Creating an academic book from start to finish can be quite a long journey—we’re talking about years here. Most authors and editors are prepared for this, but it can come as an unpleasant surprise to some. In this post, I’ll…

Using inclusive language makes your audiences feel welcome and respected, reduces distraction for the reader, and maintains your (and our!) credibility. The books in our Open Access Book Series are downloaded by readers across the world, so we pay particular…

I can hear many of you authors out there collectively groaning, or perhaps you are putting off actually formatting your manuscript as you look for advice to make it all seem easier. It’s true, formatting your manuscript for submission can…

The book production process is long, and it can sometimes seem complicated. Once you submit your book manuscript, you’ll have several opportunities to make edits. However, there are major differences about what kinds of edits you can make at each…

A common motivation for authors choosing to publish open access is a desire to reach a larger, broader audience (Pyne et al. 2019). And although usage statistics can be complex and many publishers are secretive about their print runs, research…

We’ve all done it. You know, you’re working on a writing project and you have every intention of staying organized. But then, all of a sudden, you have a folder with 43 documents in it—all named “helpful” things like draft2.docx,…

Our blog series on academic book publishing is chronicling each stage in the book production process. In this post, I discuss a process that happens near the end of production: reviewing page proofs. After a manuscript has been copyedited and…

Everyone loves a good graphic, even (especially?) in academic writing. I’ve already written blog posts about creating effective data visualizations and tables, and in this post I’ll focus on other types of graphics that you might include in your publications on engaged learning. …

Book websites are a great way to share information about your book and help readers decide whether they want to purchase or download it. Having a stable URL to share with potential readers can be helpful as you market your…

In today’s world, when we read so much content on-screen and can so easily use the “find” command, you might question whether an index is still necessary. The answer is yes (read on for why), and that means that once…