Friday, March 03, 2006

Are You a Publishing Veteran?

Then heaven knows we need your input. If you have a distinguished publishing record -- especially multiple titles with the same press -- and some time to share your experience with others, let us know! We're establishing a network of on-campus experts to guide authors in the specifics of publishing with various presses.

Contribute Your Contracts

Please contribute copies of your literary contracts to our archive! The more actual contracts we can collect from various publishers, the better this office will be able to serve you by negotiating better and stronger deals over time.

Take a "Bookstore Ramble"

Are you thinking about writing for a broader audience? A lively tour of a major bookstore (usually the Barnes & Noble on M Street) will help you figure out where your book might live on those crowded shelves. You'll get a sense of where your book belongs, and who its literary neighbors will be, plus how to get a better position. You'll learn little-known industry secrets of how books are acquired, sold, and tracked. You’ll even learn the answer to that mysterious question, "What is a typical bookstore's #1 product?" (Hint: It's definitely not books. In fact, it's not even an item! Or is that giving away too much?)

Why Academic Literary Advising Now?

In many ways, scholarly publishing has changed. Some university presses are under increasing pressure to make money. They often do it in what seem like crazy ways (£100 cover price for a book? No image budget? Zero honoraria? Not enough promotion?). Meanwhile, the elite trade publishers like Knopf, FSG and Scribner are often playing by very different rules. We're here to help you figure out what's normal, what's out-of-bounds, and where your work might fit in this new publishing world.