The academic publishing world is a vast and diverse place. Finding your niche and then working your way into it can be a tricky task. Here are some helpful tips on publishing and choosing the correct academic publisher for you.
Do Your Research. Find out who the academic publishers are, where they are, and how to contact them. It helps to attend academic and scholarly conferences or seminars, learn the hot topics and trends specific to this industry--understanding these will help you present your manuscript in a more appealing light by tying it to a popular trend. It should go without saying that in scholarly publishing-more than in any other publishing segment-you must be an expert on your subject matter.
Choose the Right Publisher for You. The list of academic publishers is long. You need to understand what each publisher's specialties, strengths, and preferences are, so you can narrow down the publisher list and match up your material with their needs correctly. Be thorough and picky.
Approach the Publisher Properly. Some scholastic publishers want a call first, some want an email, some want a query letter, some just want a portion of your manuscript in the mail. You must show respect and approach them how they want to be approached--take the publisher's advice; otherwise, they will not listen to you or consider your material. A literary agent is not often used in educational publishing, but it certainly would not hurt to have one.
Learn to Shrug Off Rejection. On the average, 98-99% of submissions to scholarly publishers get rejected, especially if you've never been published before. That's just the way it is. It will help if you can learn from rejection. Be open-minded. You may need to revise and try again. If you have talent and perseverance, you will succeed in getting published.
Excellent books on how to get published in the educational publishing industry can be found in your local bookstore, library, or Internet stores. Here are some of the best ones:
Handbook for Academic Authors. A common-sense guide to all aspects of scholarly publishing, written in wonderfully clear prose.
MLA Style Manual and Guide to Scholarly Publishing. The standard reference for academic writing, presenting the formats, styles, punctuation, abbreviations, and other forms that scholarly publishers expect.
Getting It Published: A Guide for Scholars and Anyone Else Serious about Serious Books. Lively insider's guide to educational publishing-a book that will tell you not only how publishing works, but how you can make it work for you.
Writing for Scholarly Publication. A practical guide for students and scholars in which the author takes the reader step-by-step through the entire writing and publication process-from choosing a subject, developing content that will engage others, to submitting the final manuscript for publication.
