Laura Dietz

Dr. Laura Dietz serves as a Lecturer in Publishing within the Department of Information Studies at University College London (UCL). Her academic role focuses on the evolving landscape of publishing in digital environments, with particular emphasis on how technological changes impact reading experiences and authorship.

Dr. Dietz holds a PhD from University College London, a BA from Stanford University, and a PGCE from Anglia Ruskin University. Her educational background spans literary studies, creative writing, and teacher training, providing interdisciplinary foundations for her research.

Her research program centers on screen reading behaviors, digital publishing ecosystems, and contemporary authorship models, with special attention to how reputation systems and legitimacy frameworks operate in digital book environments. Current projects include the UCL Grand Challenges initiative 'Co-creating Digital Bibliotherapy' in partnership with The Reading Agency and Open University. Her work frequently examines the cultural economy of online literary spaces, Amazon's influence on novel production, and emerging AI applications in publishing workflows.

Dr. Dietz's scholarly output reveals consistent focus on digital book legitimacy, author reputation systems, and reader experiences across platforms. Her recent monograph 'E-books and 'Real Books': Digital Reading and the Experience of Bookness' (Cambridge University Press, 2024) synthesizes years of research into how physical and digital reading experiences differ in perceived value and cultural status. Earlier work established foundational insights into e-novel credibility assessment and digital literary magazine economies.

Professional service includes editorial board membership for the Journal of Electronic Publishing and Short Fiction in Theory and Practice, plus directorship on the Society for the History of Authorship, Reading and Publishing (SHARP) Board. She previously contributed to literary prize operations, festival committees, and the Association for Publishing Education.

As an educator, Dr. Dietz leads key publishing modules including Publishing Studies (INST0095) and From Authors to Readers (INST0048), while supervising dissertation work. Her teaching directly integrates current industry challenges with theoretical frameworks from book history and media studies.