Independent Thinking on Publishing's Future
Introduction Once upon a time, and not all that long ago, Wattpad was the internet’s golden child for aspiring writers and fiction-obsessed teens. If you were into bad-boy love triangles, fanfiction featuring pop stars, or heart-wrenching teen drama with questionable grammar, Wattpad was your jam. Wattpad boasted more than 90 million users at its peak, … Read more
Introduction It’s an easy narrative to believe: in a world bursting with smartphones, tablets, e-readers, and cloud storage, the old ways must surely be dying off. Among them, the printing industry stands out as a prime suspect. Newspaper sales are plummeting. Magazine racks gather dust. Books are one-click downloads. Even receipts are going digital. Will … Read more
Introduction Generative AI can now fix grammar, rewrite sentences and summarise documents in seconds, which leaves many people asking whether editors are still needed. This article argues that they are: AI handles routine correction well, but judgement, fact-checking, cultural sensitivity and care for an author’s voice still depend on human editors. Key points The editor, … Read more
Introduction In a media landscape cracked open by the internet, Substack didn’t just sneak in—it swaggered through the front door. It wasn’t the first newsletter platform. It wasn’t the fanciest or the cheapest. But it was the one that captured the zeitgeist. Writers, journalists, critics, academics, hobbyists—all kinds of voices found a home there. And … Read more
Introduction Let’s not beat around the bush: if AI isn’t part of your publishing workflow by now, you’re not just behind the curve—you’re practically in a different century. The global AI in publishing market is projected to skyrocket from $2.8 billion in 2023 to a staggering $41.2 billion by 2033, growing at a compound annual … Read more