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Getting It Published, Third Edition

A Guide for Scholars and Anyone Else Serious about Serious Books

Third Edition

For more than a decade, writers have turned to William Germano for his insider’s take on navigating the world of scholarly publishing. A professor, author, and thirty-year veteran of the book industry, Germano knows what editors want and what writers need to know to get their work published.

Today there are more ways to publish than ever, and more challenges to traditional publishing. This ever-evolving landscape brings more confusion for authors trying to understand their options. The third edition of Getting It Published offers the clear, practicable guidance on choosing the best path to publication that has made it a trusted resource, now updated to include discussions of current best practices for submitting a proposal, of the advantages and drawbacks of digital publishing, and tips for authors publishing textbooks and in open-access environments.

Germano argues that it’s not enough for authors to write well—they also need to write with an audience in mind. He provides valuable guidance on developing a compelling book proposal, finding the right publisher, evaluating a contract, negotiating the production process, and, finally, emerging as a published author.
“This endlessly useful and expansive guide is every academic’s pocket Wikipedia: a timely, relevant, and ready resource on scholarly publishing, from the traditional monograph to the digital e-book. I regularly share it, teach it, and consult it myself, whenever I have a question on titling a chapter, securing a permission, or negotiating a contract. Professional advice simply does not get any savvier than this pitch-perfect manual on how to think like a publisher.”—Diana Fuss, Princeton University

Read a chapter from the book "What Do Publishers Do?".


304 pages | 5 halftones | 6 x 9 | © 2016

Chicago Guides to Writing, Editing, and Publishing

Library Science and Publishing: Publishing

Reference and Bibliography

Reviews

"The heart of the book walks the reader through the publishing process from the point of view of what the publisher wants from the author. This is what separates this book from all of the other books advising scholars on publication: it has as much insight from the publisher as the author. . . . Unlike other books on academic writing that focus only on the process of writing, Germano is ever aware that the sustainability of scholarly presses does not end with the tenure review committee and that today’s scholar must also see their work in the larger context of their field and the intellectual world that now includes the internet, open access, and e-books."

Publishing Research Quarterly

“A clear and enthralling read, channeling Germano’s expertise on scholarly publishing into a timely, approachable and inspiring book that can be used as a quick reference or as part of a more comprehensive education. The book’s masterful synthesis of breadth and words makes it a tremendously valuable resource for new and experienced academic writers alike, as well as the librarians helping them.”

Reference Reviews

“There is, I assume, only one William Germano. A shame, because any aspiring author who reads this book will probably want him as their editor. However, illicit cloning aside, they will have to settle for his considered advice on the page, rather than in person. . . . Germano is committed to ideas but clear-headed about business, inspiring but not unrealistic, wise in the ways of publishing and witty about writers’ foibles. And—a good sign in an editor—he writes well himself.”

Praise for previous edition | Times Higher Education

“This endlessly useful and expansive guide is every academic’s pocket Wikipedia: a timely, relevant, and ready resource on scholarly publishing, from the traditional monograph to the digital e-book. I regularly share it, teach it, and consult it myself, whenever I have a question on titling a chapter, securing a permission, or negotiating a contract. Professional advice simply does not get any savvier than this pitch-perfect manual on how to think like a publisher.”

Praise for previous edition | Diana Fuss, Princeton University

“Wise counsel from a battle-tested strategist.”

Praise for previous edition | Writer

“Germano deconstructs and demystifies what publishers and editors actually do and what authors should look for in finding the right house for their subject and in putting the right words in their contract.”

Praise for previous edition | Booklist

"Getting It Published, as the subtitle announces, is the guide to everything a scholar needs to know about where his or her research goes. William Germano, the author, is the guide of the book. A deft hand at elegant and lucid prose, William Germano has the industry experience, the university experience, and the teaching experience to know what writers of research will need when they go to submit their own manuscript, the manuscript that just might become the next book on a shelf or the next PDF on a desktop."

New Books Network

Table of Contents

Preface to the Third Edition
Acknowledgments

1 Introduction
2 What Do Publishers Do?
3 Writing the Manuscript
4 Selecting a Publisher
5 Your Proposal
6 What Editors Look For
7 Surviving the Review Process
8 What a Contract Means
9 Collections and Anthologies
10 Quotations, Pictures, and Other Headaches
11 How to Deliver a Manuscript
12 And Then What Happens to It
13 The Via Electronica
14 This Book—And the Next

Afterword: Promoting Your Work
For Further Reading
Index

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