Managing the anxiety of submitting a book proposal: Opinion

Submitting a book proposal to an academic publisher is often an anxiety provoking activity, writes Laura Portwood-Stacer. To deal with the anxiety of this experience, Portwood-Stacer encourages academics to focus on the idea of their book rather than whether their book proposal is perfect, and to reflect on their qualifications and either recognize their current platform or make a statement about how they will improve their author platform. While peer reviewers will be hard on an author’s idea and sample chapters, a heavy focus on a book may indicate that they see its potential. Finally, Portwood-Stacer writes that editors at academic presses are excited about new books and authors, and emphasizes the fact that responses and requests for revisions indicate their interest. The Chronicle of Higher Ed Note: Archived stories may contain dead links or be missing source links.