GETTING YOUR NUMISMATIC BOOK IN PRINT Publique Deposited
- For the benefit of E-Sylum readers, I threw together this summary of some key points of Dennis Tucker's presentation on how to become an author of a numismatic book, drawn from Whitman documents he kindly forwarded me after his presentation at Thursday's NBS Symposium. Thanks. -Editor
Proposals should include...
- cover letter with name of author(s) and contact information (address, phone, email)
- proposed title of book
- names of any contributors (research assistants, consultants, et al.)
- intended audience of the book (be specific)
- analysis of current competition (similar books on the market, standard references, etc.)
- proposed format (size, page count, binding, illustrations, etc.)
- brief biography of the author(s) and significant contributors
- a detailed table of contents, and at least two sample chapters
Proposals should address...
1. Has your book been published before? If so, please give details (date, publisher, format, print run, quantity sold, who currently owns the copyright).
2. How will your book be superior to others in the same subject field? Discuss the relative strengths and weaknesses of competing texts; show how your book will differ from each (e.g., in topic coverage, approach, features, etc.). If no competing books exist, why is that so?
3. How many copies do you expect would sell in the first 12 months?
4. Production timeline (how long do you need to finish your manuscript (e.g., write text, gather images, compile data)?
5. Has your manuscript been peer reviewed? If not, feel free to recommend several experts qualified to analyze your responses to this proposal. We may also submit your proposal to others, for their review.
The Whitman Publishing Staff
There is a large staff of specialists at Whitman involved in taking a book from manuscript to final published form. The following list is extracted from the Whitman Author Guide.- The Publisher
- The Acquisitions Editor
- The Production Editor
- The Copyeditor
- The Art Director
- The Designer
- The Typesetter
- The Numismatic Director (Q. David Bowers)
- The Director of Numismatic Research
- The Pricing Analyst
While on some projects people may wear multiple hats, each of these roles is a vital part of the process in creating the quality finished product readers know and expect from a printed book.
Many thanks to Dennis for describing the process. E-Sylum readers are encouraged to put together manuscripts of their research and seek a publisher like Whitman who can make your book a reality. The world can never have enough numismatic books!
For more information about Whitman, see: www.whitman.com
- 2014-08-10
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