GITNUXREPORT 2025

Remote And Hybrid Work In The Publishing Industry Statistics

Majority of publishing industry adopts remote/hybrid work boosting productivity and satisfaction.

Jannik Linder

Co-Founder of Gitnux, specialized in content and tech since 2016.

First published: April 29, 2025

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Statistic 1

45% of publishing companies report cost savings due to remote work arrangements

Statistic 2

45% of publishers have reduced office space due to remote work trends

Statistic 3

55% of publishers report improved diversity and inclusion with remote work policies

Statistic 4

68% of publishing companies have adopted hybrid work models as of 2023

Statistic 5

54% of editors prefer remote work for better productivity

Statistic 6

72% of publishing professionals believe remote work enhances work-life balance

Statistic 7

60% of freelance authors prefer remote collaboration

Statistic 8

55% of in-house publishing staff work remotely at least part of the time

Statistic 9

40% of traditional publishers increased their remote workforce in the last year

Statistic 10

62% of publishing employees say remote work has improved their job satisfaction

Statistic 11

40% of publishing jobs posted in 2023 are remote opportunities

Statistic 12

65% of authors and editors prefer working remotely during the pandemic recovery phase

Statistic 13

75% of publishing firms reported increased productivity after shifting to remote work

Statistic 14

58% of publishing executives believe remote work will be standard in the industry within the next 5 years

Statistic 15

80% of remote publishing workers access their work using mobile devices

Statistic 16

50% of editors spend over 60% of their workweek working remotely

Statistic 17

39% of publishers plan to increase remote work options post-pandemic

Statistic 18

70% of publishing organizations see remote work as a key factor in attracting talent

Statistic 19

44% of freelance publishing professionals prefer fully remote work setups

Statistic 20

63% of staff involved in publishing believe remote work fosters better creativity

Statistic 21

46% of publishing professionals say remote work has led to improved editorial quality

Statistic 22

38% of publishers transitioned to digital-first workflows to support remote teams

Statistic 23

69% of remote publishing employees access industry publications via online platforms

Statistic 24

52% of authors find submitting manuscripts easier remotely

Statistic 25

49% of publishing companies have adopted asynchronous work systems to enhance remote collaboration

Statistic 26

67% of remote publishing workers report better work-life balance compared to onsite workers

Statistic 27

44% of publishing professionals report feeling more empowered when working remotely

Statistic 28

65% of publishers around the world have adapted their workflows to support remote editorial collaboration

Statistic 29

46% of book publishers report that remote work has increased manuscript submission rates

Statistic 30

54% of publishing professionals believe remote work helps reduce environmental impact by decreasing commuting

Statistic 31

42% of publishers view remote work as essential for future crisis resilience

Statistic 32

29% of manuscript editing tasks are now managed remotely exclusively

Statistic 33

74% of publishers see remote work as a driver for innovation in publishing processes

Statistic 34

55% of survey participants in publishing report that remote work enhances their ability to meet project deadlines

Statistic 35

45% of publishers implement flexible work hours to accommodate remote teams

Statistic 36

37% of in-house editorial staff have reported improved focus due to remote work environment

Statistic 37

68% of publishing industry newcomers prefer remote internships for easier access

Statistic 38

33% of publishing houses use virtual tools for editorial meetings

Statistic 39

70% of publishing companies invest in cloud-based collaboration platforms

Statistic 40

66% of publishing companies have faced hurdles in digital collaboration

Statistic 41

41% of publishing firms utilize virtual reality tools for remote author interactions

Statistic 42

49% of publishing firms track remote workers’ productivity using digital monitoring tools

Statistic 43

71% of publishers increased their investment in remote collaboration software in 2023

Statistic 44

30% of publishing industry conferences are now hybrid with online participation options

Statistic 45

51% of publishers anticipate increased use of automation tools for publishing tasks in a remote setting

Statistic 46

32% of publishing companies have faced technological barriers in fully adopting remote work

Statistic 47

70% of surveyed publishers plan to increase cybersecurity investments for remote work environments

Statistic 48

35% of remote publishing authors use specialized software for digital rights management

Statistic 49

57% of publishing companies employ digital assistants to support remote editorial workflows

Statistic 50

53% of publishers have adopted cloud-based manuscript management systems to facilitate remote editing

Statistic 51

60% of publishing financial teams utilize remote working tools for budgeting and planning

Statistic 52

63% of publishing industry training programs now include modules on remote work skills

Statistic 53

48% of publishing companies report challenges in remote onboarding processes

Statistic 54

29% of publishers have experienced security concerns with remote work

Statistic 55

59% of publishers report difficulty maintaining team cohesion remotely

Statistic 56

36% of publishing companies have experienced increased turnover due to remote work dissatisfaction

Statistic 57

54% of editorial teams report challenges in maintaining effective communication remotely

Statistic 58

58% of publishing firms emphasize training staff for remote work skills

Statistic 59

49% of publishing industry leaders see increased accessibility for disabled employees through remote policies

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Sources

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Key Highlights

68% of publishing companies have adopted hybrid work models as of 2023
54% of editors prefer remote work for better productivity
72% of publishing professionals believe remote work enhances work-life balance
45% of publishing companies report cost savings due to remote work arrangements
60% of freelance authors prefer remote collaboration
55% of in-house publishing staff work remotely at least part of the time
40% of traditional publishers increased their remote workforce in the last year
33% of publishing houses use virtual tools for editorial meetings
62% of publishing employees say remote work has improved their job satisfaction
48% of publishing companies report challenges in remote onboarding processes
70% of publishing companies invest in cloud-based collaboration platforms
40% of publishing jobs posted in 2023 are remote opportunities
29% of publishers have experienced security concerns with remote work

As remote and hybrid work models reshape the publishing industry, with over two-thirds of companies adopting flexible arrangements in 2023, a new era of productivity, creativity, and work-life balance is emerging for publishers, authors, and editors alike.

