Publishing in the
Humanities
Perspectives from
BRILL
Ove Kähler
Head of Marketing, BRILL
May, 2011
BRILL – an overview
• Long-time player (founded in 1683)
– Commercial publisher (no subsidies)
– Strong international focus
• Head office Leiden (Netherlands)
– Branch office in Boston (USA)
• Turnover €27mln
– Listed on Euronext
BRILL – what do we do
• Subject areas
– Humanities & Social Sciences
– International Law
– Natural sciences
• Products
– Journals
– Books
– Online (e-journals, e-books,
reference works, primary sources)
BRILL – our imprints
• Martinus Nijhoff Publishers
(International Law)
• VSP (Materials Science)
• Global Oriental (publications on
East en Central Asia)
• Hotei Publishing (Japanese Art)
• IDC (Primary Sources)
Agenda
• Journals
• Books
• Online
Journals
Journals – an overview
• BRILL publishes approx. 150
journals
– Indexed by Scopus:
83 titles
• Imprint “BRILL”:
• Imprint “Martinus Nijhoff”:
• Imprint “VSP”:
75 titles
17 titles
1 title
– Titles with Impact Factor:
19 titles
• Imprint “BRILL”:
10 titles
Journals – Slavic Studies
BRILL publishes 6 journals in Slavic Studies
(formerly published by Schlack Publishing
USA)
– Journal of Modern Russian History and Historiography
–
–
–
–
–
The Soviet and Post-Soviet Review
Canadian-American Slavic Studies
East Central Europe
Russian History
Southeastern Europe
Books
Books – an overview
• BRILL has a backlist of over 5,000
books
• Every year, BRILL publishes about
500 new books
Publish your book with BRILL
Step 1 | Which Publisher
• Do your homework
– Publisher’s list, website
– What is the publisher’s reputation?
– Meet their editor
– Learn the differences between
publishers
Publish your book with BRILL
Step 2 | First revision
•
•
•
•
•
It’s your decision what to do
Solicit reactions
Give talks at conferences
Tighten your argumentation
Sustain thread
Publish your book with BRILL
Step 3 | Approach & Proposal
• Email or post a proposal
– an outline of the book
– a chapter outline
– the work plan for the book
– a specimen chapter
• Result: an expression of interest
Publish your book with BRILL
Step 4 | Manuscript
•
•
•
•
•
•
Spell check!
Have someone else read it!
Is it complete?
Check publisher’s instructions
Print or file?
Funny characters or diagrams?
– Send the “good version” as PDF!
Publish your book with BRILL
Step 5 | Review procedure
• The referee and his/her report &
recommendations
• The editorial board and its
recommendation
• Final decision: the publisher
• Revisions
• Contract
Publish your book with BRILL
Step 6 | Contract
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Delivery date
Length in words
Numbers of illustrations
Copyright transfer or license
Free copies
Royalty
Other benefits
Room for negotiation?
Online
Online – jls./monographs
• E-Journals (offered in three collections)
– Humanities & Social Sciences
– International Law
– Natural Sciences
• E-Book collections (sold per pub year, e.g. “2010
collection”)
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
Asian Studies
Biblical Studies
Biology
Classical Studies
European History and Culture
Human Rights, humanitarian law
International Law
Material and Surface Science
Religious Studies, Theology & Philosophy
Social Sciences
Online – reference works
1/2
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Africa Yearbook Online
Bibliography of Arabic Books Online (BABO)
BRILL’s Encyclopedia of China
Brockelmann Online
Christian Muslim Relations Online
Context of Scripture Online
Encyclopaedia Islamica Online
Encyclopaedia of Islam Online
Encyclopaedia of the Qur’ān Online
Encyclopedia of Arabic Language and
Linguistics Online
Online – reference works
2/2
• Encyclopedia of Jews in the Islamic World
(EJIW)
• Encyclopedia of Women and Islamic
Cultures (EWIC)
• Index to the Study of Religions
• Indo-European Etymological Dictionaries
Online (IED Online)
• Linguistic Bibliography Online
• New Pauly Online
• Religion Past and Present (RPP) Online
• Dictionary of Gnosis & Western Esotericism
• Encyclopedia of Christianity Online
• Yearbook of International Organizations
Online
Online – primary sources
• Art Sales Catalogues Online
• Jacoby Online
Wrapping up…
Why publish with BRILL
• Personal Touch
– BRILL has a large and dedicated team
of internal editors that help you through
the publication process.
• High Standards, Quick Decisions
– BRILL maintains high standards by a
thorough process of peer-review based
on the final, completed manuscript,
which helps to make your book or article
as good as possible.
• Reaching the Reader
– BRILL has a good reputation among
scholars and librarians.
Thank you!
Questions?
Visit Brill.nl
(our newsly launched website)
or email me:
kahler@brill.nl