working harder on yourself includes building a wide range of soft skills, such as communication, negotiation, conflict resolution, self-management, overcoming self-sabotage, managing others, leadership, self-awareness, self-confidence, presentation skills and problem solving.

Developing the ‘soft’ skills you need

I’ll take you through the basics of how to develop some key soft skills that will help you progress in your chosen publishing sector and job discipline and set you up for a lifetime of success – providing you continue upskilling throughout your career.

The first basic soft skill is how to overcome inner self-sabotage, the fear of failure – and of success. We’re familiar with the fear of failure, but less known is the fear of success, often the real reason behind the fear.

We don’t fear success, rather what it might cost us.

Especially the kind of success that changes everything – from taking a promotion and leaving friends behind, to your partner feeling conflicted by your achievement and where it might leave them. When I’m coaching people in publishing, I’ve seen how these fears can literally stop the person fulfilling their true potential. The good news is that there are plenty of things you can do to combat this.

To manage this in coaching, we discuss the possible causes of these fears. Often, what’s revealed is conflicting fears, unconscious self-sabotaging, limiting beliefs around what ‘sacrifices’ may have to be made to succeed.

Other common fears are:

• If I don’t try, then I haven’t actually failed. I can continue to delude myself that I’m doing great. But the reality is that we’re going to be left behind whilst other, less qualified people will overtake us.
• I’ll be lonely, as I’ll leave behind friends and outgrow loved ones when I succeed.
• Imposter syndrome, asking “Who do I think I am to even try this?”
• Procrastination: I’m quite not ready yet, maybe next year will be the ‘perfect’ time.
• I’m not sure I can handle all the extra workload involved.

To counter this, we reinforce new beliefs to arrest self-sabotage. Small steps begin to change our beliefs and make a BIG difference.

✅ Set new goals to match your true strengths. For example, if you’re creative, learn new creative ways to try different things in your current role. Then set your sights on a more ambitious goal to exploit your talent.

✅ Challenge your perceived comfort zone, do small regular stretchy things to break out of your comfort zone.

✅ Find a mentor to inspire you to go further. This can be someone you know, or someone you can model.

✅ Remember that success is rarely overnight, so you’ll get plenty of time to handle each step.

✅ Only share your ambition with those who will fully support you. This may not be your partner … not yet!

✅ To stay as you are and play small is often a poor option, as you’ll go backwards.

Speaking out in meetings

The second basic soft skill to learn is how to overcome your nerves in meetings at work.

How do you to find your voice in a crowded meeting with strong personalities? Remember, you don’t need permission from anyone to speak up, especially in group meetings.

You may be the quiet thoughtful type that prefers observing and considering before jumping in. However, if you’re in the room, you’re there to make a contribution, so you need to be more vocal and show visibility to your boss and colleagues.

You don’t have to change your personality or become someone you’re not. Instead, develop your own authentic style and voice of speaking up.

Some tips on getting started:

• Before the meeting starts, prepare by writing down possible questions or observations
• Say something out loud early on, even if it’s only about the weather (hearing your own voice soothes self-consciousness, modulates adrenaline rush and calms your nerves)
• Never fear asking stupid questions. I’ve spent my career asking dumb questions. Remember someone else is thinking the same. Try prefacing with “this might be a stupid question, but …”
• If you find yourself rambling, stop talking and say, “and this is my point”. Miraculously, you’ll get to the point!
• If others dominate, put your hand up to signal it’s your turn.

Have fun with self-discovery and remember to work harder on yourself than you do on your job!

Greg Evaristo is a Leadership Coach, Headhunter and Non-Executive Director within book publishing. He runs his own consultancy, GE Consulting.

Feel free to connect with him on LinkedIn.

UK employees work an average of 42 hours per week – the highest in Europe. Because work takes up so much of our time, it can inevitably sap a lot of our mental energy, too, so it’s important to find ways of maintaining a good work−life balance.

Organisations that provide managers with mental-health training report a 30% reduction in mental-health-related absences; and 52% of employees say they feel more engaged and productive when their organisation offers such resources. Companies encouraging open communication and mental-health awareness see a 20% increase in employee retention rates (Mental Health First Aid England). This shows it’s possible to overcome the challenges that see 16.3 million working days lost through stress, anxiety or depression (Health and Safety Executive 2023/24), with 21% needing to take time off work in 2024 to (Mental Health UK – Burnout Report 2025).

Other positive news is that taking a proactive approach to tackling common workplace stressors can minimise work’s impact on our mental wellbeing. Here are seven top tips for keeping a healthy mind.

1. Managing several tasks at once? Be proactive rather than reactive

If you feel overwhelmed by what you have to do, try breaking down projects into more manageable tasks each day. This will help you prioritise what you can, and can’t, get done, enabling you to concentrate on aspects of projects allocated to you, helping you feel you’ve regained control.

2. Constantly distracted? Keep interruptions to a minimum

This might feel difficult when faced with a stream of e-mails, online messages, phone calls and colleague check-ins. While you can’t control when people contact you, you can decide when you respond to them. For example, reply to ad-hoc requests at designated points in your working day; and arrange a quick call to discuss something rather than getting involved in long e-mail chains.

3. Frustrated you’re not getting anywhere? Schedule your day for productivity

Concentrating on achieving goals by completing tasks to the required standard, rather than targeting perfection, helps to relieve unnecessary stress. Spending 15 minutes at the start of each day to identify what you intend to get done will help you prioritise efficiency, and minimise any overtime.

