Philip Mudd

Publisher: Routledge Education Email: philip.mudd@tandf.co.uk

Publishing in Academic Books

• Why are you publishing?• Preparing a publishing proposal• Getting noticed • What commissioning editors are looking for• What academic reviewers are looking for • Top tips for an effective proposal• The publishing of the future

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After, Fairclough, N (1992) Discourse and Social Change, London Polity Press•3

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• The development of a personal scholarly identity is paramount

• You are the core at the heart of each of these models and it is important that your voice still rings true though the intervening layers

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Your motives for writing

• For REF purposes - publish or perish?• To gain profile?• To plug an identified gap in the market?• To bring your work to a wider audience?• To make lots of money?

Understanding your motives will influence your route to publication, keep you motivated, and shape your work for the right audience

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Discuss your plans

• With colleagues• With those who have published in the field

– what experiences have they had with various publishers or journals?– who would they recommend?– can they give you contact names?

• With series editors and editors of journals• Sound out commissioning editors informally.

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Is it a book? • How time sensitive is it?• Is it very specialist or narrowly focussed?• Is it pure research? Who else will need it?• Who, realistically, is the audience for the project?• Is it more appropriate for a journal, an internal

publication, specialist society publication, publication online, a conference paper or just your personal blog?

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Book proposals

The book proposal will identify• the subject particulars of the book;• who you are writing for;• how you intend to structure your book;• what your book will offer that others do notA good proposal should be concise and to the point.• Treat your proposal as an advertisement for you, your ideas

and what you have to offer. It should grab attention and make your proposition attractive.

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A proposal should contain:1. The title/subtitle of the book2. About the author/s or editors.

• Include a short curriculum vitae or biographical details and distinctions. Why are you qualified to write this?

3. Synopsis. • Keep it brief – 300 to 500 words.

4. Proposed contents list. • Be as detailed as possible.

5. The readership and market. • Who? Where are they? How many of them are there?

6. The competition. • Be as detailed as possible. Give brief critical assessments of

other titles, and show why your book is needed, and why it will be relevant.

7. Size and format of book. Illustrations?8. Timescale.9. Other contributors. 10. Other relevant information. Permissions?

Conference tie-in?11. Provide a single sample chapter, or draft

material if you have it. (But do not worry if you have not reached that stage)

Getting noticed

• Telephone or email the commissioning editor to establish contact - but they will still ask for a written proposal.

• Do not overload the proposal with technical information. The main purpose is to convince the publisher that a market exists .

• Carefully define the market: a good idea does not necessarily make a good book.

• Dissect the competition rigorously: be harsh but realistic.

• Do not send a full manuscript or thesis but do send a sample chapter if available.

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When getting feedback

Take external reviewers’ comments on board … but only if appropriate

Never forget that this is your work and you must believe in what you are writing

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What Commissioning Editors are looking for:

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• Market• Sales potential• Originality• Structure• Author’s ability to communicate• Author’s academic credibility• Practical issues like costs, images, permission• How time sensitive is it?• How can it be improved?

What Academic Reviewers are looking for

• Does it fill a niche?• Does it misrepresent the need?• Does it misrepresent the competing texts?• What is its potential use in teaching or

research• The quality of writing in the proposal• The reputation/track record of the author

10 Things to help you to get your proposal accepted by a publisher

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1. Do discover the name of the right person to send it to2. Don’t send a full manuscript or thesis asking for “any advice or ideas”3. Do explain why the book is timely and pertinent4. Do add any relevant data about the audience; numbers, territories,

increases5. Don’t suggest the book will “appeal to everyone”6. Don’t be afraid of being critical of other books on the topic (even books

from the same publisher)7. Don’t overload the proposal with unnecessary detail and repetition8. Don’t send a laughably long CV9. Do explain why you are the best person to write the book10. Be flexible

A hint of the future of book publishing

Shifts in publishing due to electronic media will be huge:

•Use will be much more quantifiable•Reflective•Interactive•Open ended•Non linear•Adaptable•Edu-tainment

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