Book contents
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- Illustrations
- Preface to the Fifth Edition
- Preface to the Fourth Edition
- Preface to the Third Edition
- Preface to the Second Edition
- Preface to the First Edition
- Chapter 1 The Publishing Partnership
- Chapter 2 Journal Articles
- Chapter 3 Revising a Dissertation
- Chapter 4 Finding a Publisher for the Scholarly Book
- Chapter 5 Working with Your Publisher
- Chapter 6 Multiauthor Books and Anthologies
- Chapter 7 Finding a Publisher for the College Textbook
- Chapter 8 Working with Your Textbook Publisher
- Chapter 9 Books for General Readers
- Chapter 10 The Mechanics of Authorship
- Chapter 11 Costs and Prices
- Chapter 12 Born Digital
- Bibliography
- Index
Preface to the First Edition
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 02 December 2010
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- Illustrations
- Preface to the Fifth Edition
- Preface to the Fourth Edition
- Preface to the Third Edition
- Preface to the Second Edition
- Preface to the First Edition
- Chapter 1 The Publishing Partnership
- Chapter 2 Journal Articles
- Chapter 3 Revising a Dissertation
- Chapter 4 Finding a Publisher for the Scholarly Book
- Chapter 5 Working with Your Publisher
- Chapter 6 Multiauthor Books and Anthologies
- Chapter 7 Finding a Publisher for the College Textbook
- Chapter 8 Working with Your Textbook Publisher
- Chapter 9 Books for General Readers
- Chapter 10 The Mechanics of Authorship
- Chapter 11 Costs and Prices
- Chapter 12 Born Digital
- Bibliography
- Index
Summary
In 1980, after ten years as an editor of scholarly books and textbooks, I began teaching scholarly editing and publishing. I soon learned that my faculty colleagues regarded me as a window onto a mysterious and often frustrating publishing world. They asked my advice on questions ranging from semicolons to royalties, from en dashes to remainders. At the same time, they informed me of a number of publishers' practices – many admirable, some reprehensible – that I had never encountered.
As a teacher, I met daily with students who were curious about aspects of publishing that I had avoided. I have little artistic ability, for example, and had always regarded book design as magic. That explanation was clearly inadequate for bright, curious graduate students. My expertise in the dollars-and-cents area of publishing was equally sad; to correct my deficiencies, I even went so far as to take an accounting course so that I could use the proper terms in explicating the financial arcana.
In 1982 I began to worry that my theoretical knowledge, though apparently sound, was untested. Besides, I had some ideas for books that needed to be written. I formed a small publishing company and, with the assistance of my husband on legal and financial matters, learned firsthand the realities of what I was teaching. There is no better way to learn the economics of publishing than to invest your own money.
- Type
- Chapter
- Information
- Handbook for Academic Authors , pp. xvii - xxPublisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2009