how to get published, or great book proposals and where they come from
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How to Get Published, or Great Book Proposals and Where They Come From. Mila Steele Senior Commissioning Editor. Agenda: How do I get turn a PhD into a book?. Part I What’s been happening in publishing What happened to monographs What publishers want and how they are different Part II - PowerPoint PPT PresentationTRANSCRIPT
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How to Get Published, or Great Book Proposals and Where They Come From
Mila Steele
Senior Commissioning Editor
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Agenda: How do I get turn a PhD into a book?
Part I● What’s been happening in publishing● What happened to monographs● What publishers want and how they are different
Part II● What is a good PhD, a good book and a good
proposal● Transforming your PhD● Finding a publisher
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The publishing industry
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Who are Publishers?● Trade (Random House, Penguin)● Textbook (McGraw-Hill, Pearson)● Commercial academic (SAGE, Routledge, Blackwell,
Palgrave)----------------------------------------------------------------------● University presses (OUP, CUP, Duke)● Boutique (Peter Lang, Intellect, Polity, Ashgate, Paradigm)● Electronic (Ebury)● OA initiatives: Open Humanities Press, Open Book
Publishers----------------------------------------------------------------------● Vanity publishers: VDM Verlag
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Where does research get published?
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So many kinds of books, so many kinds of readers, how many sales?
● Monographs● ‘Big think’ books● ‘Shorts’● Journalism● Trade books● Textbooks
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New Directions:
● New formats: Palgrave Pivots, Springer Shorts, SAGE Swifts
● E-only OA monographs
● Collections, subscriptions, searchability
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What publishers want
● Buyership: not just readership● Market knowledge: evidence of what works● Audience: know the reader’s needs● A business model: how to pay for it all● A publishing strategy: volume, curation,
courses● Sustainability: change, but the right
change, so we’re all here in two years
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Where does a PhD fit in…
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What makes a good PhD?
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What makes a good book?
● Introduction: in at the shallow end● Imagines the reader● Does not presume too much knowledge● Evenly structured● Easy to navigate● Leaves the reader satisfied● Not too long● A pleasure to read
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PhD vs Books:
PhD fulfills an academic requirement;Book fulfills a desire to speak broadly.
PhD rehearses scholarship in the field;Book has absorbed that scholarship and transmits or teaches it.
PhD suppresses an authorial voice;Book creates and sustains one.
PhD stops; a book concludes.PhD is for an audience of 4; a book is for
thousands around the world.PhD is assessed and archived; a book is sold.
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Transforming your research
● Stop thinking of it as your PhD● Start with a book proposal● Remember what the publisher wants...● Academic conventions no longer relevant● Be ready to re-write every line● Imagine what kind of book, not just ‘any’
book● Understand who is your new reader?
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Transforming your research for student readers
● Explain and illustrate● Teach through case studies● Doesn’t have to be dry and formulaic● Authoritative and engaging● Make the sophisticated clear and lucid● Relevant for a course● The author has had fun writing.
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De-PhD-ing
● It will be shorter: think 80,000 words● It may be re-written line by line: thinking of
a new kind of reader● Drop the lit review and methodology● Ditch the footnotes● Lessen the empirical detail● Draw out international implications
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Writing proposals that work…
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Elements of the proposal
A synopsis of the book and its argument/approach
A rationale
A common mistake! ‘I need to be totally original.’
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Elements of the proposal
The ‘edge’
Explain why a reader will buy your book and not another.
Describe the USP’s (unique selling point).
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Elements of the proposal
An extended table of contents:● Chapter titles● Paragraph on coverage● Subheadings to map each chapter
This is the part of the proposal I, peer review and the Editorial Board read first
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Elements of the proposal
The market
It is ‘buyership’ not ‘readership’ that a publisher is really interested in
Detail will never be wasted on this section.
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‘But you guys are the market experts, not me…’
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Elements of the proposal
Remember! A publisher is just as interested in your interpretation of the market and the competition as they are in the proposed contents of the book.
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Elements of the proposal
The competition
● 3 – 4 books● Strengths and weaknesses● How your book will compare
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A publisher won’t want another book
on popular music…
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‘My book is unique. There is no competition.’
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Do
● Make it personal – address the editor by name
● Write concisely – 6 – 7 pages
● Show awareness of the market
● Check out the publisher’s proposal guidelines
● Give clear idea of the book’s structure
● Mention if you blog, tweet, podcast, vodcast, teach...
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Don’t
● Write a 30 page proposal
● Use clever puns or double entendres in the title
● Assume a longer book is a smarter book
● Send an entire manuscript
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What publishers will do with your proposal and how they will judge it…
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Editor’s review
Immediate rejection by the editor
This most likely means you have
misjudged the match of the book idea to the publisher and its targeted markets
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The review process
It gets sent out for review
Assessed for:
• suitability of content for the intended market
• market need for the book
• suitability of writing style
• intellectual merit
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The review process
• You will get to see the reviews and may be asked to revise your proposal in light of reviewers’ comments.
• Your proposal may also get rejected at this point.
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The editorial meeting
It gets presented at the editorial board meeting
Your editor presents a ‘pitch’ for your proposal to representatives of the publisher for evaluation and approval to issue a contract
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The editorial meeting
The pitch will include :
● your proposal
● the editor’s comments, sales estimates and market research
● the reviews
● a P&L
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The editorial meeting
A decision is made to:
• Offer you contract now
• Offer you a contract later following revisions
• Decline the proposal
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Choosing a publisher…
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Choosing a publisher
● Publisher’s reputation in subject area
● Market experience and data
● Colleague recommendation:
● Expertise of editorial staff
● Author support
● Relationship with an editor
● International marketing and distribution
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Choosing a publisher
● Books you read
● Physical quality of publication
● Size of publishing company
● Location of publishing company
● Conferences attended
● Legitimacy: watch out for vanity publishers
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What marketing counts
Counts:● International marketing● Rich data – do they market to you?● ConferencesDoesn’t count:● Launches (have your own)● Newspaper reviews● Conference inserts
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Getting to know your future publisher
● Think about your market● Don’t go in cold● Don’t tell publishers it will be one of a kind
– even if it’s true (remember it’s no longer your PhD, it’s your book)
● What else can you offer?● Career strategy beyond the book
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Building a relationship with your publisher…
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How do I find authors?
● Recommendations● An incredibly lucid peer review● Journal citations● An introduction at a conference● Social media profile● A surprise proposal
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How can you get involved?
● Submit to journals● Special issue ideas● Send in book proposals● Say yes to reviewing proposals● Write reviews well!● Introduce yourself to an editor at a conference● Say yes to an editor coming to visit● Build your social media profile● Understand a little about publishing...