Book Commissioning and AcquisitionSince its first publication, this essential guide to book commissioning has established itself as the one and only 'must-read' for any successful editor, and the core training text used both within publishing houses and on publishing courses worldwide. |
Contents
Introduction | 1 |
The route to becoming an editor | 5 |
Structure of the book | 9 |
Terminology | 10 |
One size fits all? | 12 |
How to choose what to publish | 13 |
How authors select publishers | 14 |
How editors select authors | 16 |
Writing blurbs | 91 |
Formfilling | 92 |
Copublications | 93 |
Briefing designers | 95 |
Liaison with marketing | 99 |
Publication day | 104 |
Dealing with inappropriate behaviour | 106 |
Case studies | 109 |
Context for choosing | 17 |
True commissioning work | 18 |
Evaluating books and projects | 19 |
The publishing list | 21 |
Readership | 22 |
Competition | 25 |
Using advisers | 26 |
Seeking advice from colleagues | 28 |
Working with agents | 30 |
Intuition versus facts | 33 |
Case studies | 37 |
Committing projects for publication | 39 |
The written submission | 40 |
Profit and loss account | 42 |
Accuracy in length and delivery | 44 |
The contract | 48 |
Rights | 51 |
Common areas of misjudgement | 52 |
Case Study | 56 |
From contract to delivery | 59 |
System for the progress chasing | 61 |
Safe scheduling | 63 |
Providing appropriate author support | 64 |
Planning ahead for delivery date | 66 |
Slippage | 71 |
Conflict between authors | 74 |
Conflict between author and editor | 75 |
Dealing with unsatisfactory writing | 77 |
Case studies | 81 |
Managing the publication process | 83 |
Explaining the publication process to the author | 84 |
Examination of typescripts | 85 |
Liaison with subeditorial and production | 89 |
Strategic and financial aspects of list building | 111 |
Frontlist versus backlist | 114 |
Dominating the market | 115 |
Marketing factors | 116 |
Cost factors | 117 |
Problem areas in list development | 120 |
Conclusion | 124 |
Developing and maintaining a list | 127 |
Developing an established list | 128 |
Developing a list as a competitive tool | 130 |
The backlist | 132 |
Reprinting | 134 |
Neglecting the backlist | 137 |
Putting books out of print | 138 |
Case studies | 139 |
Teamwork and professional ethics | 143 |
Inhouse teamwork | 144 |
Working with authors | 147 |
Bad behaviour | 149 |
Case study | 151 |
An impossible job? | 153 |
Inheriting other editors lists | 154 |
Managing email | 157 |
Fear of failure | 158 |
Dark days | 162 |
The best job? | 163 |
A future for the book? | 165 |
The example of CD Roms | 167 |
In conclusion | 168 |
Recommended reading and other resources | 171 |
| 173 | |
Other editions - View all
Common terms and phrases
advance advisers agent anxiety art therapy backlist become blurb book's bookshop budget buyer CD Rom chapter co-publications competitive competitors consumer books publisher contract copies course deal delivery date demand departments difficult direct marketing edition example expected feel frontlist give going gross profit ideas inevitably investment involved jacket design Jilly Cooper judgement keep kind list building literary agent look loss account manager manuscript market research marketing colleagues numismatics particular plans prepared print run profes professional profit and loss progress chasing projects promotion proposal publication day publication process publishing house readers readership Remember reprint reps require revenue royalty sales conference schedule sector sell senior series editor simply slippage sometimes specialist publishing sub-editorial sub-rights subsidiary rights successful talk textbook things tion titles typescript understanding writer's block writing