first-time book publishing: negotiating the perils and pitfalls
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This article was downloaded by: [Queensland University of Technology]On: 31 October 2014, At: 10:10Publisher: RoutledgeInforma Ltd Registered in England and Wales Registered Number: 1072954 Registered office: Mortimer House,37-41 Mortimer Street, London W1T 3JH, UK
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First-Time Book Publishing: Negotiating the Perils andPitfallsDenise Goetting BA and MLS a , Betsy Bryan Miguez BA and MLS b , Sheryl Moore Curry BA andMLIS c & Susan Marshall Richard BS and MLS da Edith Garland Dupré Library , University of Louisiana , 302 East Saint Mary Boulevard,Lafayette, LA, 70503 E-mail:b Edith Garland Dupré Library , University of Louisiana , 302 East Saint Mary Boulevard,Lafayette, LA, 70503 E-mail:c Edith Garland Dupré Library , University of Louisiana , 302 East Saint Mary Boulevard,Lafayette, LA, 70503 E-mail:d Edith Garland Dupré Library , University of Louisiana , 302 East Saint Mary Boulevard,Lafayette, LA, 70503 E-mail:Published online: 13 Oct 2008.
To cite this article: Denise Goetting BA and MLS , Betsy Bryan Miguez BA and MLS , Sheryl Moore Curry BA and MLIS &Susan Marshall Richard BS and MLS (2007) First-Time Book Publishing: Negotiating the Perils and Pitfalls, Technical ServicesQuarterly, 25:2, 1-18, DOI: 10.1300/J124v25n02_01
To link to this article: http://dx.doi.org/10.1300/J124v25n02_01
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First-Time Book Publishing:Negotiating the Perils and Pitfalls
Denise GoettingBetsy Bryan MiguezSheryl Moore Curry
Susan Marshall Richard
ABSTRACT. The four librarians who created Newbery and CaldecottAwards: A Subject Index published by Linworth, 2003, share the prob-lems and lessons learned while producing their first reference book. Top-ics include selecting research partners, dividing the responsibilities, anddealing with the decisions of producing the book. The article also dis-cusses finding a publisher, submitting a proposal, signing a contract, un-derstanding publishing terminology, working out misunderstandings,and other publishing basics.
Denise Goetting, BA (University of Louisiana), MLS (Louisiana State University),is Assistant Professor of Library Science and Head of Cataloging, Edith Garland DupréLibrary, University of Louisiana, 302 East Saint Mary Boulevard, Lafayette, LA 70503(E-mail: [email protected]).
Betsy Bryan Miguez, BA (Limestone College), MLS (The State University ofNew Jersey), is Assistant Professor, Library Science and General Reference Librarian,Edith Garland Dupré Library, University of Louisiana, 302 East Saint Mary Boulevard,Lafayette, LA 70503 (E-mail: [email protected]).
Sheryl Moore Curry, BA (Rhodes College), MLIS (Louisiana State University), isAssistant Professor of Library Science and Head of Internet Access Services at EdithGarland Dupré Library at the University of Louisiana, 302 East Saint Mary Boulevard,Lafayette, LA 70503 (E-mail: [email protected]).
Susan Marshall Richard, BS (Louisiana State University), MLS (Louisiana State Uni-versity), is Associate Professor of Library Science and Head of Reference, Edith GarlandDupré Library, University of Louisiana, 302 East Saint Mary Boulevard, Lafayette, LA70503 (E-mail: [email protected]).
Technical Services Quarterly, Vol. 25(2) 2007Available online at http://tsq.haworthpress.com
© 2007 by The Haworth Press. All rights reserved.doi:10.1300/J124v25n02_01 1
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This article addresses the problems first-time authors face. It explainsthe procedure involved in creating a book-length manuscript, what to ex-pect from co-authors and editors, and specific steps for bringing themanuscript to fruition. The perils and pitfalls discussed go beyond thescope of information that the authors found while researching the publi-cation process. The goal of the article is to make the publishing journey asmooth one for aspiring authors. doi:10.1300/J124v25n02_01 [Article cop-ies available for a fee from The Haworth Document Delivery Service:1-800-HAWORTH. E-mail address: <[email protected]> Web-site: <http://www.HaworthPress.com> © 2007 by The Haworth Press. All rightsreserved.]
