Scholarly Publishing

An examination of the critical issues facing universities, academics, libraries and scholarly presses at a time when publishing has begun moving from a print to an electronic paradigm. The essays explore the technical, social and organizational impact of computer-mediated communication.

For faculty to advance their careers in higher education, publishing is essential. A competitive marketplace, strict research standards, and scrupulous tenure committees are all challenges academicians face in publishing their research and achieving tenure at their institutions. The Handbook of Research on Scholarly Publishing and Research Methods assists researchers in navigating the field of scholarly publishing through a careful analysis of multidisciplinary research topics and recent trends in the industry. With its broad, practical focus, this handbook is of particular use to researchers, scholars, professors, graduate students, and librarians.

The book publishing industry is going through a period of profound and turbulent change brought about in part by the digital revolution. What is the role of the book in an age preoccupied with computers and the internet? How has the book publishing industry been transformed by the economic and technological upheavals of recent years, and how is it likely to change in the future? This is the first major study of the book publishing industry in Britain and the United States for more than two decades. Thompson focuses on academic and higher education publishing and analyses the evolution of these sectors from 1980 to the present. He shows that each sector is characterized by its own distinctive ‘logic’ or dynamic of change, and that by reconstructing this logic we can understand the problems, challenges and opportunities faced by publishing firms today. He also shows that the digital revolution has had, and continues to have, a profound impact on the book publishing business, although the real impact of this revolution has little to do with the ebook scenarios imagined by many commentators. Books in the Digital Age will become a standard work on the publishing industry at the beginning of the 21st century. It will be of great interest to students taking courses in the sociology of culture, media and cultural studies, and publishing. It will also be of great value to professionals in the publishing industry, educators and policy makers, and to anyone interested in books and their future.

"This is a detailed analysis of the business of the scholarly publishing in the U.S. of: books; journals; pre-prints; and various scholarly publications in institutional repositories. Drawing on an extensive review of the literature, and statistical sources, the book examines: the changing environment of scholarly publishing; the product, price, placement, promotion, and costs (including some P & L statements) of scholarly books and journals. Special attention is paid to: the history and development of scholarly books and journals; intellectual property issues, including the development of the U.S. copyright law and infringement issues Sci-Hub; an author's contract; and the impact of technology (including open access) on books and journals. The book also discusses how scholarly publishers are trying to manage in what are turbulent times. The book contains extensive notes, a detailed bibliography, book and journal statistical tables, and figures."--

Academic and professional publishing represents a diverse communications industry rooted in the scholarly ecosystem, peer review, and added value products and services. Publishers in this field play a critical and trusted role, registering, certifying, disseminating and preserving knowledge across scientific, technical and medical (STM), humanities and social science disciplines. Academic and Professional Publishing draws together expert publishing professionals, to provide comprehensive insight into the key developments in the industry and the innovative and multi-disciplinary approaches being applied to meet novel challenges.This book consists of 20 chapters covering what publishers do, how they work to add value and what the future may bring. Topics include: peer-review; the scholarly ecosystem; the digital revolution; publishing and communication strategies; business models and finances; editorial and production workflows; electronic publishing standards; citation and bibliometrics; user experience; sales, licensing and marketing; the evolving role of libraries; ethics and integrity; legal and copyright aspects; relationship management; the future of journal publishing; the impact of external forces; career development; and trust in academic and professional publishing.This book presents a comprehensive review of the integrated approach publishers take to support and improve communications within academic and professional publishing. Brings together expert publishing professionals to provide an authoritative insight into industry developments Details the challenges publishers face and the leading-edge processes and procedures used to meet them Discusses the range of new communication channels and business models that suit the wide variety of subject areas publishers work in

