The Publishing Industry

  • Reimagining the Future of Publishing: Five Observations on YA, Pedagogy, and Digital Literature

    In this blog, I explore how contemporary YA literature acts as both a cultural mirror and a critical tool—reflecting the world young people live in while helping them make sense of it. Drawing on Suico et al.’s content analysis and Warner’s ideas about literature as ritual, I look at how YA fiction engages with themes like trauma, justice, and identity. I also consider the growing academic interest in YA and what this means for classrooms today. Ultimately, the blog reflects on how YA can offer not just stories, but space—for reflection, resistance, and hope.

  • The perils and pleasures of creative writing competitions and prizes: 5 key points

    Prizes often symbolize external recognition, but what if I reimagined them as personal milestones—self-awarded markers of creativity, persistence, and growth? In this blog, I explore how literary prizes shape careers and confidence while offering five strategies to navigate competitions and create personal benchmarks. I introduce ‘internal prizes’—small yet meaningful ways to celebrate achievements, from finishing a tough draft to inspiring students. Drawing on insights from Kei Miller, Kristin Neff, and literary organizations, I invite you to rethink success and resilience. Prizes have power, but they don’t define your worth. Honour your journey—on your terms.

  • Creative writers and marketing: some thoughts and observations

    Marketing isn’t just about selling books—it’s about finding the right readers, refining your creative process, and sharing your work with confidence. In this blog, we explore marketing in the publishing industry through the lens of the writer as a healer, teacher, researcher, and reflective practitioner.

  • Using publishing tools to create thriving creative writing communities and cultures

    Publishing isn’t just about books—it’s about shaping identity, community, and activism. This blog explores how the MA Creative Writing and Education at Goldsmiths uses publishing as a pedagogical tool, from internal dialogues between the Writer, Publisher, and Healer within us, to global projects like GlobalGRACE and Creative Voices, which use storytelling, theatre, and art to amplify marginalised voices. Discover how publishing extends beyond the page to empower writers, challenge dominant narratives, and foster creative communities. Read more about how publishing can be a process of transformation, resistance, and education.

  • How can writers benefit from learning about the Publishing Industry? Three key points and two questions

    This blog post explores how creative writing teachers can learn about the publishing industry, and invites them to think about how it can used to develop their craft, their pedagogy, and generally help them learn and grow.

  • Learning to write, publish and teach, all in one go!

    This blog explores how learning to write, publish and teach can help creative writers in multiple ways; they can hone the craft of their writing and pedagogy by using publishing as a pedagogical tool. A truly innovative approach…

  • Towards a methodology for creative writing educators to use publishing to develop their writing and teaching

    An article which discusses how creative writing educators might develop their own methodologies so that they can become fruitful creative writers who use publishing to develop the literary and pedagogical practices that work for them.

  • The History of Publishing in 7 Objects

    This article explores the Publishing Industry in 7 objects. It starts with the dawn of humanity to the present day.

  • Five key lessons about S.E. Hinton’s ‘The Outsiders’ and publishing

    This article explores how and why outsiders, in the form of writers, readers and texts, came to shape the publishing industry, particularly Young Adult novels.