KEYWORDS. Authors, authorship, books, publishers and publishing,scholarly publishing
Are you thinking about publishing, but you fear the unknown? Thisarticle reports the experiences of four academic librarians in the pursuitof their first published book. From developing the idea to marketing thefinal product, we learned the hard way about perils and pitfalls associ-ated with publishing a book. Perhaps you can learn from our successesas well as from our failures. Presented here is a record of our experi-ences and an introduction to the steps that you, as a would-be Libraryand Information Science (LIS) author, might follow to begin the publica-tion process.
LITERATURE REVIEW
While there are many books and articles that provide publishingadvice to the first-time author, we have limited our review to practicalsources for the LIS audience. One of the most prolific writers on librari-ans publishing, Gordon (2004) advocates that writing for the library lit-erature is a means to “maintain the integrity of our profession” (p. vii).She encourages us librarians to write what we know and suggests thatwe already know quite a lot about library services and products throughour job experiences. For the choice of subjects on which to write, Jack-son (1997) notes that the writing project should be on a topic that is in-teresting and one that fulfills a need.
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Canter and Fairbairn (2006) suggest that potential authors may wantto share writing responsibilities. They say that collaboration is a se-quential process in which co-authors work on different parts of the bookand then share with one another their findings. Glatthorn (2002) pro-vides us with a step-by-step process that guides would-be authors to-ward successful publication. Although the idea of writing a book maybe overwhelming, he assures us that writing and publishing are not asunattainable as they seem.
Farkas (2006) records her writing experiences in a blog (http://meredith.wolfwater.com/wordpress/index.php/2006/02/08/working-on-the-book-lessons-learned-so-far/) where she discusses some of the lessons she haslearned. She describes tactics that may help relieve the pressure for thefirst-time writer, including setting small goals and asking for emotionalsupport. Regarding the creation of an index, Balkin (1977) and Wellisch(1995) offer pros and cons of self-indexing or the alternative of hiring aprofessional indexer. Finally, Wood (2005) discusses problems involvedin marketing scholarly works. She offers advice based on her own experi-ences in marketing to help publishers and authors establish better work-ing relations.
DECIDING TO PUBLISH
There are many reasons why a librarian might want to publish. Cer-tainly, if you have always wanted to write, the option of writing an arti-cle or book in your field of expertise is a good way to begin. For manyacademic librarians or library faculty, the justification is “publish orperish.”
Publishing in library literature provides both personal and professionalbenefits to librarians as authors. Gordon (2004) suggests that writing of-fers librarians the advantages of name recognition, resumé enhancement,career development, and speaking opportunities. Contributing to the li-brary literature also helps to build the profession of librarianship.
Crawford (2003) gives us two good reasons not to write for LIS publi-cations: profit or fame and glory. He warns that these are the dumbest andsilliest motives (respectively) for a librarian to write. During the first twoyears after our book was published, each co-author received a little morethan $500 in royalties. None of us has enjoyed much fame or glory.
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CHOOSING A TOPIC
Before you begin agonizing over writing the book and worrying aboutwhich publisher will accept your masterpiece, you must first come upwith that special idea or thesis that is appealing to an audience. A pre-sentation at a library conference or an LIS thesis or dissertation may bethe basis for a book. Jackson (1997) suggests that your “topic should beunique, original, and fresh . . . and the concept should also generate ex-citement” (p. 11). She advises that the idea for the subject may come fromseveral sources, but at the very least, it should be on a topic in which youare interested and for which there is a need.
The idea for our book, Newbery and Caldecott Awards: A SubjectIndex, started percolating while the lead author was teaching undergradu-ate classes in children’s literature. The term project for the courses calledfor the students to annotate Newbery and Caldecott titles based on a topicor subject. Because the available subject indexes included all children’sbook titles, the students found it difficult to distinguish the Newbery andCaldecott titles in the listings.
Meanwhile, the university and public librarians who were assisting theundergraduate students with Newbery and Caldecott titles were spend-ing a great deal of time helping students find books on these topics. Con-currently, the public and school librarians who assist elementary-agechildren also found there were no specific indexes for topics in Newberyand Caldecott titles. Although there were several reference books thatannotated children’s literature and indexed the titles by subject, therewere no titles that exclusively indexed Newbery and Caldecott books bysubject.
We met Jackson’s prerequisites. The project was interesting, and it ful-filled a need. When coupled with the publish-or-perish condition of pro-motion and tenure, the justification for writing the book became clear.The idea had come from the experiences of the author as a teacher, and itfulfilled a need in the library profession.
