Working with Your Publisher

Logo for Textbook and Academic Authors Association

Using the tag #AcWriMo, writers around the world discuss their goals and progress, and share resources throughout November.  Find the evolving series here. If you log into MethodSpace, you will be subscribed and receive new posts by email.

Abstract, the Textbook and Academic Authors Association (TAA) open access blog, offers advice for writers who want to cultivate a positive relationship with their editors and publisher. Here are some thoughtful posts:

Cultivating a relationship with a publisher; sooner rather than later

Most academics and authors want to have a productive relationship with a publisher or publishers. It eases the road ahead and makes the process less mysterious. A good (or dare I say great) relationship with a publisher will also give an academic market knowledge about their chosen area of authorship and its readers. But how do you go about cultivating such a relationship?

Forming a publisher relationship: 6 Strategies for building rapport

What if you just aren’t ready to take the plunge and submit a proposal yet?  You can still take constructive action by building relationships with higher education publishers through working on smaller projects. 

Forming a publisher relationship: 3 Steps for submitting your project

How do you successfully connect with higher education publishers and make it easy for them to understand your project’s value?

Publishers: Getting to know you

Book publishing is the long game. Thinking of publishing in a short-term way will likely either get you discouraged or frustrated.

Printing is not publishing – what to look for in a publisher relationship

Due to an increase in availability of print-on-demand services that provide lower-cost alternatives for converting a manuscript into a printed and bound product, there is growing confusion among new authors about what constitutes the role of a publisher. Although many publishers and printing companies have symbiotic relationships, publishing companies provide much more than simply printing and binding of a manuscript.