Professor Alison Baverstock
Faculties, departments and locations
- ΢ÃÜȦ School of Art
- Department of Journalism, Publishing and Media
- School of Creative and Cultural Industries
- Penrhyn Road
Professor of Publishing, Director of the ΢ÃÜȦ Big Read, founder of Reading Force
- Email:
- [email protected]
About
I co-founded MA Publishing at ΢ÃÜȦ in 2005–6 and have been heavily involved in the international development of publishing studies throughout the period. I believe strongly that a professional discipline, offering both academic thinking and professional practice at the highest level, equips our graduates for a career in publishing, as well as allied fields. Understanding both the 'how' and 'why' leaves them well placed to solve problems we do not yet even anticipate.
Prior to working in higher education, I was a publisher. I have researched and written broadly about the industry and contemporary culture. My books are widely translated and used world-wide within industry, academia – and general society.
A lot of my research related to my commitment to widening awareness of the ongoing benefits that come from involvement in reading and books. I have been significantly involved with initiatives to encourage participation. These include founding the award-winning Well Worth Reading within public libraries (1985 onwards, now part of The Reading Agency), Reading Force () within Forces families and at ΢ÃÜȦ our pre-arrival and internationally recognised shared-reading scheme – The ΢ÃÜȦ Big Read (which won a Times Higher Education (THE) Award for Widening Participation in 2017).
My industry-related research has explored the discipline of publishing studies, self-publishing, marketing in publishing, what shapes an author and how shared reading can serve to make transition between educational stages easier (now working within schools as well as HE).
I have also published four books (with Gill Hines) on parenting, including the bestselling Whatever! A down to earth guide to parenting teenagers (Piatkus), and introducing young people to art – a personal passion. A first generation student myself, I am committed to widening participation, inclusion and civic engagement.
I live in ΢ÃÜȦ. I'm always keen to convince others that it's a great place to live, as well as work.
Qualifications
- PhD
- MA
- PFHEA
- National Teaching Fellow (2018)
- Winner of the Pandora Award, for a significant contribution to the publishing industry (2007)
- Recipient of a PM's Pillar of Light Award (2019)
- Lifetime contribution to military wellbeing from 'Soldiering On' (2022)
- Winner, with Claire Jackson, of the Universities Alliance, Best Innovation Award (2022)
Domains
Courses taught
I am currently supervising PhDs within publishing history, literacy, bibliotherapy and marketing in publishing and have supervised several candidates for PhD by Publication to completion. Please get in touch if you have a proposal for consideration as a PhD, or a body of work you think might be presented for PhD by Publication.
Publications
At the height of the moon : a book of bedtime poetry and art
(2021). Munich, Germany: (Prestel)
Contemporary publishing and the culture of books
(2020). London, U.K.: (Routledge)
Later! a guide to parenting a young adult
Hines, Gill and Baverstock, Alison (2014). London, U.K.: (Piatkus Books)
Writing family memoir: a 60-minute masterclass
Baverstock, Alison (2014). London, U.K.: (The Guardian)
13 British artists children should know
Baverstock, Alison (2011). Munich, Germany: (Prestel)
The naked author: a guide to self-publishing
Baverstock, Alison (2011). London, U.K.: (Bloomsbury)
How to get a job in a museum or art gallery
Baverstock, Alison (2010). London, U.K.:
It's not fair! Parenting your bright and challenging child
Hines, Gill and Baverstock, Alison (2009). London, U.K.: (Piatkus)
How to get a job in publishing: a really practical guide to careers in books and magazines
Baverstock, Alison, Carey, Steve and Bowen, Susannah (2008). London, U.K.:
How to market books: the essential guide to maximizing profit and exploiting all channels to market
Baverstock, Alison (2008). London, U.K.: (Kogan Page)
Is there a book in you?
Baverstock, Alison (2006). London, U.K.:
Whatever! a down to earth guide to parenting teenagers
Baverstock, Alison and Hines, Gill (2005). London, U.K.: (Piatkus Books)
Joseph Cornell: secrets in a box
Baverstock, Alison (2003). Munich, Germany: (Prestel)
Publicity, newsletters and press releases
Baverstock, Alison (2002). Oxford, U.K.: (Oxford University Press)
Marketing your book: an author's guide
Baverstock, Alison (2001). London, U.K.:
Commonsense marketing for non-marketers: straightforward techniques for spectacular results!