Gordon (2004) advises beginning authors to “write what you know”(p. 5), and then she boosts our confidence by saying, “You know morethan you think” (p. 5). She suggests that there is always someone in thelibrary field who knows more than you, but you still know somethingworth writing. After all, librarians have a head start on other professionsbecause we are trained in doing research. Reading the library literaturewill reveal the profession’s hot topics as well as those that are overdoneand also will provide examples of research methods and possible topicsthat need further study.
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SELECTING CO-AUTHORS
After you have developed the idea for your publication, consider choos-ing a co-author. First-time publishing can be a very daunting experience,and some potential authors feel they would be more comfortable having aco-worker or another professional to assist with writing the publication.
It is important to select co-authors who can contribute the most to apublication. Factors to consider include:
• Familiarity with subject matter• Previous publishing experience• Writing ability• Computer literacy/technical competence• Organizational skills• Editing skills.
Personal characteristics are also important, such as:
• Responsibility• Commitment• Flexibility• Sense of humor.
Having the same work ethic can make the task of meeting deadlinesmuch easier. Also, consider choosing a colleague from the same work-place. This allows for efficiency, frequent meetings, and less work spentorganizing or scheduling meeting times.
Choosing a co-author who has publishing experience can ease thelearning curve for a novice writer. A proposal is more likely to be ac-cepted by a publisher if the name recognition of one of the co-authorsis established. For instance, the lead author of our publication chosethree colleagues from our library to assist with producing Newbery andCaldecott Books. She selected co-authors who had publishing experienceand who had previously worked in the field of children’s literature. Thisbenefited her by dividing a large load of indexing into smaller, moremanageable segments.
While selecting your co-authors, consider the order in which the nameswill appear on the final manuscript. The order of the authors’ names for ourbook was decided by the group, and the author with the original idea forthe book was chosen as lead author. This decision should be addressedby the group before work begins, possibly as collaborators are asked tojoin the project.
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DIVIDING RESPONSIBILITIES
Teaming up to write a publication can be very productive, but the di-vision of labor must be considered. To get started, the co-authors shouldmeet to set up a schedule of important dates. These dates establish atimeline for the drafts leading to the final manuscript as well as the datesof meetings to discuss progress and findings of research or literaturereviews.
Coordinating the work can be decided by the group or by the leadauthor. The division of labor can be done using many different methods,such as each person’s knowledge of a particular aspect of the topic. Thedevelopment of a detailed outline to be used as the basis for the actualwriting eases the process and speeds it up. This can begin with a roughdraft that evolves into a level of detail where all co-authors know whichparts they will write (Canter & Fairbairn, 2006). Keep in mind that thepartnership may deteriorate; the team should develop a contingency planto use if this happens.
We met numerous times to discuss details that would make our foursections consistent. We discussed font, spacing, and the meanings of sub-ject headings. One long discussion centered around the definitions of“racism,” “discrimination,” “prejudices,” and “race relations.” Anotherconcern was the use of pseudonyms. We also compiled a list of genreheadings as we worked. The lead author, a cataloger, read over sectionsof our work for accuracy.
Since our publication was a subject index of all Newbery and Caldecottbooks from the first year, the award was given to the current year’swinners, the natural division of labor for us was by publication dates.Each co-author chose twenty years’ worth of titles and researched sub-ject headings or devised original headings. Even though we completed ourindividual assignments on our own, there were times when we worked to-gether writing the abstract, introduction, and conclusion for our book.
IDENTIFYING PUBLISHERS
After we developed the idea for the book and divided our responsibil-ities, it was time to identify a suitable publisher. Our procedures were tocheck the library literature, read through publishers’ catalogs, and viewtheir Web sites. Additional methods that we could have used include at-tending exhibits at conferences and chatting with the representatives,
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browsing through Literary Market Place and similar titles, and check-ing bibliographic Web sites such as Books in Print (and print version)and WorldCat for books related to the proposed topic. Here are somequestions to ask while conducting a search for a publisher:
• What is the publisher’s market? Is it a good fit for your topic?• Is the publisher successful or does the company appear to be strug-
gling?• How often do new titles appear? (If it is only once or twice a year,
then this publisher may not be your best choice.)• Does the publisher have a solid reputation?• How much publicity will the publisher produce? Will the author be
required to help promote the book by submitting review copies,promoting the book at conferences, or other means?
Even if these questions are answered satisfactorily, it may also helpto speak to other authors who have written titles for a publisher and askthem about their experiences. For Newbery and Caldecott Awards, wewere already familiar with our publisher and satisfied with its work.
