Julie Broad warns authors that hiding behind AI and digital tools will backfire in 2026. Edelman's Trust Barometer shows people trust real humans more than platforms. Authors who show their face, voice, and personality at live events will win. Those who stay invisible will be out-ranked by AI.
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The biggest mistake authors will make in 2026 thinking they can hide behind their computer screen and still have a career as an author. AI it's writing pretty decent content. And AI can record an audiobook. It can summarize your book, market your book, and even build a launch plan. But do you know the one thing AI can't control? It can't shake a reader's hand. It can't look somebody in the eye. And it can't create the kind of trust that makes someone say, I want to learn from, from you. Edelman's trust Barometer shows that people's trust in platforms keeps dropping, but trust in real people keeps climbing. And that means in 2026, the authors who show up with their face, their voice, their personality, and even build a community are the ones that will thrive. And authors who are going to fade into invisibility, well, AI can out produce them, outrank them, and out pace them. Not because AI is better, but because the author who never stepped forward to show who the human behind the book really is, can be hidden by AI so if you want staying power in 2026, don't try to outright AI out human it. Show up. Put your live events on the calendar. You can start with ours in March, Author's Empire Workshop. But get out there and connect with people, build trust. Because the future of publishing isn't about shouting louder, it's about being unmistakably human.
