Publishing a book
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Getting published – personal experiences Professor Mike Cole Director of Research, Knowledge Transfer and Scholarship Faculty of Science and Technology What are we going to discuss ? Why should you publish ? Publishing at a conference Publishing in the refereed literature Publishing a book So why consider publishing ? Part of academic life Sharing of teaching / scholarly / research material Academic career progression – papers and grant applications Esteem – Yours – Your group / Department / Faculty / Institution It allows you to travel all over the world It’s fun ! Publishing at a conference May be an internal, regional, national, international conference Several types of talk :– Plenary, Invited, Contributed Generally refereed but not as rigorously as journal papers Plenary and invited talks – established colleagues – something radically new – by invitation Publishing at a conference Contributed talks and posters – Decide on a conference where your paper / poster is relevant (means you will have an audience !) – Decide on how much data / the results you will discuss – Decide which section of the conference you will contribute to – Register for the conference and submit abstract and details Publishing at a conference Registration and details – Name, address, affiliation, contact details – Abstract : OBEY THE GUIDELINES – Impact statement – what have you / will you change with this work, what is its significance ? Think this through before you start – Lay person’s statement – explanation for the man on the street If overseas you will need an OA1 form and travel insurance Publishing at a conference Be prepared to answer questions through the talk and afterwards Prepare talk for worst possible AV conditions – white on dark or yellow on dark – Make sure text / figures large enough Do NOT over run on time – stand up, speak up, shut up. If you don’t know the answer – say so, suggest the discussion after the session Submit the written form for conference proceedings – Follow guidelines Publishing in a journal Choose an appropriate journal – content, publishers, distribution, impact factor Read some papers in the journal to get a feel for the style and language – Talk to the appropriate editor if new to the journal and to referees Obtain the instructions to authors and follow them Write the paper as a draft – get something onto paper – Try to avoid repetition, waffle – The 80 / 20 rule – Concise - take it out - does it change the meaning / interpretation of the paper ? Publishing in a journal Share material with your co-authors – Be prepared to be corrected / changed – it is professional not personal – Try to make it look as though written by one person – Sit down together and go through line by line – Materials and methods, results and conclusions then intro and abstract. References last unless using “endnote” or similar Obtain peer review from a trusted friend or colleague Publishing in a journal When you are happy – submit according to the instructions (usually digital) Peer review – may be a lengthy process – Acceptance – Accepted with corrections – roll over and accept comments unless it changes the meaning of the paper – Major re-write – Rejection – on basis of quality (bad) or wrong journal (not so bad) Look after copyright – especially of pictures and images When it appears in print (and usually digital format) – CELEBRATE Publishing a book This is a long term commitment You won’t get rich ! Often done when you have an established set of lecture notes May be invited to write a chapter (good starting point) or to be the editor (a LOT of hard work) Starts with – Discussion with a publisher – a proposal form Publishing a book Content and scope – what the book will be about (outlining its objectives and scope) and include the case for publication. (e.g. fills a gap, hot topic, documents latest research). Why do you feel qualified to write this book? What has caused this information need? Why are those needs sufficiently important to support a new book? Table of Contents. – Showing the coverage you propose, indicating chapters, subdivisions within chapters and their proposed contributors. Add a 3-5 line summary under each chapter heading. Indicate what books are available which might compete and who these titles are aimed at. Publishing a book PRODUCTION – How long will it take you to complete – What software will you be using to prepare your typescript ? – Please provide the nearest estimate on the length of the book. – the number of illustrations you intend to use and indicate the type of illustration (e.g. halftones, line drawings, graphs, spectra, chemical structures). – How many images will be in colour ? Publishing a book MARKETING – List any keywords and subject areas associated with your book: – Level your book will be written? Monograph, Undergraduate Textbook, Postgraduate Textbook, Reference, Handbook, Popular Science, – Indicate the readership for whom this book would be of interest –Academic, Industrialist, Postgraduate, Undergraduate,Lay Reader – List the unique selling points of your book – Societies, professional bodies etc., interested in a bulk purchase Publishing a book Write little and often - set out a schedule - have peers read relevant parts Work with your editor and ensure there is communication -Editor will visit Try to get publisher to do the indexing Submit pages when ready Review pages when typeset. Get someone else to read it too Await publication – up to a year after submission of manuscript. Other means of publication Internet / digital journals Professional articles Newspaper pieces Internet / web pages Pieces of scholarship - music, art – All very similar in process to the above - decide what you are going to do and follow guidelines In conclusion A wide variety of media exist - not just refereed journals Publishing is straightforward -three golden rules – MAKE the time to do it – Follow the guidelines of the publisher – Engage with peers at an early stage Publishing can be immensely rewarding and showcases your work ANY QUESTIONS ?