SUBMITTING THE PROPOSAL
After one or more potential publishers have been selected, it is timefor you to prepare the book proposal. The proposal should include cer-tain materials so that the publisher may make an educated decision as towhether to accept the book. These materials include:
• Query letter (used to pitch the topic; this may also include targetaudience, anticipated length of manuscript, date of completion,and author’s credentials)
• Outline of book• Sample chapters (one to three is best)• A list of competitive works available.
A publisher often provides book-proposal guidelines and contact in-formation through its Web site, E-mail, or other means. It is a good ideato use this information and submit your proposal to the individual iden-tified. This adds a personal touch to the package. The query letter, out-line, and sample chapters should be well written and intelligible. Spelling
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and style should be clear and consistent. Any sloppy, disorganized workwill thwart the chances of a successful proposal. Publishers often requirea self-addressed, stamped envelope to return the proposal with theircomments.
A list of competitive works available in the market can help distinguishthe proposed book. Regarding our index, we wanted to emphasize thatit would be unique. We identified several similar titles through Books inPrint, children’s literature Web sites, and other sources. Then we pro-vided a checklist clearly indicating that our book was a valuable productnot available anywhere else. It was distinguished from its competitorsand therefore worthy of publication.
A publisher should be made aware if the proposal is being submittedsimultaneously to more than one publisher. This may make your bookseem more competitive and increase the chances of finding an interestedpublisher. It may also strengthen the bargaining position for advancesand royalties. On the other hand, submitting a proposal to a single pub-lisher displays an initial commitment to that publisher. Also, if you sendfour proposals and subsequently receive two favorable responses, youwill have to reject one. By refusing a publisher, you are potentially re-moving yourself from any future publishing contracts with that publish-er, who may have concerns about your commitment to him (Glatthorn,2002). In our case, we decided to submit four proposals to multiply ourchances. We received two rejections and two favorable responses. Onepublisher requested more information and wanted to broaden the scope,but the other publisher accepted the proposal as it was presented.
RECEIVING AN OFFER
The publisher follows certain criteria upon reviewing the book proposal.For example, the publisher must decide whether the title is appropriate forits market. Projected sales should be sufficient to satisfy the publisher’slevel of financial security. Other financial factors include the labor and ex-pense to produce, market, and distribute the book, and to pay royalties tothe author. The publisher also examines the proposal’s contents for edito-rial quality. In addition, if the author’s qualifications are questionable orif the individual already has a poor reputation in the publishing industry,the proposal may fail.
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When the publisher makes an offer, it is not time to relax. You mustdecide whether to accept the offer. You should be satisfied that the relation-ship with the publisher will be a positive one. Some considerations are:
• Who will the editor be, and how will he or she communicate?• What timeline will be given for delivery of the manuscript?• What kind of marketing will the publisher offer? Will it provide
direct-mail promotions, advertisements in journals, or Web sitesales?
• Is there a mutual understanding of the project?• Do the author guidelines seem reasonable?
The author guidelines (or instructions for authors) provide much infor-mation on what is expected, such as preferred editorial style, electronicdelivery of manuscript, creating an index, and handling permissions forgraphics and copyrighted materials. Permissions are usually handled bythe author, not the publisher. This process can take two to five months,and the author must pay fees if required. The average cost of permissionsis between 10 and 50 dollars. Author guidelines may help you be moreprepared for your future relationship with the publisher. In our situation,establishing a basic understanding of the project with the publisher wouldhave prevented eventual problems.
NEGOTIATING THE CONTRACT
Perhaps the most complex part of the book-publishing process is thenegotiation of the contract, also known as the publishing agreement. Afirst-time author in the library profession may have little knowledge ofpublishing contracts. Without a full understanding of the contract, theoutcome can be undesirable, so it is essential that the author be prepared.Understanding the terms of your contract will help your negotiations.Major elements of the contract follow.
Manuscript Clause. This includes delivery date and length of manu-script, responsibility for obtaining quotations and graphics permissions,and indexing of the final product.
Satisfactory Manuscript Clause. The publisher has the right to re-fuse to publish an unacceptable work submitted by an author. Whilesometimes based on editorial reasons, this is often due to the projectedfinancial consequences of publishing a manuscript in a market that is un-favorable or already saturated with similar works.
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Publishing Clause. This obligates the publisher to publish the workwithin an “appropriate time.” The author should confirm that the bookwill be published within a reasonable time limit.
