Better Stories, Better Sustainability: Presentation Slides

Better Stories, Better Sustainability: How Authentic Storytelling Can Lead University Presses into the Future Sophia Zengierski, Macmillan Learning

The university press, responsible for both credentialing and disseminating knowledge from the university out into the world, faces 21st century challenges that build on the strains that began with the decline of the monograph. Encountering financial pressure, new competition, and the uncertainty of the multi-modal digital space and the era of fake news, presses have been forced to take on projects beyond their original mission just to survive. But presses can do better. Through careful examination of their strengths and values, often rooted in the Humanities, presses can take back their story and enter this difficult marketplace with confidence about who they are and what they hope to achieve. It is this authenticity and story ownership that will allow presses to thrive in this complex, multi-stakeholder environment as they tread the balance between art and business.

Sophia Zengierski is a writer and editor based in Princeton, NJ. Her career in textbook publishing has included roles in sales, marketing and editorial. With degrees in literature and nonprofit leadership from the University of St Andrews (in Scotland) and the University of Pennsylvania respectively, she is interested in organizational leadership, storytelling, and the intersection of the arts and practical solutions for real-world problems. The research paper presented at the conference was completed at the University of Pennsylvania.