Demographics of Published Nonfiction Authors in Literary Magazines and What it Means for Academia
College
College of Arts and Sciences
Mentor Information
Dr. Heather Sellers
Description
In a 2023 survey done by The Author’s Guild (“Key Takeaways from the Authors Guild’s 2023 Author Income Survey”), the demographic of published authors has shifted from what many perceive to be a male dominated field–with the data collected showing that published authors are majority women, writing romance and fantasy. This survey study was conducted to see if this applies to academic creative writing, in particular, non-fiction. The study took a look at 100 writers who were published in 6 different academic literary magazines, looking at several demographics—age, gender, and sexuality. It also examined their education level, job, and whether they were already previously published. What was found was that most writers today are on average older, educated women, who have already established their careers as writers, matching the data found in The Author’s Guild survey. This survey study also showed that men are underrepresented in these literary journals, as well as those who identify as LGBT+ and those who have not been published before.
Demographics of Published Nonfiction Authors in Literary Magazines and What it Means for Academia
In a 2023 survey done by The Author’s Guild (“Key Takeaways from the Authors Guild’s 2023 Author Income Survey”), the demographic of published authors has shifted from what many perceive to be a male dominated field–with the data collected showing that published authors are majority women, writing romance and fantasy. This survey study was conducted to see if this applies to academic creative writing, in particular, non-fiction. The study took a look at 100 writers who were published in 6 different academic literary magazines, looking at several demographics—age, gender, and sexuality. It also examined their education level, job, and whether they were already previously published. What was found was that most writers today are on average older, educated women, who have already established their careers as writers, matching the data found in The Author’s Guild survey. This survey study also showed that men are underrepresented in these literary journals, as well as those who identify as LGBT+ and those who have not been published before.