Baverstock, Alison (1995). London, U.K.: (Piatkus)
Are books different?: marketing in the book trade
Baverstock, Alison (1993). London, U.K.: (Kogan Page)
Well worth reading: an experiment in fiction promotion
Baverstock, Alison and McKearney, Miranda (1990). Winchester, U.K.: (Well Worth Reading)
How did the embedding of a shared-read within a programme of Outward Bound activity impact on cohort bonding?
Baverstock, Alison, Gordon, Hattie, Steinitz, Jackie, Harsham, Jane and Thow, Georgina, 2025, Logos (35), 4, pp 32-42
What were the processes and impact of establishing a book group in the hilltop benefice?
Baverstock, Alison, Bates, Leah and Steinitz, Jackie, 2024, Logos (35), 1, pp 58-68
What were the processes and associated impact of enabling Education students to increase their awareness of the specific educational issues of Service families?
Baverstock, Alison, 2023, Education 3-13 (51), 2, pp 212-228
How can shared-reading be used to develop community connectivity within the contemporary church?
Baverstock, Alison, Steinitz, Jackie and Cowie, Andrew, 2022, Logos (33), 1, pp 36-45
What were the processes and outcomes of offering shared reading as an intervention for veterans in prison?
Baverstock, Alison, Boorman, Elaine, Morgan-Armstrong, Corin, Jenkins, Leanne and Morgan, Helen, 2021, Logos (32), 3, pp 7-27
The Big Read Collaboration between ΢ÃÜȦ, the University of Wolverhampton, Edge Hill University, and the University of the West of Scotland, 2018–2019
Baverstock, Alison, Steinitz, Jackie, Shelar, Tanuja, Squires, Kelly, Karodia, Nazira, Butler, Rebecca, Smith, Sara, Sopromadze, Natia, Crowley, Sara, Clark, Alison, Hutchinson, Maya, Holderness, Rebecca, Carney, Clare, Castle, Jeanette and Jefferies, Richard, 2020, Logos (31), 3, pp 34-65
What significance does Publishing Studies have right now?
Baverstock, Alison, 2020, Learned Publishing (33), 4, pp 449-452
What President Trump has shown us about choosing a subject for political biography
Baverstock, Alison and Steinitz, Jackie, 2019, Logos (30), 2, pp 7-11
What makes a writer? How do early influences shape, and working habits develop, those who write?
Baverstock, Alison and Steinitz, Jackie, 2019, Publishing Research Quarterly (35), 3, pp 327-351
What were the processes and outcomes of involving secondary school pupils transitioning from primary to secondary school in pre-arrival shared-reading? A case study
Baverstock, Alison, Steinitz, Jackie, Morris, Julie and Fenwick, Catherine, 2019, Education 3-13 (47), 8, pp 933-956
Using pre-arrival shared reading to promote a sense of community : a case study across two institutions
Baverstock, Alison, Steinitz, Jackie, Webster-Henderson, Brian, Bryars, Laura, Cairncross, Sandra, Ennis, Laura, Morris, Wendy, Gray, Avril and McLuckie, Connie, 2018, Logos (29), 4, pp 37-52
What value do academic qualifications have within a profession-oriented discipline?
Baverstock, Alison and Wenger, Debora, 2018, Journalism Education (6), 3, pp 72-84
Does free mean without value? And is free ever worth stealing? The process, outcomes and learnings from a practice as research project encouraging recipients of a free book to value what they received
Baverstock, Alison and Somerville, Clare, 2018, Logos (29), 1, pp 38-55
How do you choose a book for a pre-arrival shared reading scheme within a University? A case study
Baverstock, Alison, Steinitz, Jackie, Bryars, Laura, Sheehan, Kimberley, Butler, Charlotte, Williams, Allison, Dalba, Angelika, Brixey, Dan, Conor, Adam, Higgins, Ciara and Waddington, Elle, 2017, Logos (28), 3, pp 41-57
What were the process and response of university staff and students to the availability of a shared reading scheme for those embarking on a university education? A case study
Baverstock, Alison and Steinitz, Jackie, 2017, Logos (28), 1, pp 29-44
Using shared reading to switch students onto books
Baverstock, Alison, 2016, The Bookseller : Futurebook
12 tips on how to work across a university
Baverstock, Alison, 2016, Times Higher Education
Is peer review still the content industry's upper house?
