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For more than a decade, writers have turned to William Germano for his insider's take on navigating the world of scholarly publishing. A professor, author, and thirty-year veteran of the book industry, Germano knows what editors want and what writers need to know to get their work published. Today there are more ways to publish than ever, and more challenges to traditional publishing. This ever-evolving landscape brings more confusion for authors trying to understand their options. The third edition of Getting It Published offers the clear, practicable guidance on choosing the best path to publication that has made it a trusted resource, now updated to include discussions of current best practices for submitting a proposal, of the advantages and drawbacks of digital publishing, and tips for authors publishing textbooks and in open-access environments. Germano argues that it's not enough for authors to write well--they also need to write with an audience in mind. He provides valuable guidance on developing a compelling book proposal, finding the right publisher, evaluating a contract, negotiating the production process, and, finally, emerging as a published author. "This endlessly useful and expansive guide is every academic's pocket Wikipedia: a timely, relevant, and ready resource on scholarly publishing, from the traditional monograph to the digital e-book. I regularly share it, teach it, and consult it myself, whenever I have a question on titling a chapter, securing a permission, or negotiating a contract. Professional advice simply does not get any savvier than this pitch-perfect manual on how to think like a publisher."--Diana Fuss, Princeton University… (more)
User reviews
It's hard to know how to rate a book like this: I'm inclined to give it 5 stars if, and only if, my book, knock on wood, finds its home in every home, and adulation on every corner.
Bits of the
I would recommend that all readers supplement it with anything by Lindsey Waters on the death of the monograph. Germano sniffs at proclamations of its death, but I still think Waters--or John Holbo for that matter--knows what's already arrived.
For this type of academics, writing a book unlocks the next step in a career, but steps along this path are less obvious than getting a degree. This book demystifies the publishing process for scholarly book writers. It discusses everything from idea to post-publication, including proposals, choosing a publisher, reviews, contracts, publicity, and the electronic age. It’s exceedingly thorough. It’s also relatively up to date, though with a latest publication date of 2016, its section on quickly evolving electronic publishing could stand for another revision.
What can academic book-writers gain from mastering an industry that is somewhat outside of academe, ignoring that many scholarly presses are affiliated with universities? Well, increased knowledge facilitates increased precision, and more precision facilitates more efficiency, which in turn can facilitate greater impact. It makes your book about more than just your department and your students. You can see how your book works through other institutions and involves even society at large. Your audience more tangibly expands to include new readers.
Academics in the social sciences and the humanities provide the primary audience for this book. Not to be overlooked, however, are editors, staff in charge of publicity, and other participants in the academic publishing industry. Reading this work can help smooth out making a scholarly book product. Starting from academic writing, it shines the way of making this effort into a business process. Germano identifies many potential pitfalls and so expedites success, whatever that realistically looks like for you. By understanding the various roles in the process’s big picture, future writers who read this book can find the journey more fun and enjoyable.