The most useful textbook & academic writing posts of the week: August 21, 2015

I received “official notice” that summer is coming to end by one of the many random emails I (somehow) subscribe to. As if there weren’t enough signs for me already—raining for days straight, temperatures taking a significant dive, and (possibly the most dreaded) back to school commercials. Growing up in a household in which both parents worked in schools (one a middle school teacher and the other a speech therapist), we were trained to avert our eyes when school supplies were moved to the front of the store, overflowing in anticipation of the school year to come.

The rise of textbook prices: Authors give their perspective

It’s that time of year; students are heading back to class and hitting the campus bookstore to purchase their needed textbooks for the semester. However, recent surveys, like that by the National Association of College Stores, reveal that students are finding cheaper, alternative methods for purchasing their textbooks or not even purchasing them at all. This may not be too surprising given the latest review of the Bureau of Labor Statistics by NBC, which indicated textbook prices have increased 1,041 percent since January 1977. Often the media covers what publishers, students, and professors have to say regarding this data, but rarely do we hear from textbook authors. With that in mind, I asked our textbook author members, via the TAA Listserv, to write a response to the NBC article that gives their perspective on this issue.

A prescription for self-published textbooks: An interview with Bob Hoyt

The Copyright Clearance Center’s Director of Business Development, Christopher Kenneally, interviewed self-published author Dr. Robert Hoyt, M.D., on CCC’s Beyond the Book program about his textbook, Health Informatics: A Practical Guide for Healthcare and Information Technology Professionals, now in its sixth edition.

During the interview, Hoyt told Kenneally that self-publishing gave he and his coauthor a lot more flexibility, the biggest one being turnaround time. Standard book publishing takes 2-3 years, he said, and their topic mandated a faster turnaround: “Self-publishing was the only way to do that.”

Listen to the full interview on CCC’s Beyond the Book site.

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We are the stories we tell. From childhood, we learn to place ourselves – as recipient and author – into the context of stories. A great storyteller capitalizes on this to create a personal connection and emotional bond with the audience. Great brands also tell great stories. They build a narrative in which we can actively participate. What’s your unique brand story? How are you leveraging it to succeed? “BrandStoria: The Power of Your Unique Brand Story”, presented by Sharlene Sones, Principal, Sones + Associates LLC, will help you understand the elements behind great brand stories and how you can strengthen yours to grow your authoring business.

New 2015 TAA Fall Webinars – Improve Your Skills

Summer is rapidly coming to a close, meaning fall and classes are just around the corner. Now is the perfect time to start thinking about and planning your fall writing projects. Whether you are interested in learning the steps for developing a textbook, creating an online presence to build your academic brand, educating yourself on textbook royalty audits or publishing agreements, or how to write clearer academic pose, TAA’s fall webinar series for textbook and academic authors has you covered. Join us as various industry experts share their expertise on academic and textbook writing topics.