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Here some takeaways from the great event with Dominic Byatt of @OUPPolitics about academic book publishing. Hopefully, they will be useful for those who read them.
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General background:
The industry has gone through a massive transformation caused by digitalization in a broad sense, from ebooks to amazon textbooks rent service, that made sharing knowledge much easier but also far more difficult to monetize for book publishers.
The industry has gone through a massive transformation caused by digitalization in a broad sense, from ebooks to amazon textbooks rent service, that made sharing knowledge much easier but also far more difficult to monetize for book publishers.
Moreover, though books remain crucial for scholars, articles in top journals have become the real currency of academia, faster to publish and more readers. As their budgets remained flat, librarians prefer spending on journal subscriptions than buying the latest monographs.
So, how to choose a publisher what do you need to give to him/her?
You must know that social sciences are extremely fragmented and, for a press, to build expertise on certain areas is very difficult. They specialize on some and not others. Check their website.
You must know that social sciences are extremely fragmented and, for a press, to build expertise on certain areas is very difficult. They specialize on some and not others. Check their website.
Also, there is a general preference for comparative works. But uni presses, especially the rich ones, can take more "risks" against the market and publish one-country studies. So, keep this in mind as well.
A good rule of thumb to choose a potential press is to check your phd dissertation biography, you probably want to publish with the same presses that published the works that you read and to wich you refer. Emailing editors is also a quick way to have feedback on what they want.
Ok, you chose your dream publisher, what& #39;s next?
The key is to write a book proposal of about 10 pages with: title of the manuscript, your short bio+CV, short literature review, outline of methors/sources, table of contents, 2 paragraphs summary for each chapter, delivery date)
The key is to write a book proposal of about 10 pages with: title of the manuscript, your short bio+CV, short literature review, outline of methors/sources, table of contents, 2 paragraphs summary for each chapter, delivery date)
Keep the title simple and straightforward, do not oversell you work. Editors have little time and want to understand quickly what your work is about. They are also experienced enough to know whether or not your work is innovative/important or not.
IMPORTANT: A simple title that makes it immediately clear what your book is about is also good for readers. Your title must contain those keywords that you would search for if you were a reader interested in the book& #39;s topic.
Ok I have a proposal, what is that will make it stand out? In a random order:
1) your publication record is a very good proxy about your capabilities, a couple of articles in top journals will help you greatly
2) where you did you PhD/are working now. Editors might...
1) your publication record is a very good proxy about your capabilities, a couple of articles in top journals will help you greatly
2) where you did you PhD/are working now. Editors might...
get in touch with your PhD advisor/committee members if they know them to get a better sense of what kind ot potential author you are.
3) network: a senior scholar that has already published with the press and that can vouch for you is VERY useful.
3) network: a senior scholar that has already published with the press and that can vouch for you is VERY useful.
Another crucial question, do I need a full manuscript?
General rule
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Junior scholar, no previous book: Yes
Junior scholar, published before: Ok the core chapters
Senior scholar: proposal might be enough
However...
General rule
Junior scholar, no previous book: Yes
Junior scholar, published before: Ok the core chapters
Senior scholar: proposal might be enough
However...
Sometimes, a longer book proposal (around 20 pages)+core chapters might be ok for junior, never-published-a-book scholar.
These are general considerations. Editors and presses differ greatly among each other.
However, that does not change that it& #39;s a very tough business.
An editor at a top university press easily receives 10-12 unsolicited proposals/week or about 500/year.
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However, that does not change that it& #39;s a very tough business.
An editor at a top university press easily receives 10-12 unsolicited proposals/week or about 500/year.
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Might be of interest for you or your students: @PatPorter76 @fravel @ehundman @CourtneyFung @jonlsullivan @NKuhrt @DevoreMarc @shifrinson @rohan_mukh @MohammedSudairi @HanFeiTzu @PugliesAsia @cfmeyskens @DrIanHall @ShaharHameiri @ProfPaulPoast @Mauro_Gilli @dylanloh
Also @aruggeri_eu !
