The Manuscript Works Newsletter
Essential knowledge about scholarly book publishing that every author should have. Get weekly tips on writing and publishing your scholarly book from developmental editor and publishing consultant Laura Portwood-Stacer, PhD.
Vibe check at university presses
The Manuscript Works Newsletter Essential knowledge on scholarly book publishing that every author should have Dear Reader, In the wake of all the uncertainty of the past several months, a big question on the minds of the scholarly authors I’ve talked to is “Will I still be able to publish my book?” Let's put aside for a minute the fact that the conditions we're living in are not conducive to writing books. If you are finding it impossible to write at the moment, you're not alone....
This month's author interview
The Manuscript Works Newsletter Essential knowledge on scholarly book publishing that every author should have Dear Reader, This week's newsletter features an author interview with Dr. Collie Fulford, whose new book, Insiders, Outliers: Centering Adult Student Writers at an HBCU, comes out this month from Rutgers University Press. I first met Collie when she reached out a few years ago to let me know that with the help of The Book Proposal Book and my Perfect-Fit Publisher Challenge, she had...
How writing fits into an academic career
The Manuscript Works Newsletter Essential knowledge on scholarly book publishing that every author should have Dear Reader, I'm pleased to share another author interview with you this week, as I try to do every month in this newsletter. This time I spoke with Dr. Hannah Zeavin about her new book, Mother Media: Hot and Cool Parenting in the 20th Century, out later this month with MIT Press. Many of the authors I work with are navigating what it means to be a writer inside, alongside, or...
The prose-polishing trap
The Manuscript Works Newsletter Essential knowledge on scholarly book publishing that every author should have Dear Reader, I’m currently working with a group of scholars who are learning how to become effective developmental editors of their own writing. This means they’re discovering how to assess their texts for big picture issues like argument and structure and fix the problems that will make the biggest difference in getting their texts accepted for publication. I gave these writers a...
How to love your book cover
The Manuscript Works Newsletter Essential knowledge on scholarly book publishing that every author should have Dear Reader, In the midst of so much bad news lately, I was relieved to get a small piece of good news last week: the cover design for my forthcoming book came in, and I love it! Releases on August 5, 2025. Click here to be notified when preorders are available. Privately, I’d been anxious about how this moment in the production process would go. I plan to do a lot of promotion for...
Simple book promotion ideas for every author
The Manuscript Works Newsletter Essential knowledge on scholarly book publishing that every author should have Dear Reader, If you're a returning reader of this newsletter, you know that every month I highlight the experience of a different scholarly writer who has recently published a book. This month, I'm excited to share an interview with art historian Elizabeth Petcu, author of The Architectural Image and Early Modern Science: Wendel Dietterlin and the Rise of Empirical Investigation,...
Is your draft ready for developmental editing?
The Manuscript Works Newsletter Essential knowledge on scholarly book publishing that every author should have Dear Reader, In case you haven't heard yet, I'm offering a new course for scholarly writers! The Developmental Editing Workshop for Scholarly Writers will teach you how to apply the skills of professional editing to your own academic writing projects. You'll learn the most important issues that factor into manuscripts making it through the publication process smoothly, and you'll...
Are you editing out of order?
The Manuscript Works Newsletter Essential knowledge on scholarly book publishing that every author should have Dear Reader, If you’ve ever written a manuscript for publication, you’ve probably been aware at some point that your draft needed editing. And you’ve probably engaged in self-editing, or received editorial assistance from someone else on your way to publication. What you may not have been aware of is that professional writers and editors distinguish between various levels of editing,...
Taking your book public for broader impact
The Manuscript Works Newsletter Essential knowledge on scholarly book publishing that every author should have Dear Reader, I'm so pleased to be celebrating a new book this month from a Manuscript Works client (specifically an alum of my Book Proposal Accelerator program in 2022). Dr. Oliver L. Haimson's Trans Technologies is near and dear to my heart, not only because its topic is important for its own sake, but also because I think Oliver's thesis is a great a model for other authors who...
Friendly reviewers
The Manuscript Works Newsletter Essential knowledge on scholarly book publishing that every author should have Dear Reader, I have a free workshop coming up next week! It's the next installment of my Publishing Unpacked series, and this one is called Surviving Peer Review. I'll be giving my best tips for getting your scholarly book through the peer review process (mostly) unscathed, drawing on my experience helping hundreds of academics land book contracts with university presses and other...
Essential knowledge about scholarly book publishing that every author should have. Get weekly tips on writing and publishing your scholarly book from developmental editor and publishing consultant Laura Portwood-Stacer, PhD.