Author’s and Publisher’s Rights. In most academic titles, copyrightis assigned to the publisher, not the author. It reverts to the author after abook goes out of print. The author should be cautious of a “work madefor hire” clause, as it severely limits an author’s rights. The publisherusually retains other rights, such as publishing revised editions and main-taining subsidiary rights (including translations, electronic versions, andaudio recordings). In our case, we were not pleased with the revisionsphrase of the contract. We desired a new or renegotiated agreement withthe publisher. We also wished to retain rights to a future electronic orInternet version of the book. Unfortunately, the publisher would notbudge, claiming that was standard practice.
Right to Make Changes to Manuscript. If the manuscript requiresedits, the publisher has the right to modify it. These can include gram-matical changes, style, facts–anything. The author should allow changeswithin reason but may wish to discuss this issue before signing thecontract.
Royalties. The standard royalty in an academic field is 10 to 15 per-cent after all expenses are paid. This may increase in small incrementsas additional copies are sold. Payments are made to an author on asemi-annual or annual basis. Royalty advances are rare in academia anddepend on the publisher, the author’s financial situation, and the poten-tial for sales. Note that if an author is unwilling or unable to produce arevised edition, the percentage of his royalties decreases, while the newauthor responsible for the revision receives royalties on an increasingscale.
Termination of Contract. This clause describes the conditions underwhich a publishing contract is terminated. The contract ends if the manu-script is considered unsatisfactory and is rejected by the publisher, if thepublisher fails to sell future rights to the book, if forty years have passedsince the contract was signed, and/or if the book goes out of print. Abook is considered out of print when the publisher no longer activelysells the title or wishes to reprint it, even at the author’s request. Afterthe contract is terminated, the copyright reverts to the author.
Get Help. Uninitiated authors may benefit from reviewing the litera-ture and from consulting others who are familiar with the publishingworld. Advisors can help navigate the murky waters of a standard pub-lishing contract. Books, Web sites, and journal articles are good sourcesof information. Even using an agent to sell the work and negotiate the
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contract is a useful but expensive option. For our contract, we spoke tothe director of a university press affiliated with our institution and sentthe contract to an attorney for review. Their feedback helped us to under-stand some of the legal concepts involved.
A publisher may make some, but not all, of the author’s requestedchanges to the contract. The contract used is fairly standard, and a pub-lisher may be reluctant to alter it. In our contract, only a few minorchanges were made, including wording and geographic details. If thecontract includes unacceptable clauses, the author should propose a com-promise, submit to the publisher’s terms, or reject the contract and seekanother publisher.
PUBLISHING TERMINOLOGY
An important research task before and during the publishing processis to familiarize yourself with publishing terminology. Experienced au-thors and the editor can help answer your questions. If clear communi-cation exists between the publisher and the author, problems that mayarise during the publishing process can be avoided.
A good understanding of publishing methods and terminology is im-portant to the success of an author. Costly errors can be avoided if youhave a true picture of how the final book will appear and can communi-cate that to the publisher. For example, manuscript length and final booklength differ dramatically. Be cautioned! If the contract states the manu-script is to be 200 pages, this is not the same length as the final book.The book will likely be half the size of the manuscript, not the other wayaround. Be clear in the negotiations that the book is expected to be a cer-tain length and that the manuscript length reflects it.
Most manuscripts are double-spaced for editing purposes. Since anindex is not a typical book written in text format, the manuscript for ourbook should have been double the length of the final product. We plannedfor that, knowing our book would be single spaced and that we could dou-ble the manuscript size to reflect this. Because we interpreted the mean-ing of the term manuscript and its length incorrectly, we were forced todelete two large and very beneficial appendices at the last minute.
Precise communication with the editor regarding the author guidelinescan keep an author from experiencing delays or rewrites. Understandingthe terminology is no small task. Armed with a glossary of publishingterms, a first-time writer can make informed decisions during the publish-ing process.
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WRITING THE BOOK
Most authors conduct some research before they begin writing abook. You may prefer to complete all of your research first, find infor-mation for each chapter as you go, or research topics according to yourinterests and then piece the book together. All of these plans work, butincomplete research should never be an excuse to put off actual writing.
Developing a strategy for tracking sources and recording accurate ci-tation information is important during the research phase. Digital toolssuch as ProCite, EndNote, and RefWorks help store and format citations.Organizing research into folders either physically or on a computer helpsthe writing process flow smoothly. Keeping a to-do list ensures that all el-ements of the book are ready for submission by the deadline.
According to Gordon (2004), completing a book after the proposal isaccepted usually takes six months to one year. First-time authors shoulddouble or triple the amount of time they think they need to dedicate tosuch a project. Farkas (2006) warns that working full-time as a librarianand writing a book draw heavily on an author’s time and energy.
