Natasha Onwuemezi

Guest editing with strategic insight and cultural authority

Context

In mid-2025, The Bookseller – a leading trade magazine – commissioned me to guest edit its annual special edition dedicated to the experiences of Black professionals in the publishing industry.

The brief

Shape an issue that would go beyond representation and provide strategic insight into the evolving realities, challenges, and opportunities within the sector.

My role

As Guest Editor, I developed the issue’s editorial direction and narrative framework. I commissioned and edited features, interviews, and analysis from a range of contributors across the publishing landscape. My goal was to inform and challenge the trade by placing individual stories in the context of industry-wide patterns and long-term implications.

What I did

• Authored:
  • A strategic editor’s letter framing the issue around sustained equity and industry accountability, using five years of data on acquisitions and advancement of Black authors and publishing professionals.
  • A 40th anniversary profile of Peepal Tree Press exploring legacy and independence.
  • Author interviews with prize-winning author Tayari Jones and debut novelist Foday Mannah, exploring identity, audience and the global publishing ecosystem.
  • A trend-based industry feature on “Black Publishing in 2025”, capturing hard metrics and cultural shifts.
  • A six-page books’ preview dedicated to forthcoming titles from black authors and illustrators.
• Commissioned and edited:
  • A data-driven piece about trends in sales of Black authors.
• Managed budget and timeline across a multi-contributor team.

Results

• Widely circulated across UK publishing houses and academic institutions; shared by major stakeholders on social and trade channels.
• Used in panel discussions and workshops post-publication, including at the Marketing & Publicity Conference
• Received recognition for editorial clarity and cultural, social and systemic insight and relevance.

Takeaway

This project demonstrates my ability to:

• Lead a content initiative from ideation through to multi-stakeholder execution.
• Combine qualitative interviews and cultural signals with trend and performance data.
• Deliver editorial products with long-tail value across PR, brand, events, and internal engagement.

Read the editor’s letter:

Will Black authors ultimately receive the long-term support they need?

Read the full issue: