One of the most critical and rewarding aspects of developing a journal portfolio for publishers to navigate is the process of launching new titles. Honing a research niche to be filled by a startup journal and developing a publication rollout plan along with its founding editors is both an art and a science.
Among notable recent examples is the founding of Global Black Thought by the University of Pennsylvania Press in partnership with the African American Intellectual History Society (AAIHS). Global Black Thought is one of the first publications devoted to the study of the Black intellectual tradition, as discussed by the journal’s Editor-in-Chief, renowned historian Dr. Keisha N. Blain, in an interview about its Spring 2025 launch for the AAIHS blog Black Perspectives.
This month, Penn Press and AAIHS celebrated the release of Global Black Thought’s second issue. The Scholastica team has been excited to follow the progression of the journal, which uses our peer review system, so I decided to reach out to Penn Press’s Journals Director, Jocelyn Dawson, to learn more about how Global Black Thought got off the ground and her advice for other publishers planning to start new titles. Below is a transcript of our discussion, which is part of Scholastica’s “Community Conversations” blog series, where we invite Scholastica users to share their latest publishing initiatives and learnings.
Many thanks to Jocelyn for taking the time for this interview!
Interview with Jocelyn Dawson
How did Penn Press work with the founding editors of Global Black Thought and AAIHS to develop the vision for the journal and bring it to life?
JD: The academic editor, Keisha Blain, came to us with a fully formed vision for Global Black Thought, which publishes work on Black intellectual thought in the US and African diaspora. She and the journal’s inaugural managing editor, Robert Greene, as well as their board and others within the AAIHS, wanted to launch Global Black Thought as a space for long-form pieces that would focus exclusively on the work of Black intellectuals. The AAIHS already publishes an award-winning blog, Black Perspectives, which is a leading online platform for public scholarship on global Black thought, history, and culture. The blog’s consistently high traffic and engagement showed the demand for this work, and the AAIHS felt that an academic journal was a natural next step.
Last week the second issue of Global Black Thought launched. The first issue has had incredible usage with over 6,500 hits since its May launch. We’re eager to see how the journal continues to grow.
Can you share some background on the process for launching Global Black Thought and how you approach adding new titles to Penn Press’s portfolio?
JD: Penn Press welcomes proposals from both new and existing journals. We’re looking for top-quality scholarship, fit with our journals list, and financial sustainability, whether from traditional subscription models (like Global Black Thought’s) or open-access models.
The most challenging aspect of launching any new journal, even one with a strong society backing it, is building a library subscription base. In a time when university libraries are feeling budget pressure, finding money for a new title is challenging. Faculty recommendations can make a big difference in whether or not an institution adopts a title. With new journals, it’s critical that faculty talk to their librarians about what makes a journal an essential resource for students and faculty at their institution.
What are some of the key insights you’ve gained from this and previous journal launches that others could learn from?
JD: The most successful new journals have an enthusiastic and engaged community behind them, whether that’s an editorial board or an academic society. New journals are a lot of work — editors must build a submission pipeline, and publishers have to connect the journal with readers and subscribers. Having individuals who care about and advocate for the journal is crucial.
Now that Global Black Thought is up and running, what are Penn Press’s primary goals for supporting the journal’s development, and what are you most excited about?
JD: With the journal’s second issue out now, we have a full volume of content to point authors and readers to, which will support efforts to expand the journal’s readership and grow its author base. Together with the AAIHS, we’ve built a space for the best work in Black intellectual thought to be published, and we look forward to seeing how this work finds its way into courses, conferences, and conversations, and how it shapes future scholarship in this field.
Thanks again to Jocelyn for taking the time for this interview!
Interested in reading more Scholastica community conversation series blog posts? Check out our last interview with Hopkins Press’s Journals Director, Bill Breichner, about the Press’s experience participating in Project MUSE’s S2O initiative.
