Finding the right publisher can be daunting, especially with so many options available. This year’s Textbook Award winners shared how they found their publishers, why they were a good fit, and what factors to consider when evaluating potential publishing partners.

How did you decide which publishers to approach with your textbook idea? Can you share any tips for selecting a publisher?

A: Regina Luttrell, author of Social Media and Society: An Introduction to the Mass Media Landscape (2e), and winner of the Textbook Excellence Award:

“When I began thinking about potential publishers, I looked for presses that already had a strong presence in communication, media, and related social science fields. I wanted a publisher that understood both the subject matter and the classroom market, and that had experience supporting books intended for teaching and learning. I also paid close attention to whether the publisher’s existing catalog reflected the kind of audience I hoped to reach.

One of the biggest lessons I’ve learned is that choosing a publisher is also about choosing people. When you find a good editor, you want to stay with them. That relationship matters tremendously. For me that is Natalie Mandziuk from Bloomsbury. She is simply the best. I will go to her first before anyone else because she understands me, she understands my writing style, and she knows how to help bring out the strongest version of my work. Having that kind of editorial partnership makes a huge difference, especially with a demanding project like writing and publishing a book.

My advice for others is to do your homework before making contact. Look carefully at the books a publisher already produces, the quality of those books, and whether your project would be a natural fit. But also pay close attention to the editorial relationship. A good publisher is not just printing a book, they are becoming a partner in shaping it, supporting it, and helping it find the right audience. That trust and shared understanding can be just as important as the publisher’s reputation.”

A: Charles Zastrow, co-author of Generalist Social Work Practice: A Worktext (13e), and winner of the McGuffey Longevity Award (co-authored with Sarah Hessenauer):

“When I first started writing social work textbooks, there were not as many publishers who were interested in [this genre] of textbooks.

I picked a [publisher] who had worked with my colleagues. It is important to choose a publisher who regularly communicates, listens to your thoughts, works with you on your ideas, respects your timeline, and is willing to put time and energy into your book.”

A: David Tong, author of Lectures on Theoretical Physics (volume 1: Classical Mechanics, volume 2: Electromagnetism, volume 3: Quantum Mechanics, volume 4: Fluid Mechanics) (1e), and winner of the Textbook Excellence Award:

“I’m at Cambridge, so it made sense to turn to the university press first. But my editor, Nick Gibbons, was great and very encouraging and has been tremendously helpful throughout.”

 

A: Charles Desnoyers and Peter Von Sivers, co-authors of Patterns of World History (5e), and winners of the Textbook Excellence Award:

“We approached publishers who did not have leading texts in the field. We wanted a publisher that would not place us into competition with their own texts that were already successful and who could concentrate on our work. We were fortunate enough to be Oxford University Press’s first try at a world history text.”