Publishing Model
The Literary Encyclopedia was founded in 1998 with the aim of providing a reliable scholarly online reference work for English-language readers, primarily in the higher education humanities. It was developed as a not-for-profit project aimed to ensure that those who contribute to it are properly rewarded for the time and knowledge they invest.
The Literary Encyclopedia is owned by The Literary Dictionary Company Ltd, with contributing members of the Encyclopedia (editors and authors) sharing ownership of the publication, receiving shares and royalties commensurate with their personal investment in the development of the publication.
The publication is overseen by an Editor-in-Chief (currently Dr. Robert Clark, one of the Founding Editors) who focuses on editorial and commercial strategy, and a Managing Editor (currently Dr. Cristina Sandru) who deals with all day-to-day matters. They are advised by an elected Policy Committee. They also report annually to shareholders on financial matters, and regularly consult with them via email circulars and personal correspondence.
Editorial decisions concerning the Encyclopedia, including decisions concerning its content, format and distribution, are made by the Editor-in-Chief in consultation with the Managing Editor and the Policy Committee, and the members of the Editorial Board.
All editors and authors can see their contribution and shareholder status displayed in their personal account pages [MyLE Account], accessible after logging in. Shareholders receive annual statements of the Company accounts and are always consulted about any decisions which might affect their proprietorial rights.
Our content is solicited by invitation from specialist scholars by our subject Editors; we also accept unsolicited proposals from qualified researchers, with a proven track-record in the topic of the proposed entry. All articles, whether solicited or offered, will be reviewed by one or more of the subject editors on our Editorial Board, or by one or more external referees (where we do not currently have specialist editorial supervision).