4. Forgetting about physical wellbeing? Focus on eating well and a good night’s sleep

Prioritising physical wellbeing when work is full on can feel challenging, but it’s well worth it. Try eating small, healthy meals that are low in sugar and high in protein to provide consistent energy levels, helping maintain concentration and focus. If work-related thoughts make sleep difficult, write a list of them before bed and consciously decide to leave them there, turning to relaxation exercises such as focused breathing instead. Learning mindfulness techniques can help with this.

5. Never away from your workstation or desk? Reclaim your lunch break

Make sure you step away from where you work, and your computer, for a change of scene. If you can, head outdoors for some fresh air, a bit of movement and a fresh perspective. Learn something new or expand your skillset – there are plenty of free online courses to help you achieve this.

6. Feeling like all you do is work? Recalibrate your work−life balance

Sometimes we all have to work longer hours, but aim to make this the exception, not a regular occurrence. Creating clear boundaries between work and personal time helps. If you’re commuting, use your journey to wind down, perhaps walking or cycling part of the journey, or doing something completely different, such as reading a book or listening to music as you head home.

If you’re working at home, designate a specific part of your living space for working, and at the end of the working day, leave work there. And if it gets too much, help is out there.

7. Don’t know where to turn? Ask for assistance

Whether it’s to do with work, something personal, or something else entirely, anyone can face unexpected challenges. Acknowledging that you need to find someone to talk to, and that you’re seeking help and advice, is not a sign of weakness, but a positive step forward that takes courage and strength.

The NHS’s Every Mind Matters shares simple ways to ease stress and anxiety, and help lift your mood. Mental Health UK has a whole collection of easily-accessible resources, including ones focused on workplace burnout.

Everyone working in publishing, as well as print, paper, packaging, graphics and the allied trades, is eligible for support from the Printing Charity. It offers a free, confidential employee helpline, providing emotional support 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year. Visit The Printing Charity for more information on launching the helpline in your organisation, and to find out more about other support such as financial assistance and careers and development grants for young people. Remember, we’re here for you.

Liz Ross Martyn is Director of Marketing & Engagement at The Printing Charity. Follow her on LinkedIn.

Distance-learning courses can be a great first step towards a new career – or offer valuable professional-development tools for an existing one. With that in mind, you’ll want to approach them in a way that ensures you’ll get the best out of them. Here are my top tips on how to excel with your studies.

Set realistic goals

It’s good to set a target date to complete the course – but consider the content and don’t be overambitious. If you’ve signed up for the Publishing Training Centre (PTC)’s Essential Proofreading or Essential Copy-Editing courses, there’s a reason you’ll get access for 12 or 18 months respectively: a completion time of three or four months isn’t realistic if you want to succeed.

These courses start with the basics but get more in-depth as you work through them. So if you aim to be a qualified proofreader this time next year, don’t wait six months before signing up for Essential Proofreading!

This also applies to the smaller steps within each course. You can study at your own pace, but setting yourself an internal deadline for each module may help you to focus. As a tutor, I have some students who let me know what that deadline is – but remember that it’s self-imposed, so if something unexpected comes up, you won’t lose marks for submitting your assignments later than planned.

Use your tutor!

Contact time with your tutor is included in the course. Don’t be afraid to use it or feel you’re bothering them! Editing can be a solitary profession, so as long as you’re not sending too many emails, we enjoy a bit of communication.

It’s a good idea to prepare a list of questions ahead of time – you might want to clarify points from your tutor’s feedback on your previous assignment, ask about something you don’t quite understand from the course text, or a bit of both.

Try to ask questions using specific examples from an exercise or the previous assignment (don’t ask about future assignments). Make sure you consider how the response would apply more generally than in that one case. Asking ‘what should I have done different?’ might not be as valuable as asking ‘why should I have done something different?’

Create a suitable space and a routine

Back in the mists of time (2017), when I was a student on a PTC distance-learning course, I learnt how to proofread on paper: every time I sat down to study, I took over half the dining table. Nowadays, with courses being on screen, you probably won’t need as much space, but it can still help to create a suitable spot in your home.

The same applies to setting a routine – whether that’s making a cup of tea, spending ten minutes playing with the cat so she doesn’t bother you for a good while (yes, I’m speaking from experience), switching off your phone or setting up your lighting a certain way. Maybe you’re someone who works best with your computer in focus mode, to avoid distractions.

Turning your pre-learning time into a mini-ritual can help get you ‘in the zone’. It’s also a habit that will be useful in your working life after the course.

When you’ve qualified

Now the fun of marketing yourself and looking for work begins! Distance-learning courses offer practical advice on next steps – including how to find work and clients as a freelancer, how to explore in-house opportunities, and associations to join. Make sure to take note, and consider whether you already have a niche that could help you get work when you’re starting out.

As an example, before I studied to become a proofreader, I’d been a football writer. That meant I had various contacts who could put me in touch with sport-related publishers and organisations who might need a hand. Although I no longer work with most of those clients, it was a useful way to gain experience when I first started out.

You should also consider local or online professional networking groups, and announce your career change on any social media you use – you never know if a friend or acquaintance you’ve lost contact with might see it and get in touch to offer work (it happened to me, and his employers are still a regular client).

In conclusion

Time management, communication and a conducive working environment are good habits to adopt to make the most of your self-study. And they will be a huge help in your career after qualifying (whether freelance or in-house). Whether this is part of a career change or you’re updating your existing skills and knowledge, follow this advice and give yourself the best chance to succeed!

Sam Kelly is a professional proofreader and a tutor on the PTC’s Essential Proofreading distance-learning course. Follow him on LinkedIn.

To find out more about the roles of copy-editing and proofreading, download the free PTC guide to Copy-Editing and Proofreading.