How to write an academic book proposal

Academic book proposals are a necessary part of publishing a book. They help potential publishers see your work and what they could expect if they decided to publish it. There are a few things you should keep in mind when writing a proposal.

First, make sure you have all the information the publisher needs to assess the viability of publishing your book. Second, be sure to highlight the unique aspects of your book and how they will benefit readers. Third, be clear about what readers will get from reading your book. Finally, market your proposal effectively to publishers.

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Most useful textbook and academic posts of the week: April 22, 2022

As we near the end of April, spring is in the air; new life is blooming; and most academics are gearing up for the end of another school year. With so much going on, where does that leave your writing?

In our collection of articles from around the web, we find some resources to help turn the page, deal with rejection, devote yourself to writing, reset, and learn to say “no”. In order to accomplish our goals, we must move forward. In order to seize the best of opportunities that await, we must say no to the ones not in our best interests and devote our efforts to those that are.

Chris Grosser said, “Opportunities don’t happen. You create them.” As you head into this last full week of April, create opportunities to write then align your efforts to meet your goals. Happy writing!

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3 Ways publishers evaluate book proposals and query letters

So, you’ve decided to write a book but are not sure how to acquire the interest of a publisher so that your hard work can be enjoyed by readers in your discipline. You’ve heard that book proposals and query letters are the professional tactics for introducing a new book to a potential publisher, but what exactly are they looking for?

In his recent webinar, publishing consultant John Bond shared his insight on what publishers are looking for as they evaluate your proposal or query letter.

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How to write a book proposal

You’ve found your dream publisher, and you’re ready to pitch your book. You just need to write a proposal that will convince them to publish it.

Just like journals, every press has their own guidelines for authors. Find it; it will tell you exactly what the editors want in a proposal. Most proposals ask for the same basic things, so in this article, we will review each and look at what the publisher expects to see in those sections.

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Most useful textbook and academic posts of the week: November 8, 2019

As we reach the end of the first full week of November, more affectionately known as Academic Writing Month (AcWriMo) for most of our readers, we want to remind you of the importance of reading to improve your writing efforts. In fact, Samuel Johnson once said, “The greatest part of a writer’s time is spent in reading, in order to write; a man will turn over half a library to make one book.” This reading time may be immersed in discipline-specific journal articles, or in items such as the ones below that help improve your overall writing craft and understanding of the authoring industry.

This week our collection includes resources from SAGE MethodSpace’s AcWriMo focus on writing and publishing books, ways to address worry for writers, establishing a plan B (or C), determining your contribution to the literature, maintaining an appropriate writing voice, questioning our assumptions in publishing innovations, and exploring alternative textbook options, including OER.

Remember as you move forward in your writing this week, it is more than acceptable – it’s even necessary – to take time to read to broaden your understanding of both your discipline and your craft, in order to improve your results as an author. Happy writing!

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Can I help you in any way? Publishing strategies (part 1)

“Hello, thank you for visiting. Can I help you in any way?” If you’ve browsed our TAA website, you’ve likely seen those words in the chat box that appears on the screen. We’re often asked by visitors if we’re “real”. Then those who realize that we are, and that we are there to help, ask questions that you may have as well.  

In this series of “Can I help you in any way?” posts, we’re highlighting some of the questions people have asked through the TAA Live Chat feature of our site and the responses we have for those questions. In this post, we’re focused on questions about publishing strategies.  

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