Baverstock, Alison, 2016, Learned Publishing (29), 1, pp 65-68
Book Review of: 'The cottage by the highway and other essays on publishing : 25 Years of Logos' edited by Angus Phillips
Baverstock, Alison, 2016, SHARP News (25), 1, pp 29-29
What are the barriers to trying to reach, and evaluate the impact of working with, Forces Families? Assessing the effectiveness of Reading Force, a programme to promote shared reading within the Forces community
Baverstock, Alison, 2016, Logos (27), 4, pp 36-56
The implementation of a shared reading programme within a university : a case study
Baverstock, Alison, Steinitz, Jackie, Bryars, Laura, Kerin, Michael, Peel, Naomi, Stohler, Rachel and Waddington, Elle, 2016, Logos (27), 2, pp 48-61
How the role of the independent editor is changing in relation to traditional and self-publishing
Baverstock, Alison, Blackburn, Robert and Iskandarova, Marfuga, 2015, Learned Publishing (28), 2, pp 123-131
Who are the independent editors, how did they reach their role and what are their associated job satisfactions?
Baverstock, Alison, Blackburn, Robert and Iskandarova, Marfuga, 2015, Learned Publishing (28), 1, pp 43-53
Does the UK book-publishing industry today lack boundaries - or frontiers?
Baverstock, Alison, 2015, Logos (26), 1, pp 27-39
How is the discipline of publishing studies accommodated within universities?
Baverstock, Alison and Steinitz, Jackie, 2014, Learned Publishing (27), 4, pp 291-300
Barriers and opportunities for research in publishing studies
Baverstock, Alison and Steinitz, Jackie, 2014, Learned Publishing (27), 3, pp 207-221
What satisfactions do self-publishing authors gain from the process?
Baverstock, Alison and Steinitz, Jackie, 2013, Learned Publishing (26), 4, pp 272-282
Who are the self-publishers?
Baverstock, Alison and Steinitz, Jackie, 2013, Learned Publishing (26), 3, pp 211-223
Reading Force: can an experience of shared reading be used as a conduit to effective communication within both Services families and their wider communities?
Baverstock, Alison and Gordon, Hattie, 2013, Children in War: The International Journal of Evacuee and War Child Studies (1), 10, pp 77-88
Are publishers born or made?
Baverstock, Alison, 2012, Logos (23), 1, pp 30-37
How well do UK publishers of marketing textbooks investigate and understand the market to which they are selling?
Masikunas, George and Baverstock, Alison Mary, 2011, International Journal of the Book (8), 4, pp 93-102
Where will the next generation of publishers come from?
Baverstock, Alison, 2010, Journal of Scholarly Publishing (42), 1, pp 31-44
What competencies do today's academic authors need?
Baverstock, Alison, 2010, Journal of Scholarly Publishing (41), 3, pp 354-363
Big audio-visual dynamite?
Baverstock, Alison, 2008, Myslexia (38), pp 8-12
Wanted: first job in publishing
Baverstock, Alison and Davies, Hannah, 2008, The Bookseller (5323), pp 52-52
Trouble and strife on the home front
Baverstock, Alison, 2007, The Sunday Times, pp 9-9
Is there a book in you? The resources writers need to get published
Baverstock, Alison, 2007, International Journal of the Book (4), 3, pp 87-92
Supermarket sex: it's the write stuff
Baverstock, Alison, 2004, The Times Newspaper (68151), pp 6-6
Practice to a peak: is private coaching skewing standards?
Baverstock, Alison, 2004, The Times Newspaper (67971), pp 16-16
Standing up for copyrights
Baverstock, Alison, 2003, The Bookseller (5076), pp 10-10
Why they don't buy books
Baverstock, Alison, 2002, The Bookseller (5049), pp 26-27
University challenge
Baverstock, Alison, 2002, The Bookseller (5023), pp 16-16
Who takes legal responsibility for published work? Why both an understanding and lived experience of copyright are becoming increasingly important to writers
Baverstock, Alison (2019). In: Jeffries, Janis, (eds.) and Kember, Sarah, (eds.), Whose book is it anyway? A view from elsewhere on publishing, copyright and creativity. [Cambridge, U.K.]: Open Book Publishers, pp 105-128
Helping to market your book
Baverstock, Alison (2012). In: Owen, Alysoun, (ed.), London, U.K.: Bloomsbury, pp 306-309
How to attract the attention of a literary agent
Baverstock, Alison (2012). In: Owen, Alysoun, (ed.), London, U.K.: Bloomsbury, pp 425-428
Is there a book in you?
