Session Lineup
AI agents—automated digital workers that can run multi-step workflows—are quickly becoming one of the most transformative tools in publishing. Rather than simply responding to prompts, these agents can monitor key systems, pull and analyze data, draft metadata updates, prepare vendor communications, and compile sales or marketing reports, allowing teams to focus on higher-level creative and strategic work.
This session demystifies AI agents and shows how publishing teams can use them safely and effectively. We’ll walk through what agent-style workflows look like in practice, the types of tasks they can reliably support, where human oversight is essential, and how they can complement your existing systems without disrupting established processes.
By the end, you’ll have a clear understanding of how to identify the right kinds of tasks AI agents can handle, how to supervise and integrate them into your team’s workflow, and how they can free staff—not replace them—from repetitive operational work so they can focus on higher-level creative and strategic priorities.
Attendees will walk away with:
Ideal for publishing teams looking to streamline repetitive tasks and reclaim time for higher-level work:
If your team is overextended or slowed down by manual processes, this session will show you how digital workers can transform your operations quickly and safely.
Guest Host:
Brooke Dobson
Co-Founder & Chief Commercial Officer, Shimmr AI
Brooke Dobson is a Co-Founder and Chief Commercial Officer of Shimmr AI, the first fully automated advertising platform built specifically for books. With expertise in economic forecasting, marketing analytics, and AI technologies, she brings a practitioner’s perspective on how AI can transform publishing.
As a non-technical leader responsible for Revenue and Operations, Brooke has built AI agents to systematically analyze campaign performance, validate financial data, and generate executive-ready insights—demonstrating how accessible AI tools enable teams to move from ad-hoc prompting to repeatable, trustworthy systems.
Her executive background spans AI-native SaaS businesses (COO, CSO, US President), and at Shimmr, she translates cutting-edge AI into practical, revenue-generating strategies for publishers. Her perspective is valuable for an industry seeking to unlock new audiences, scale discoverability, and make faster, data-informed decisions.
Keith Riegert
President of The Stable Book Group and CEO of Perfect Bound Technologies Group
Keith Riegert is the President of The Stable Book Group, which includes Ulysses Press, She Writes Press, VeloPress Books, Trafalgar Square Books, and Skybox Press, as well as Stable Distribution (in partnership with Hachette Book Group). Keith is also CEO of Perfect Bound Technologies Corporation and a co-founder of the book publicity and digital marketing firm, Pacific & Court. Keith is a member of the board of advisors at NYU’s School of Professional Studies in the Center for Publishing where he also teaches Analytics and Consumer Insights. Keith also serves on the boards of the Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA) and the AI firm, Inkbloom.
Publishers Weekly
Publishers Weekly‘s reach spans continents, connecting books, business and readers through authoritative editorial, U.S. and international publishing news coverage, and high-impact marketing solutions. From nearly 8,000 reviews a year to international Show Dailies, PW shapes conversations across the industry. With 200,000+ digital subscribers, 64,000 print readers, and 1.5 million social followers, your brand is seen by the decision-makers who matter most.
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