Editor-In-Chief of the University of Pennsylvania Press Walter Biggins provided his insights on the academic press industry to the Penn community at an event hosted by the Kelly Writers House on Feb. 11.
Biggins, who has led the Penn Press since 2020, discussed the relevance of the field as well as how it has evolved over the years. Biggins began his career in the academic press at the University Press of Mississippi, where he worked for 13 years. While he initially worked in grant and development work as well as popular culture studies, his current work spans human rights, cultural studies in the United States, the African diaspora, and print culture.
“Is this … filling a gap in the scholarship?" Biggins said at the event with regard to academic press work. "Is it doing something that hasn’t been done before, or doing something that has been done before in a new way? That’s what we’re always thinking about."
When discussing the differences between the academic press and the trade press, Biggins characterized the academic press as mission-driven, with the goal of "fostering and disseminating academic knowledge" — a luxury the trade press often can’t afford, according to him.
“[Academic presses] can publish things that have more limited audiences," he said, adding that 1,500 copies would be considered a wild success for an academic press, whereas trade presses often aim for at least five-figure sales.
However, according to Biggins, there are times in which the line between the academic and trade presses can be blurred. Academic presses like the Princeton University Press almost resemble trade presses in the scale of their marketing. Some works published by academic presses also see incredible mainstream success.
“It’s not our goal to produce bestsellers, but it can happen”, Biggins said. “It can definitely happen.”
He also emphasized his belief in the "primacy of the monograph" format.
He went on to explain the ways in which the ideas expressed through the monograph format have evolved. While 300-page monographs on a single work of author were once commonplace, nowadays authors and works of various mediums are put into conversation for each other.
Still, Biggins still expressed interest in changes to academic publishing on the humanities.
“I would like the humanities to catch up … to stop thinking of the monograph as the sole arbiter," he added. "I would like to diversify what counts as useful scholarly output.”
Biggins also provided advice for breaking into the academic publishing scene, advising aspiring authors to research the catalogues and websites of the academic presses to which they are applying.
Event moderator Julia Bloch praised Biggins for breaking down the path into an "intimidating" industry in a statement to The Daily Pennsylvanian.
"[Biggins'] frank and open conversation about the press, about his own career path, and about some of the more exciting trends in publishing and media made it all feel approachable and legible for an audience that was filled with students, faculty, and community members alike," she said. "I loved when Walter said 'you have to be a generalist' to be a good editor: relentlessly open to new topics and ideas, whatever your particular intellectual bent or background. It's so important to have this mindset in any media-centric career."
The Daily Pennsylvanian is an independent, student-run newspaper. Please consider making a donation to support the coverage that shapes the University. Your generosity ensures a future of strong journalism at Penn.
Donate
