In this week’s interview, Mslexia’s founder and editor Debbie Taylor shares her career in the publishing industry and her hopes for the future.

Mslexia is a British magazine ‘for women that write’, offering resources and advice for subscribers to develop their writing and progress in the world of publishing. Published quarterly, each issue includes interviews with top authors, insider insights into the minds of literary agents and editor and inspirational exercises and masterclasses.

Issues From The Digital Mslexia Archive

Individual and institutional subscriptions to the digital modern archive can be purchased through the Exact Editions online shops. The cross-platform subscriptions are fully-searchable and can be access on web, iOS and Android devices.

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1) What’s your role within Mslexia?

I am the founder and editor of the magazine and also the CEO of Mslexia Publications. This year (2019) we became a charity and celebrated our 20th anniversary.

2) What attracted you to the magazine publishing industry?

I worked at the New Internationalist magazine for seven years. It’s managed as a co-operative, so I learnt a huge amount about how to run a publishing company while I was there. Then I went freelance, wrote a novel and had a baby and realised there was nothing on the market that addressed the specific challenges of women writers.

3) Who’s your favourite author and why?

Far too many to name — and all women (though I admit to having a soft spot for Lee Child).

4) If you weren’t working in publishing, what would you be doing?

Writing novels and non-fiction books full-time. I have done this in the past, but it’s a lonely life. I love the camaraderie of the office and how editing Mslexia keeps me in touch with what’s going on in the literary world.

5) Do you have an all-time favourite Mslexia issue?

What a strange question! Every issue of Mslexia is a mix of journalism, reviews, fiction and poetry so it’s hard to think of a reason to single out any one issue. I do have some all-time favourite covers though…

Issue 84 of Mslexia

6) Which country have you enjoyed visiting most?

Zimbabwe, where my first novel is set and Crete where my third novel is set and where I do all of my creative writing. I’m currently writing a novel set in Botswana, but I haven’t been there for over 30 years.

7) What do you think will have changed in the publishing industry in 5 years?

I hope and believe that the publishing workforce will continue to diversify, so that in five years time it will better reflect the diversity of the general population. Hopefully that will result in a similarly diverse range of new authors and titles. I also think there will be closer links and more overlaps between material published in print and online, and in performances of various kinds.

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Thanks so much for taking part Debbie! If you’d like to participate in a publisher interview of your own, contact us at publisher@exacteditions.com.