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Publishing Research Quarterly

Due Date: 02-12-2026

We invite submissions for a special issue of Publishing Research Quarterly focused on “Environmental Sustainability and Book Publishing.” This issue aims to bring together research, tools, and practices relevant to the global book industry’s transition to greener practices.

Topics may include (but are not limited to):

Environmental sustainability in commissioning, publishing and editorial practice
The role of book design, including cover materials, inks, and other elements, in sustainability efforts
Paper and printing possibilities, including post-consumer-waste paper and alternative fibers, and impediments to change
Sustainable marketing and publicity
Packaging innovations and possibilities
Green transport, distribution and warehousing
Operationalizing metadata in the service of green goals
Carbon tracking across a book’s life cycle
Publishers’ digital footprints and how this is being tracked
Challenges for sectors such as children’s or illustrated publishing
Alternative publishing and distribution models that reduce waste and their viability
Practical tools and metrics for carbon tracking
Scope 3 emissions and how these are being tracked within net-zero commitments
Implementation of the SDG Publishers Compact and similar initiatives
The impact of AI adoption on sustainability goals
Government policies affecting sustainable publishing (e.g., the UK single-use plastics ban)
The industry’s relationship to regenerative futures, circular economies and related frameworks
Overlaps between environmental and social sustainability
Industry myths and misinformation that impede the green transition
Lobbying, advocacy and legislation for change

See the link for more details.

Please send proposals for articles, including an abstract of around 250 words and a short biographical note, to Angela Meyer (angela.meyer2@rmit.edu.au).

Deadline for abstracts (extended): 12 February 2026
Full-text article submissions: 1 July 2026
Expected publication: March 2027