Holly Greenland
Contact
- Email: h.greenland@kingston.ac.uk
- Location: Kingston School of Art, Knights Park
- Faculty: Kingston School of Art
- School: School of Creative and Cultural Industries
- Department: Department of Journalism, Publishing and Media
- Personal website
Research project: Profiling the self-published author: who are they, what factors influence their success and what implications might this have for the publishing industry?
Abstract
The primary aim of the study is to:
- undertake a segmentation exercise to define the profiles that make up the self-publishing author community today, and further identify the factors that impact the likelihood of "commercial success" when self-publishing. Variables tested include personality traits, motivations, investments and demographics.
Secondary outputs:
- producing an evidenced narrative of the impact of self-publishing on the changing expectations and role of the author in the publishing process,
- concluding whether the rise of self-publishing has disrupted the established tradition of who can publish, how to publish, and what stories authors tell, including considering what this may mean for the future of publishing.
Core data: author survey (800+ responses) and eBook sales data.
- Research degree: PhD
- Title of project: Profiling the self-published author: who are they, what factors influence their success and what implications might this have for the publishing industry?
- Research supervisor: Professor Alison Baverstock
- Other research supervisors:
Biography
I am a self-published author, with coming up to twenty years' experience in communications strategy, insight and content publishing. I have worked across the public sector, including at the BBC, in impartial roles at UK Parliament, and as a senior consultant with charities and public bodies.
My experience writing and publishing outside of traditional publishing models led me to my PhD topic exploring self-published authors; who they are, why they self-publish and what influences success. The main project supervisor, Professor Alison Baverstock, undertook the first academic study into the self-publishing author role, and this work builds on those findings.
I have a wider interest in diversity of author voice and was recently commissioned by UK Parliament to work with creatives with lived experiences to produce illustrated short-stories on change makers across different communities. I have also co-authored a guide to democratic engagement for the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA).
Areas of research interest
- Self-publishing
- Success factors
- Author voice
- Personality types
- Marketing & Communications
- Diversity in the arts
- Protected characteristics
Qualifications
- MA in Creative and Critical Writing, Sussex University
- BA Joint Hons in English Literature and Theatre Studies, Royal Holloway, University of London