tailieunhanh - Writing for Publication part 10

The books contain the kind of advice that we have frequently proffered our research students and colleagues, often over a cup of coffee or a meal. We suggest that you consume their contents in a similar ambience: read the whole thing through in a relaxed way first and then dip into it where and when you feel the need. | Publishing Books and in Books 81 Publishers proposals and contracts Okay you may have got to the point where you have decided that publication in some form of book is the right thing for your work. What do you do next It s an obvious thing to say but books are published by publishers. This means that you have to engage with these strange beasts if you want to get a book into print. As part of the partnership there will be two key documents - a book proposal and a contract. The proposal is the document that you send to the publisher which describes your proposed book and in which you set out the case for why they should publish it. The contract is the legally binding agreement between you and the publisher concerning your book. You need to treat writing a book as a publishing project from the outset. Your book will be a collaborative venture between you and your publisher meaning that it is important to get a publisher on board as early on as possible. It is highly inadvisable to delay contacting publishers and obtaining a contract until your book is written. The publisher s deadlines and guidance will give you something to write to both in terms of time and the nature of the book. We will now consider publishers proposals and contracts in turn. Publishers Publishers are people who are in business to make money. However it would be wrong to assume that this necessarily stops them from being nice people with a commitment to the production of good books. An author s relationship with a publisher should be a genuine partnership. If you can find a publisher who has good business skills and shares your values about books then your partnership will be sound and mutually rewarding. Above all remember that they need good authors as much as good authors need them. Try to make it a mutually advantageous and successful relationship. That said you will almost always have to take the lead in finding a publisher for your book and developing this relationship with them. A .