academic publishing

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.

Book Acknowledgments: 10 Tips for Authors

What are you supposed to put in your book acknowledgments? Are there certain people you’re required to thank? Is there anything you shouldn’t say? This post has ten things you should know about writing acknowledgments for your scholarly book.

10 Steps to an Effective Book Proposal

Writing a scholarly book proposal can be intimidating. Here is a breakdown (plus a free downloadable checklist) of the 10 steps involved in putting together an effective book proposal to submit to university presses and other scholarly publishers.

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.

Should You Publish Your Book in a Series?

Many authors wonder whether they should consider publishing their scholarly book as part of a series at a university press. This post includes information that can help authors decide whether a series is the right fit for their next book.

Pitching a Digital Project to Scholarly Publishers

I often hear from authors wondering how to pitch their digital research. This post includes some opportunities for digital publication at university presses.

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 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.

The Essential Building Blocks of an Academic Book Proposal

Do you know what the essential building blocks of a scholarly book proposal are and why they’re there? Here is a quick guide to the key components with explanations of their functions and intended audiences.

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