Workshop with Irene Frieze (frieze@pitt.edu) and Margaret L. Signorella (msignorella@psu.edu)

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Authoring a book can be a wonderful project that allows you to express yourself in ways that are not possible in journal articles or even book chapters.  Here are some questions you might ask yourself as you begin the authoring process:

• Is your book fiction or nonfiction?   Our focus is on nonfiction books that draw upon psychological theory and/or psychological research in some way.  The process for writing and publishing fiction or non-psychological nonfiction such as a biography or autobiography is quite different from writing a nonfiction psychology book.
• Are you interested in self-publishing or do you want to publish with a traditional publisher?  No real rules apply to self-publishing, but any production or marketing costs are paid by the author.  Generally, such books only reach a small number of readers. For traditional publishing, it will be necessary to convince a publisher that the company will be able to make money from your book.  
• What is your goal in doing the book?  
  • Making money from the book?  [Royalties generally range from 10 to 20% of the sales price.  Advances are not common now.]
  • Having others understand your ideas about an issue important to you?
  • Enhancing your private practice by adding to your reputation?
  • Enhancing your publication record and professional vita?  [Books may not count.]
  • Other goals?
• Finding a publisher.   
  • If you already know editors at a publishing company, ask them for advice about whether their company would be appropriate.  
  • Find publishers that publish books similar to yours.  Major publishers in psychology include APA, Sage, Springer, Springer Publishing Co, Blackwell-Wiley, Routledge, and Palgreave.  
  • Books authored by one to three authors are much preferred to edited books.
• Questions that a publisher will ask before agreeing to a contract:
  • What is the professional reputation of the author or authors?
  • Contribution. In what ways would the book add to current knowledge and practice.
  • Related competing books. Why they are not adequate to meet the need you have identified; and how your book would differ or be superior.
  • Intended audiences for your book.   What is the potential number of sales for the book?   Will it be dated quickly?
  • Potential textbook adoptions. In general, textbooks have more sales than books sold primarily to professionals.
• Excellent resource for academic writers in particular, from the Chronicle of Higher Education: 6 Types of Book Proposals That Don’t Get Contracts https://www.chronicle.com/article/6-types-of-book-proposals-that-dont-get-contracts 

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If you would like to discuss a possible book for the SPW book series and the process and procedures involved, please get in touch with Irene Frieze, SPW Book Series Co-Editor (frieze@pitt.edu).

Irene H. Frieze and Margaret L. Signorella.  Book Series Co-Editors

Prepared for a workshop at the APA Division 35 August 2021 conference.  On-line.