Setting your own deadlines can help you progress through your work.Designate a time to write each day and set daily goals. Find a comfortableplace where you can write without interruption. Keep writing tools suchas a dictionary, a thesaurus, and your notes at hand. For this project, weshared the specialized resources necessary for indexing children’s books.
Being organized, having research sources accessible, and developingoutlines or writing plans are important to all four authors of Newberyand Caldecott Awards. The outline required for most book proposals isa good starting point. Even if the outline changes, it ensures that impor-tant topics are covered. One tip we agree on is listening to your innervoice, the one that composes and revises for you subconsciously. Someof our best ideas have come not while we were in our offices, but whiletaking a shower, waking up, or drying our hair. Keep a paper and penhandy to record these inspirations.
There is no consensus concerning whether or not you should take careof details during the first draft. When thoughts are flowing, take advan-tage of them; however, there are some things you can do as you write tomake the subsequent task of revision less daunting. Take time during thewriting process to document sources, even in a truncated form; to use thecorrect format and style; and to record factual information and quotationscorrectly. Keep in mind the target audience and avoid jargon. Consultwith co-authors to determine consistency in terminology, spelling, andstyle.
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Even the most organized and dedicated writer has setbacks. Farkas(2006) has found allowing herself flexibility and adjusting her deadlinesto be positive steps. She advocates enlisting someone to offer emotionalsupport during the writing process. Other authors advocate working onthe manuscript even when you are not feeling inspired. Setting a smallgoal, such as just one page, may help overcome writer’s block. An experi-enced editor may also offer support and advice to a first-time author.
Most writers agree that it is best to write the entire book before cuttingand rearranging parts. The most common advice for first-time authors isto make the manuscript concise and readable during the revision phase.After the first draft is complete, let it sit for a while to give yourself fresheyes for revision. As you polish your writing, you can also check factsand review quotations for accuracy. Reading aloud helps catch omis-sions, changes in tense, and awkward wording. Using a different fonthelps you catch spelling, grammar, and punctuation errors. Be sure tokeep deleted sections and drafts, because an earlier version may be thebest one.
After you finish polishing, ask colleagues to read your entire manu-script. It may take more than one person to proofread and to check foraccuracy and clarity of content. Consider honest criticism, but remem-ber that the final decisions are yours.
While we were compiling our book, we submitted portions to thepublisher for review twice. Outside reviewers agreed that the informa-tion was accurate, that the coverage of the index was good, and that theappendices (which were later cut) were useful. They stated that the bookwould be valuable for the intended audience, confirming that we werecreating a useful reference tool.
APPLYING THE FINISHING TOUCHES
Besides revising the text and source list of a manuscript, there aremany details involved in creating a book. Most authors prefer to handlethese items after the text is complete. For example, we found that it waseasier to write the introduction after we completed the book. At thatpoint, we knew how we had compiled the book and knew exactly what itcontained and whom it would serve.
For most publications, authors must provide camera-ready copies (ver-sions that are ready to print) of tables, graphs, maps, sidebars, boxed in-serts, and other graphics, with notations for their placement in the text.Some publishers require authors to provide every page of the book in
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camera-ready format. In addition to the author biographies and index, thisincludes title page and table of contents. Other elements you may wantto complete your book include foreword, preface, acknowledgments,dedication, notes, appendices, glossary, and suggested readings beyondthe source list. Include permissions to use copyrighted text or illustrationswith the manuscript submission.
Some elements of format are determined by the publisher. Font, typeof paper, final placement of illustrations, and margin widths are usuallythe publisher’s choice. An author who expresses a preference early in thepublication process may have some influence on graphics and cover orjacket design. We were very pleased with the cover design of our book,but we would have preferred higher quality paper and print. The price ofthe book assigned by the publisher was high, in our opinion, for a smallpaperback that will not lie flat.
Some fortunate authors work with only one editor or project man-ager, who handles all communication from the various people workingon the project. We communicated with six people from the time we sub-mitted the proposal until the time we completed our marketing efforts.Although not all of the contacts were editors, the fact that we never metthese people, and that two of them had the same first name, certainlycomplicated the communication process.
The final editing of our manuscript was a frustrating experience. Af-ter reviewing the first proofs, we returned them to the publisher with ourcorrections carefully and neatly placed, so there would be no questionabout our intentions. A second set of proofs arrived that contained dif-ferent errors from those in the first proofs. We had to start over and readevery entry of our index, making sure we caught all the mistakes in thesecond proofs. Later, there were several mistakes in the author-title in-dexes at the end of the book that also suffered from printer errors.Trying to produce an error-free book and dealing with printer-initiatedmistakes, while working with short deadlines at the end of the project,was extremely stressful.
