Here’s what every book promoter and author should know: Libraries (and your local bookstore) provide a significant market for independent titles—especially self-published or those from small presses, said Kimber Bilby, ForeWord Reviews marketing director.
How to prepare for the next textbook edition
The thought of updating a textbook for a new edition can be daunting, but for James Kalat, author of Biological…
Featured Member Dannelle Stevens – Honing your writing craft
Dannelle D. Stevens is a Professor of Curriculum and Instruction at Portland State University. She is a coauthor of several…
How to pitch a piece of writing
Pitching a piece of writing requires thinking strategically about possibilities for seeing your work published, given your personal and professional…
To be a successful writer, first you must promote
One of the most important parts of textbook publicity and marketing is the press release. A simple yet well-written document that is going to put who, what, where, why and how can I buy this book; out into the marketplace.
If you want media coverage, you’ve got to make your story newsworthy and make clear why anyone should care about your new book. And you’ve got to offer valuable lessons learned, tips, or other useful suggestions from which the readers, listeners, or viewers can benefit. Bullet points and statistics are always helpful.
5 Suggestions for writing outside of your discipline
My own work has taken me far afield from my study of law. I’ve delved into feminist theory, critical race theory, rhetorical theory, literary studies, urban planning, and more. I’ve always found that the most interesting texts — textbooks, journals, book reviews — are those that are written in an interdisciplinary fashion. Maybe that’s my liberal arts education coming through, but there’s something about reading a law text with history examples, or an article on communication theory that pulls in political science, or even a sociology selection that combines medicine and health sciences literature that is simply more interesting. Students, professionals, and other scholars likely appreciate the interconnectedness of our interests as well. In order to keep people questioning and pondering, encourage broader discussion of relevant issues, and develop an increasingly interested and literate public, we must be able to do more than write inside our comfort zone.