finding a press

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.

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.

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.

When A Press Approaches You About Publishing Your book and Wants to Move Quickly

How quickly should you move when a press expresses interest in your dissertation project? Here are some things to consider before signing the contract right away.

The Easiest Way to Get Your Academic Book Proposal Rejected and How to Avoid It

Fit plays a major role in the evaluation of a book proposal. Here are some ways to discover if your academic book manuscript will match up with your list of presses before you send out your book proposal.

How to Tailor Your Academic Book Proposal for Different Publishers: What to Change for Each Press to Press and What You Can Leave Alone

Can you submit the same academic book proposal to different publishers? This post discusses what to change from press to press and what you can keep the same in each version of your academic book proposal.

How One Author Revised Her Dissertation into an Academic Book

What does it take to turn your dissertation into a book manuscript? Where do you find support? The author of Fighting Visibility shares her experience as a first-time author and how she got her academic book published.

When and How to Follow Up with a Publisher in the Covid Era

An incredible amount of uncertainty and waiting come with publishing an academic book. Here are some scenarios to run through to help you decide how to follow up on an earlier conversation with an acquisitions editor.

Are You Sure You Know What a "Trade Publisher" Is? Let's Clear It Up

Different kinds of publishers prioritize different kinds of texts. Books by academics are published by university presses, commercial academic presses, and sometimes trade presses. So where should you send your book proposal? Here is a breakdown of where your academic book manuscript might fit and might not.

How to Negotiate a Book Contract Offer from a Publisher

You receive an offer to publish your academic book manuscript. Now what happens? Here are some points a scholarly author should keep in mind as they review a contract or publishing agreement when it's offered by a publisher, along with some tips about items you may be able to negotiate for.

How to Field Offers from Multiple Scholarly Publishers

You’ve written the book proposal, now how do you secure a contract? This post walks you through the experience of submitting an academic proposal to multiple presses and what to expect at this stage. It also gives a behind the scene look at how I fielded multiple offers and decided on the best publisher for my book.

How to Get Interest from Publishers Before Your Book Is Even Written

An idea for a book can come from anything—even something you’re working on right now. Find out how The Book Proposal Book grew from an idea into a book project that received interest from multiple university press editors.

Should You Pitch Your Book Proposal Before You Finish Your Academic Book Manuscript? Or Should You Write the Full Manuscript Before Submitting the Proposal?

Whether you submit your book proposal before or after your academic book manuscript is finished largely depends on your personal preferences, circumstances, and target presses. Here are some questions to consider to help you decide.

Can You Submit Your Book Proposal to Multiple Presses?

What are the advantages of submitting your book proposal to multiple presses? Here are some things to consider as you try to identify the best press to publish your academic book.