INDEXING THE BOOK
Although you create (or choose an indexer to create) the index foryour book when you receive the proofs for correction, the decision onwhether the book has an index is made much earlier in the publicationprocess. The book contract states whether there is to be an index. If itis in the contract, it is usually the author’s responsibility to provide the
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index. If you do not create the index yourself, the fee for a professionalindexer will be deducted from your royalties.
Balkin (1997) poses a couple of questions that must be answered inreference to the index: What kind of index does your book require? Whowill do the index? Some examples of the kinds of indexes are persons,places, things, and key concepts. If the book is a literary work, the indexmight consist of authors, titles, and first lines of poems. If it is a cook-book, the recipes might be indexed by name of recipe, author of the rec-ipe, or by ingredients.
The most important question that must be answered deals with whowill actually write the index. One of the best reasons for the author towrite the index–other than the cost factor–is that he knows the most abouthis subject matter. Although professional indexers do specialize in sub-ject areas, they usually do not know the particular subject as well as theauthor of a nonfiction book. Another advantage of author indexing is thatit provides the opportunity to see the work from a different perspective. Inthis way, the author can find any inconsistencies, duplications, and mis-takes, and thus be able to make improvements to the book (Hutchinson,1992).
Our experience in writing our book was different from most authorsbecause our book was in fact an index. The main body of the book wasa subject index to all of the Newbery and Caldecott titles from 1922through 2003. Therefore, the subject headings were the entries in themain body index, followed by the titles of the books with topics de-scribed by that subject heading. And finally, we wrote two indexes tothe main body subject index: an author/illustrator index and a title indexof all the authors, illustrators, and titles in the main index.
As we had divided the writing responsibilities equally among the fourco-authors, so did we split the author/illustrator and title indexing jobs.We each had one-fourth of the authors/illustrators and one-fourth of thetitles divided alphabetically. Combining everyone’s work for the indexeswas a challenge, but the cooperation among us made the process moreefficient and accurate.
Because the names in the author/illustrator index were based on theLibrary of Congress Authorities entries, we as librarians knew thatwe could do the job better than a professional indexer. To tell the truth,we never considered hiring an indexer. We did consider using indexingsoftware, but rejected the idea due to the cost and the learning curve.
The best rationale for the author to hire a professional indexer is thatindexing takes time and effort and usually requires more skill than theauthor possesses. There are several reasons attributed to the failure by
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authors to complete a good index. Wellisch (1995) points out whatmany authors ultimately realize about indexing: “[W]riting a book andindexing it are two quite different skills, and rare is the person who hasmastered both” (p. 33). The American Society of Indexers (ASI) Website notes that the amount of time allowed for the preparation of theindex is far less than any other part of the publication process. Balkin(1977) asserts that a seasoned indexer can do a “better job, in less time,and in a form more convenient for the copyeditor” (p. 126). In short,a professional indexer is well worth the cost, whether you choose yourown indexer or the publishing house contacts an indexer from their listof freelancers.
MARKETING THE COMPLETED BOOK
After the final manuscript is submitted and the proofs are returned, thebook is finally printed. The marketing and distribution phase goes intofull swing. At this point we thought our job was finished. We soon dis-covered that we would participate in the promotion of our book.
Following up on the marketing for our completed book was a frustrat-ing segment of our journey as first-time authors. Information we suppliedto the publisher included a list of fourteen possible review sources. Whenwe inquired about promotion after the book had been on the market forseveral months, we discovered that marketing personnel had sent copiesof the book to ten review sources and press releases to nine others.
The publisher’s direct-mail advertising program includes our book,and its Web site displays a description of the book–two links awayfrom the home page. The marketing problem for Newbery and CaldecottAwards is that our publisher produces materials primarily for school li-brarians/media specialists. Our book has value in public and academic li-braries as well as in schools.
When we realized that our book was not getting the promotion wethought it needed to reach all of its potential audiences, we contacted thecolumn editors of several library periodicals directly. We asked the pub-lisher to send review copies to those who responded positively. It is ourunderstanding that protocol requires that review copies be submitted toreviewers directly from the publishing company, not from authors. As aresult of our efforts, working with the marketing department, we suc-cessfully garnered four reviews.