Baverstock, Alison (2012). In: Owen, Alysoun, (ed.), London, U.K.: Bloomsbury, pp 279-282
How to present yourself as a writer
Baverstock, Alison (2007). In: Earnshaw, Steven, (ed.), The handbook of creative writing. Edinburgh, U.K.: Edinburgh University Press, pp 369-375
Help along the way: Alison Baverstock
Baverstock, Alison (2004). In: Scottish Publishers Association, (ed.), Thirtieth anniversary of the Scottish Publishers Association: a celebration. Edinburgh, U.K.: Scottish Publishers Association, pp 86-87
What part can pre-arrival shared-reading play in student understanding of their transition to higher education and the nature and role of assessment within universities?
Baverstock, Alison(2018). In: Simply Better : Researching Assessment Practices – Improving Student Outcomes, 13 Sep 2018 :Southampton, U.K.
Hands across the sea : UK/USA collaboration on common reading
Baverstock, Alison, Morris, Wendy, Bannerhan, Leslie, Knight, Dewey and Dennis, Melissa(2018). In: 37th Annual Conference on The First-Year Experience, 10-13 February 2018 :San Antonio, TX, USA
Using shared reading to promote a sense of community - between 30,000 students, 10,000 staff and over 400+ miles
Baverstock, Alison, Bryars, Laura, Webster-Henderson, Brian and Rivera, Errol(2017). In: HEA Annual Conference 2017 - Generation TEF : Teaching in the spotlight, 04 - 06 Jul 2017 :Manchester, U.K.
Case study : effectively engaging students - The ΢ÃÜȦ Big Read
Baverstock, Alison and Bryars, Laura(2017). In: Promoting and Improving Student Wellbeing in Higher Education, 18 May 2017 :London, U.K.
How can pre-arrival shared reading build a university community?
Baverstock, Alison, Ennis, Laura, Morris, Wendy and Moulton, Joanne(2017). In: The London Book Fair, 14-16 Mar 2017 :London, U.K.
Why self-publishing now demands research rather than disdain
Baverstock, Alison(2012). In: Educational Research Forum, 15 Jun 2012 :΢ÃÜȦ upon Thames, U.K.
But who will buy it?
Baverstock, Alison(2010). In: Annual ΢ÃÜȦ Publishing Conference, 03 - 04 Sep 2010 :΢ÃÜȦ upon Thames, U.K.
What has changed? Publishing at a crossroads in the 21st century
Baverstock, Alison(2010). In: Annual ΢ÃÜȦ Publishing Conference, 03 - 04 Sep 2010 :΢ÃÜȦ upon Thames, U.K.
Getting started as a writer
Baverstock, Alison(2010). In: ΢ÃÜȦ Reader's Festival, 26 Apr 2010 :΢ÃÜȦ upon Thames, U.K.
It's not fair! Parenting the bright and challenging child
Hines, Gill and Baverstock, Alison(2010). In: ΢ÃÜȦ Reader's Festival, 23 Apr 2010 :΢ÃÜȦ upon Thames, U.K.
How to get a publisher or agent to notice your work
Baverstock, Alison(2009). In: ΢ÃÜȦ Reader's Festival, 23 Apr - 22 May 2009 :΢ÃÜȦ upon Thames, U.K.
Is there a book in you? The resources writers need to get published
Baverstock, Alison Mary(2006). In: Fourth international conference on the book, 20-22 Oct 2006 :Boston, U.S.
How books became less 'different ' : an exploration of the rise of marketing within the publishing industry 1980-2010, and consideration of how this not only changed the business model, but impacted on the role of the author; with consideration of the likely associated implications of these developments in future
Baverstock, Alison Mary (2012), PhD thesis, Oxford Brookes University