Julianna Baggot’s article—“The key to literary success? Be a man—or write like one”—was of late wildly circulated among several colleagues in the publishing industry online. While the assertions made therein were not particularly controversial (though one must appreciate the well-placed use of the word “phallocratic”), it did offer more evidence in the continuing argument against sexism in publishing—men-dominated (in influence if not in numbers), male-theme-dominated, ambiguous-pen-name-dominated, and so forth.

It’s hard to deny that it remains more difficult for a woman to be published and become both successful and acknowledged. But I would hope that this is a flaw which is increasingly being addressed, rather than ignored or denied. Presented with the facts—that more male writers are recognized than female ones (as in, for instance, the 2009 National Book Awards)—how exactly a publisher addresses this issue is the more interested issue.

One unique response was a move made by Marvel Comics, which is in its own right a huge publisher, and one catering almost exclusively to a male readership, often through design. Rather than continuing the same old game of “if you don’t like what we do, don’t read it,” an argument both tired and juvenile in what is becoming an increasingly sophisticated literary medium, Marvel decide to do something differently. Publishers Weekly comic book blog The Beat broke the news first with an exclusive describing the concept of Girl Comics, in which all elements are designed by women.

Whether this work will be stuff of real substance or fluff remains to be seen, with the first issue debuting in March in honor of Women’s History Month. But most people seem to remain optimistic, and are appreciative of the effort, especially in such a male-dominated area, to acknowledge and encourage women’s voices—even if they aren’t going about it in the most subtle way.

This isn’t a solution that can so neatly be applied to publishing as a whole, of course. But there are undeniably many initiatives that can be taken. Opening dialogue between publishers, agents, writers and their audiences is certainly key. An increasing focus on women as professionals in publishing—not just as writers, but as agents, editors, designers, marketers, and business managers—is a trend to embrace as well.

A brilliant example of this is Jane Friedman, CEO and Co-founder of Open Road Integrated Media, a content marketing company focusing on e-books among other forms of digital entertainment. Former CEO of HarperCollins, Jane has been a prominent member of the publishing industry for years, and her latest endeavor is embracing the future that the publishing industry is inevitably moving toward.

Certainly, too, more publishers (both mainstream and independent) should continue to accept and encourage new female voices. The organization Women in Publishing has dedicated themselves to this particular mission. And as the platforms for sharing information continue to widen, including breakthroughs in self-publishing and digital distribution, technology paves the way for an increasingly equal playing field where the best man or woman may win.