Cost Savings

45% of publishing companies report cost savings due to remote work arrangements

Cost Savings Interpretation

With nearly half of publishing companies swooping into remote work savings, it seems the only thing printing faster than stories these days is their bottom line.

Cost Savings, Efficiency, and Infrastructure

45% of publishers have reduced office space due to remote work trends

Cost Savings, Efficiency, and Infrastructure Interpretation

Nearly half of publishers have shrunk their office footprints in response to remote work trends, illustrating a seismic shift from traditional publishing houses as they pivot towards more flexible, digitally-enabled workflows.

Diversity, Training, and Industry Trends

55% of publishers report improved diversity and inclusion with remote work policies

Diversity, Training, and Industry Trends Interpretation

With over half of publishers seeing a boost in diversity and inclusion thanks to remote work, it's clear that flexible work arrangements are not just a perk but a powerful lever for creating a more equitable publishing industry.

Remote Work Adoption and Preferences

68% of publishing companies have adopted hybrid work models as of 2023
54% of editors prefer remote work for better productivity
72% of publishing professionals believe remote work enhances work-life balance
60% of freelance authors prefer remote collaboration
55% of in-house publishing staff work remotely at least part of the time
40% of traditional publishers increased their remote workforce in the last year
62% of publishing employees say remote work has improved their job satisfaction
40% of publishing jobs posted in 2023 are remote opportunities
65% of authors and editors prefer working remotely during the pandemic recovery phase
75% of publishing firms reported increased productivity after shifting to remote work
58% of publishing executives believe remote work will be standard in the industry within the next 5 years
80% of remote publishing workers access their work using mobile devices
50% of editors spend over 60% of their workweek working remotely
39% of publishers plan to increase remote work options post-pandemic
70% of publishing organizations see remote work as a key factor in attracting talent
44% of freelance publishing professionals prefer fully remote work setups
63% of staff involved in publishing believe remote work fosters better creativity
46% of publishing professionals say remote work has led to improved editorial quality
38% of publishers transitioned to digital-first workflows to support remote teams
69% of remote publishing employees access industry publications via online platforms
52% of authors find submitting manuscripts easier remotely
49% of publishing companies have adopted asynchronous work systems to enhance remote collaboration
67% of remote publishing workers report better work-life balance compared to onsite workers
44% of publishing professionals report feeling more empowered when working remotely
65% of publishers around the world have adapted their workflows to support remote editorial collaboration
46% of book publishers report that remote work has increased manuscript submission rates
54% of publishing professionals believe remote work helps reduce environmental impact by decreasing commuting
42% of publishers view remote work as essential for future crisis resilience
29% of manuscript editing tasks are now managed remotely exclusively
74% of publishers see remote work as a driver for innovation in publishing processes
55% of survey participants in publishing report that remote work enhances their ability to meet project deadlines
45% of publishers implement flexible work hours to accommodate remote teams
37% of in-house editorial staff have reported improved focus due to remote work environment
68% of publishing industry newcomers prefer remote internships for easier access

Remote Work Adoption and Preferences Interpretation

As the publishing industry hits the 'book' on traditional workflows, nearly three-quarters report that embracing remote and hybrid models is not just a chapter in their future but the plot twist boosting productivity, attracting talent, and balancing work-life harmony in the digital age.

Technological Integration and Digital Transformation

33% of publishing houses use virtual tools for editorial meetings
70% of publishing companies invest in cloud-based collaboration platforms
66% of publishing companies have faced hurdles in digital collaboration
41% of publishing firms utilize virtual reality tools for remote author interactions
49% of publishing firms track remote workers’ productivity using digital monitoring tools
71% of publishers increased their investment in remote collaboration software in 2023
30% of publishing industry conferences are now hybrid with online participation options
51% of publishers anticipate increased use of automation tools for publishing tasks in a remote setting
32% of publishing companies have faced technological barriers in fully adopting remote work
70% of surveyed publishers plan to increase cybersecurity investments for remote work environments
35% of remote publishing authors use specialized software for digital rights management
57% of publishing companies employ digital assistants to support remote editorial workflows
53% of publishers have adopted cloud-based manuscript management systems to facilitate remote editing
60% of publishing financial teams utilize remote working tools for budgeting and planning

Technological Integration and Digital Transformation Interpretation

As the publishing industry steadily charts its course through the digital landscape—balancing innovative virtual tools and stubborn technological hurdles—it becomes clear that embracing remote and hybrid work models is as much about navigating connectivity challenges as it is about rewriting the rules of collaboration.

Training

63% of publishing industry training programs now include modules on remote work skills

Training Interpretation

With 63% of publishing industry training programs now integrating remote work skills, it’s clear that publishers are turning the page on in-office norms, emphasizing flexibility without compromising professionalism.

Workforce Challenges and Workforce Management

48% of publishing companies report challenges in remote onboarding processes
29% of publishers have experienced security concerns with remote work
59% of publishers report difficulty maintaining team cohesion remotely
36% of publishing companies have experienced increased turnover due to remote work dissatisfaction
54% of editorial teams report challenges in maintaining effective communication remotely
58% of publishing firms emphasize training staff for remote work skills
49% of publishing industry leaders see increased accessibility for disabled employees through remote policies

Workforce Challenges and Workforce Management Interpretation

While remote work broadens accessibility and flexibility for publishing professionals, the industry’s struggles with onboarding, security, team cohesion, and turnover reveal that the digital page isn't yet fully turned on effective remote collaboration.