How to transform a thesis into a publishable work that can engage audiences beyond the academic committee. When a dissertation crosses my desk, I usually want to grab it by its metaphorical lapels and give it a good shake. “You know something!” I would say if it could hear me. “Now tell it to us in language we can understand!” Since its publication in 2005, From Dissertation to Book has helped thousands of young academic authors get their books beyond the thesis committee and into the hands of interested publishers and general readers. Now revised and updated to reflect the evolution of scholarly publishing, this edition includes a new chapter arguing that the future of academic writing is in the hands of young scholars who must create work that meets the broader expectations of readers rather than the narrow requirements of academic committees. At the heart of From Dissertation to Book is the idea that revising the dissertation is fundamentally a process of shifting its focus from the concerns of a narrow audience—a committee or advisors—to those of a broader scholarly audience that wants writing to be both informative and engaging. William Germano offers clear guidance on how to do this, with advice on such topics as rethinking the table of contents, taming runaway footnotes, shaping chapter length, and confronting the limitations of jargon, alongside helpful timetables for light or heavy revision. Germano draws on his years of experience in both academia and publishing to show writers how to turn a dissertation into a book that an audience will actually enjoy, whether reading on a page or a screen. He also acknowledges that not all dissertations can or even should become books and explores other, often overlooked, options, such as turning them into journal articles or chapters in an edited work. With clear directions, engaging examples, and an eye for the idiosyncrasies of academic writing, he reveals to recent PhDs the secrets of careful and thoughtful revision—a skill that will be truly invaluable as they add “author” to their curriculum vitae.

Every industry will be positively affected by blockchain and AI technology at some point. However, blockchain is a misunderstood technology within the publishing realm. The scholarly publishing industry can significantly improve the flow of research, drive down costs, and introduce new efficiencies in the publishing industry with these new technologies. The scholarly publishing industry is in its early days of the digital transformation, and blockchain and AI technology could play a major role in this. However, the industry has been resistant to change. These reasons include but are not limited to staying with legacy systems, cost of new platforms, changing cultures, and understanding and adopting new technologies. With proper research and information provided, the publishing industry can adopt these technologies for beneficial advancements and the generation of a bright future. Transforming Scholarly Publishing With Blockchain Technologies and AI explores the changing landscape of scholarly publishing and how blockchain technologies and AI are slowly being integrated and used within the industry. This book covers both the benefits and challenges of implementing technology and provides both cases and new developments. Topics highlighted include business model developments, new efficiencies in scholarly publishing, blockchain in research libraries, knowledge discovery, and blockchain in academic publishing. This book is a valuable reference tool for publishers, IT specialists, technologists, publishing vendors, researchers, academicians, and students who are interested in how blockchain technologies and AI are transforming and developing a modern scholarly publishing industry.

In this guide to academic writing the author takes the reader step-by-step through the writing and publication process-from choosing a subject, developing content that will engage others, to submitting the final manuscript for publication.

Since 2001 William Germano's Getting It Published has helped thousands of scholars develop a compelling book proposal, find the right academic publisher, evaluate a contract, handle the review process, and, finally, emerge as published authors. But a lot has changed in the past seven years. With the publishing world both more competitive and mor...

A step-by-step guide to crafting a compelling scholarly book proposal—and seeing your book through to successful publication The scholarly book proposal may be academia’s most mysterious genre. You have to write one to get published, but most scholars receive no training on how to do so—and you may have never even seen a proposal before you’re expected to produce your own. The Book Proposal Book cuts through the mystery and guides prospective authors step by step through the process of crafting a compelling proposal and pitching it to university presses and other academic publishers. Laura Portwood-Stacer, an experienced developmental editor and publishing consultant for academic authors, shows how to select the right presses to target, identify audiences and competing titles, and write a project description that will grab the attention of editors—breaking the entire process into discrete, manageable tasks. The book features over fifty time-tested tips to make your proposal stand out; sample prospectuses, a letter of inquiry, and a response to reader reports from real authors; optional worksheets and checklists; answers to dozens of the most common questions about the scholarly publishing process; and much, much more. Whether you’re hoping to publish your first book or you’re a seasoned author with an unfinished proposal languishing on your hard drive, The Book Proposal Book provides honest, empathetic, and invaluable advice on how to overcome common sticking points and get your book published. It also shows why, far from being merely a hurdle to clear, a well-conceived proposal can help lead to an outstanding book.