Two of us presented papers about social trends in the Newbery Awardat six state and regional conferences and spoke about the book’s creation
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at an indexing conference. The marketing department supported this en-deavor, providing copies of the press release and an advertisementwith a discount on the price of the book. At the end of 2005, two years af-ter our book was published, we had sold 737 of the 1,500 copies that wereprinted. Even though we have made efforts to help publicize this book,we do not feel that it has reached its potential market. During the researchphase for this article, we learned that many authors, particularly authorsof scholarly works, feel that their books are not fully promoted. Wood(2005) states, “Marketing is the most common friction point betweenscholarly publishers and their authors” (p. 133).
CONCLUSION
Writing a book and having it published is a complex and time-consum-ing process. First-time authors face many challenges, from submitting aproposal to marketing the final product. There can be perils and pitfallsalong the way. Despite the difficulties, publishing can be a rewardingexperience. It can provide name recognition, career advancement, and asense of accomplishment. We hope this record of our experiences willhelp make the publishing journey a smooth one for first-time authors.
REFERENCES
Balkin, R. (with Carter, J.). (1977). A writer’s guide to book publishing. New York:Hawthorn Books.
Canter, D., & Fairbairn, G. (2006). Becoming an author: Advice for academics andother professionals. Maidenhead, Berkshire, England: Open University Press.
Crawford, W. (2003). First have something to say: Writing for the library profession.Chicago: American Library Association.
Farkas, M. (2006, February 8). Working on the book: Lessons learned so far. Informationwants to be free. Retrieved September 22, 2006, from http://meredith.wolfwater.com/wordpress/index.php/2006/02/08/working-on-the-book-lessons-learned-so-far/.
Glatthorn, A. A. (2002). Publish or perish–the educator’s imperative: Strategies forwriting effectively for your profession and your school. Thousand Oaks, CA:Corwin Press.
Goetting, D., Richard, S. M., Curry, S. M., & Miguez, B. B. (2003). Newbery andCaldecott Awards: A subject index. Worthington, OH: Linworth Publishing.
Gordon, R. S. (2004). The librarian’s guide to writing for publication. Lanham, MD:Scarecrow Press.
Hutchinson, T. P. (1992). Self-indexing. The Indexer, 18, 105-106.
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Jackson, M. E. (1997, Winter). Becoming a published author: Eight simple steps for li-brarians. Library Administration & Management, 11, 11-14.
Wellisch, H. H. (1995). Indexing from A to Z (2nd ed.). New York: H. W. Wilson.Wood, C. (2005). The marketing that authors really want. Journal of Scholarly Pub-
lishing, 36, 133-138. Retrieved October 18, 2006, from Academic Search Premierdatabase.
FURTHER READING
Bell, H. W. (1985). How to get your book published. Cincinnati, OH: Writer’s DigestBooks.
Germano, W. (2001). Getting it published: A guide for scholars and anyone else seri-ous about serious books. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
Harper, T. K. (2005). FAQ: Advice and answers to aspiring writers about query letters,agents, getting published, etc. Retrieved October 12, 2006, from http://www.tarakharper.com/faq.htm
Henson, K. T. (1995). The art of writing for publication. Boston: Allyn and Bacon.Kozak, E. M. (2004). Every writer’s guide to copyright and publishing law (3rd ed.).
New York: Henry Holt.Moxley, J. M. (1992). Publish, don’t perish: The scholar’s guide to academic writing
and publishing. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press.Pasco, A. H. (2002). Basic advice for novice authors. Journal of Scholarly Publishing,
33, 75-89. Retrieved October 18, 2006, from Academic Search Premier database.Powell, R. R., & Connaway, L. S. (2004). Basic research methods for librarians (4th
ed.). Westport, CT: Libraries Unlimited.Rankin, E. (2001). The work of writing: Insights and strategies for academics and pro-
fessionals. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.Schneider, M. E., & Doyen, B. (2005). The everything guide to writing a book pro-
posal: Insider advice on how to get your work published. Avon, MA: Adams Media.Schuman, P. G., & Harmon, C. (1997, Winter). From book idea to contract. Library
Administration & Management, 11, 19-25.Sluss, S. B. (1990). Interpreting and applying the acceptability clause in book publish-
ing contracts. Book Research Quarterly, 6.2, 29-36. Retrieved October 25, 2006,from Academic Search Premier database.
Wyman, L. P., & Harrison L. (1996). Frequently asked questions about indexing.American Society of Indexers. Retrieved October 12, 2006, from http://www.asindexing.org/site/indfaq.shtml.
Received for review: November 3, 2006Accepted for publication: November 30, 2006
doi:10.1300/J124v25n02_01
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