Welcome to TAA’s Newest Column: Dear Dr. Noelle

By Noelle Sterne, PhD

Welcome to Dear Dr. Noelle!

Unashamedly, I have modeled this column on the popular “Dear Abby” advice column but aimed at us more evolved intellectuals. The column is for you graduate students, new academic doctors, and professors who have questions that burn in your minds even when you’re binging on a Netflix series.

Fair game: anything pertaining to a dissertation, article, monograph, or book: intellectual, expressional, procedural, psychological, emotional, relational, maddening.

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Publishers Join with Worldwide Coalition to Condemn the Theft of Creative and Intellectual Authorship by Tech Companies for Generative AI Training

On October 22, 2024, the Association of American Publishers (AAP) joined forces with more than 10,000 creators and coalition partners, including authors, musicians, actors, artists, and photographers, to condemn the theft of creative and intellectual authorship by big tech companies for use in their Generative AI models. The AAP released the following statement and are calling on authors and authoring organizations to sign it:

“The unlicensed use of creative works for training generative AI is a major, unjust threat to the livelihoods of the people behind those works, and must not be permitted.” 

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Finding a Freelance Editor You Click With

by Hannah de Keijzer

Thousands of freelance editors are poised to work on your manuscript. But whether or not the editorial process elevates your book and enlivens you as a writer hinges in large part on the person you pick. You need someone who can deliver edits to professional standards, of course, on time and within your budget.

But you also deserve to work with a communicative editor whose method fits your brain and preferred ways of working. Look for someone who gives you confidence in yourself and in your manuscript as it develops. That’s a matter of process and feelings fit as much as one of professional skill.

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2025 TAA Conference Bookstore Featured Book: ‘Business Communication: Process & Product’

Business Communication: Process & Product (11e) by Mary Ellen Guffey and Dana Loewy, offers a comprehensive guide to mastering business communication skills. Covering the latest trends and practical techniques, it equips readers with tools for writing, speaking, and presenting professionally, ensuring success in today’s dynamic business environment. Ideal for students and professionals aiming to enhance communication efficiency. The book is published by Cengage.

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TAA President’s Message: Seismic Changes, But TAA is Here to Help

Given all the seismic changes in higher education publishing, authors need TAA now more than ever. About 20 years ago, I began my authoring career with a small publisher called Morton Publishing when printed books were the norm. Most of those small publishers don’t exist anymore because they have been acquired by larger publishers.

Consider all the changes in educational publishing over the past two decades. As textbook prices soared, lower cost alternatives emerged. We evolved from printed books to eBooks to Open Educational Resources (OER). Now the major higher education publishers offer various subscription models with lower fees by the month or by the semester. Printed books are quickly being phased out to transition to the new standard of digital and interactive books. Lastly, Generative AI is now a common tool being used by publishers, students, and authors alike.

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