academic books

Trade Publishing for Scholarly Authors

Many scholarly writers want to publish trade books or crossover books that will reach readers outside of academia. This post answers the most common questions academic authors have, debunks some myths and misconceptions about trade and scholarly publishers, and tells you what you need to do if you want to pitch a trade book to a publisher.

Podcast Episodes About Academic Book Publishing

If you like listening to podcasts, check out these episodes where I talk about academic developmental editing, book proposals, and general information about publishing for first-time scholarly authors.

10 Problems with Scholarly Book Manuscripts (and How to Fix Them)

This post includes a list of the top 10 most common problems I’ve encountered in scholarly book manuscripts along with suggestions for addressing them. Feel free to use these items as a checklist for revising your own draft for publication.

How to Publish a Book from Your Dissertation

Publishing a book based on your dissertation can be a great way to revisit your research and produce the piece of writing you most want to share with the world. My free webinar demystifies the process of turning dissertations into book manuscripts that appeal to both publishers and readers.

How Not to Burn Bridges with Publishers

Sometimes an author finds themselves in a situation where they want to extricate themselves from a publishing process they have begun at a particular press without burning a bridge. Here are some considerations for communicating with editors in these tricky scenarios.

How to Handle Early Interest from Publishers

It can be exciting when a publisher expresses interest in your book project, but many authors are unsure how to respond when it happens before a manuscript is ready to submit. This post includes my responses to common questions about engaging with publishers early in the publishing process.

Sample Chapters — What Publishers Really Want

Here are some answers to frequently asked questions about when to send sample chapters with a book proposal, which sample chapters to send, and how long they should be. This post also covers how to revise journals articles for inclusion in a scholarly book.

How to Come Up with Comparable Works for Your Academic Book Proposal

It can be difficult to understand what publishers mean when they ask for “comps” or “comparable and competing titles” in their book proposal guidelines. This guide demystifies this part of the book proposal process and offers some tips on how to effectively position your book in relation to other titles.

How to Land a Publisher for Your Interdisciplinary Book

It can be difficult to figure out how to find the right publisher for a scholarly book that traverses multiple fields or disciplines. This post includes answers to some of the most common questions I receive about pitching and writing book proposals for interdisciplinary books.

Recycling Publications for Your Book

Authors often want to know how much of their book manuscript can overlap with articles and chapters they have previously published in journals or edited volumes. This post offers guidelines for recycling published material and things to keep in mind concerning your goals for publication.

Setting Goals and Targeting the Right Publishers for Your Scholarly Book

Success as a scholarly author means different things to everyone. Understanding your goals for your scholarly book is key to achieving your definition of success and to evaluating publishers in terms of their ability to help you reach your goals.

How to Write Chapter Summaries for Your Book Proposal

Chapter summaries — sometimes called an annotated table of contents — are key elements in a book proposal. I break down what to include in your chapter summaries in order to make the best case for your book with publishers and peer reviewers.

Navigating Academic Publishing as an Author of Color

Racism and inequity are real problems in scholarly book publishing. This post discusses some of the common issues that racially minoritized scholars face when navigating the publishing process and offers some tips on how to find an editor and publisher who will treat you and your scholarship with respect.

Do You Really Have to Give Book Talks? Reassurance for Introverts

What are your goals for publishing an academic book? Will giving a book talk or planning a whole book tour help you achieve them? This post helps you evaluate the option of giving book talks and advises on how to keep your decision consistent with your goals.

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