The Unpaid Labor of Academic Publishing

The unpaid labor of academic publishing

Introduction Academic publishing is a multi-billion-dollar industry—valued at almost $30 billion globally—propped up by a curious economic paradox: the majority of its labor force works for free. Peer reviewers, editors, and even authors provide their services without direct compensation, supporting publishing conglomerates that report profit margins rivaling those of tech giants. How did this industry, … Read more

Who Benefits from Academic Publishing’s Billion-Dollar Industry?

Academic publishing's billion-dollar industry - Featured image

Introduction Academic publishing is not a sleepy, dusty corner of the knowledge economy. It is a billion-dollar business—a goldmine carved out of university budgets, taxpayer money, and the unpaid labor of scholars. In 2024, the global academic publishing market was valued at nearly $30 billion, showing no sign of slowing down. So here’s the question … Read more

Academic Publishing and the Prestige Economy

Academic publishing and the prestige economy - Featured

Introduction Academic publishing, for all its rhetoric about knowledge sharing, is driven as much by prestige as by the pursuit of truth. Scratch beneath the surface of any major journal or top-tier university press, and you’ll find a prestige economy humming along—a parallel universe where reputation, status, and institutional clout dictate who gets published, who … Read more

Academic Journals in 2025: A Guide for Survival

Academic journals in 2025 - Featured

Introduction Academic journal publishing has never been easy. But as we settle into 2025, what used to be slow-moving tectonic shifts have turned into a full-blown earthquake. Publishers, editors, and scholarly communication managers are grappling with open access mandates, AI-generated submissions, shrinking funding, and the ghost of predatory publishing. The peer review system groans under … Read more

The State of Academic Publishing Today: What’s Broken, What’s Changing, and What’s Next

State of academic publishing

Introduction Once a sleepy corner of scholarly life, academic publishing has become a theater of controversy, disruption, and outsized profits. It’s a multibillion-dollar industry with a monopoly-like grip on knowledge, steered more by business models than scholarly ideals. At the same time, it’s facing mounting pressure from researchers demanding open access, institutions exploring alternative platforms, … Read more