how to get published…. dr jonathan wilson, laibs 31 st jan 2012 1
TRANSCRIPT
How to get Published….
Dr Jonathan Wilson, LAIBS31st Jan 2012
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Books & Journals
• Disseminate Knowledge• Support and Communicate Cutting Edge Research• Facilitate Student Learning• Make a Profit
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Making the right choices...
• Project• Product • Publisher
Your time is precious; you need to make sure that you maximise your academic impact without creating unnecessary work for yourself.
You need to be STRATEGIC, PRAGMATIC & REALISTIC
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The Ideas Market – Where do projects come from?
You know of existing successful books in the market that you feel you can improve upon
There isn’t a book for the course you are teaching
A publisher gets in touch with an idea or a request for help in a given subject area
Your ResearchIdentification of a Gap in the
MarketYour Teaching
BOOKS JOURNALSYou are responding to
another article
You need to publish your finding as a condition of your funding
An editor gets in touch to commission a piece or to ask you to guest edit a special issue.
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Project – Marketable Knowledge
Academics and Publishers live and die by the quality of their content. You need to be strategic when deciding on a viable project but even more importantly you need to be REALISTIC.
IS THERE REALLY A MARKET FOR THE ARTICLE / BOOK YOU ARE
PROPOSING???INTERNATIONAL??
ORIGINAL???
BASED ON SOLID METHODOLOGY???
UP-TO-DATE???
A GENUINE CONTRIBUTION TO THE FIELD???
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Product - Books
• Long Term Projects – they can be a statement
• Help to develop your academic profile
• Relationship with Publisher
• Money!!!!
• Can contribute to the current body of literature on the subject / Profile of the University 6
Although I mentioned money, you are unlikely to sell as many books
as this person!
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● A student-focused text designed to accompany a core UG (and occasionally graduate) course
● Is required reading i.e. ‘Introductory Sociology’ or ‘Research Methods’ textbook
● Very long and are full of student-centred features such as questions, boxes, cases and summaries
● Level of publisher intervention – very high!
● MAKE MONEY!!!
CORE
TEXTBOOK
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MODULAR
TEXTBOOK
● Student and course-focused; possibly a vehicle for original thinking or research
● Tend to vary from their rivals a little more than core textbooks
● Written for more varied, higher level, courses
● Level of publisher intervention is still high
● Can be profitable
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MONOGRAPHS● A book based upon an original body of research
carried out by the author (most commonly on the basis of PhD work or research carried out under a fellowship)
● Specialised and high level. Often with an academic or researcher readership.
● Sell VERY poorly.
● Priced High & often Hardback Only
Increasingly difficult to find publishers who will publish monographs as they are unprofitable. 10
Avoid the clichés...
● Ignoring journal’s guidelines● Obscure title● Niche (domestic) empirical study● Applying to more than one journal at
a time
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Publisher – Books
• Be StrategicTarget Appropriate Publishers Are they established in your area? Do they publish books that you use for your
research?Are they global / local? Do you need to update your
research? Would your title FIT their existing list?Do they publish the TYPE of book you are
proposing? How is your book different?
• Be Pragmatic...• Be Realistic...
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• Be Strategic...
• Be Pragmatic...The EDITOR is a human being
They are specialists in publishing They have market knowledge but
they are NOT academicsPersonalise your cover letter – individual &
companyThey receive 10-15 unsolicited proposals a
month
Reassure them that you have done your research
• Be Realistic...
Publisher – Books
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• Be Strategic...
• Be Pragmatic... INFORMATION ! COMPETITION ! MARKET! PEDAGOGY!
Read the submission guidelinesClear rationale International potential? Course details – provide outlines, numbers
& institutionsWho is the competition?Why is your project different / better?Pedagogy - Imagine the page / sample
material
• Be Realistic...
Publisher – Books
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• Be Strategic...
• Be Pragmatic...
INFORMATION ! COMPETITION ! MARKET! PEDAGOGY!
Fully referenced proposalCourse detailsSample chapterShort CV
• Be Realistic...
Publisher – Books
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• Be Strategic...
• Be Pragmatic...
• Be Realistic...
Significant costs – print, storage, delivery
Editor publishes 30 books a yearContract – is deliberate; it reflects market
expectations
Most editors reject 10+ proposals a month without review
£££
Publisher – Books
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Publisher – Journal Articles
• Be StrategicTarget Appropriate JournalsDo you use the journal for your research?Are the other articles related to yours? Has the journal published regularly in this
area?Does the editor work in your field?Specialised or General?
• Be Pragmatic...• Be Realistic...
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Publisher – Journal Articles
• Be Strategic...
• Be Pragmatic...Do your research References? Readers?Online submission systemsDon't give them the opportunity to
reject
•Be Realistic...
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Publisher – Journal Articles
• Be Strategic...
• Be Pragmatic...
• Be Realistic ...Many journals have a rejection rate of at least 75%Perhaps consider trying smaller, newer journalsHow long between acceptance and publication?Is your article good enough?Is it worth a go?
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Last slide…
Ask, Learn & Develop...Publish!Any questions?
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