This article critically explores the structural realities of academic publishing, drawing on Marxist theory and personal academic experiences. While the system purports to promote scholarly excellence and public access to knowledge, it often mirrors broader institutional inequities and profit-oriented logic. Through examples of unpaid academic labor, restrictive publishing contracts, and marginalization of contributors, the article interrogates how for-profit publishing models exploit faculty while relying on the prestige economy reinforced by universities. At the same time, the article highlights ethical alternatives--including open access, scholar-led journals, and equitable royalty models--as paths toward a more just publishing future. This piece aims to contribute to the ongoing discourse on reclaiming academic publishing as a collaborative, inclusive, and public-centered scholarly practice.