How to deconstruct and decipher your textbook royalty statement

Deciphering royalty statements to determine whether royalties being reported are accurate can be frustrating for both first time and veteran textbook authors. Royalty calculations should be relatively straightforward. That is, the contractually agreed-upon royalty rate for the Work multiplied by the earnings received by the publisher. However, add in escalation clauses, various rates for different sales categories or channels, co-authorship, packaged products, electronic materials, custom editions, abridgements, agreed-upon deductions, returns for reserves, specific definitions of earnings, multiple titles in various editions etc., and the calculation of royalties becomes much more complex.

10 Self-publishing companies for your next textbook project

Self-publishing, not to be confused with vanity publishing, is now seen as a much more viable option when it comes to publishing a textbook. Self-publishing companies offer a wide range of services from manuscript editing to cover design and distribution. You, as the author, often have complete control over each stage of the design, publishing, and promotion process. Keeping all of this in mind, if you decide to self-publish instead of following the traditional route, these ten self-publishing companies are ones to explore and consider:

Join us 10/8 for the TAA Webinar, ‘Tips for Writing an Effective Textbook: Developing Your Manuscript with Your Publisher’

One of the first steps after signing with a publisher is to begin working with the publisher’s content developer. The content developer is your day-to-day contact and guides you through the writing process. Join us Thursday, October 8, from 4-5 p.m. ET for the TAA Webinar, “Tips for Writing an Effective Textbook: Developing Your Manuscript with Your Publisher”, where Ann Greenberger from Greenline Editorial Services will cover the steps in developing a textbook–from first draft to final revised manuscript–and tips for successfully creating a powerful product.

And the winner is… Nominations for TAA’s 2016 Textbook Awards now open

Gain recognition with your fellow authors and within the textbook publishing industry by nominating your textbook for a 2016 TAA Textbook Award. We are excited to open nominations for the Textbook Excellence Award (“Texty”), McGuffey Longevity Award (“McGuffey”) and Most Promising New Textbook Award now through December 1, 2015.

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.