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.
Giveaway for a good cause
Published 3 days ago • 4 min read
The Manuscript Works Newsletter
Essential knowledge on scholarly book publishing that every author should have
Dear Reader,
Wow, 2024 has been a tough year. I’m applauding all of us for making it through, period, and if you’ve managed to keep your head in the game of working on an academic book, well, I hope you know what an accomplishment that is, even if you made less progress than you’d hoped to.
I want to quickly remind you that I have a free workshop coming up on January 8th that lays out the steps you need to take to get a scholarly publisher interested in your book project. Tell your friends!
I’ve also been thinking quite a bit about what else I can do to make this world an easier place for those who are having a tough time of it (and may have an even tougher time in 2025). I believe in my work helping academic authors publish meaningful books, but in this week's newsletter, I want to make a different kind of offering.
I’ve been a knitter for about 20 years now, and since the lockdown of 2020 I’ve turned to knitting even more so as a way to cope with everyday stress and anxiety. I knit a lot, so in the course of the past four years, I’ve produced far more hats, scarfs, and cowls than one person who lives in Los Angeles could actually wear. Now, rather than letting them continue to pile up in my home office, I’d like to see if I can use them to do something good.
I’ve selected ten knitted items (pictured below) to raffle off in support of organizations that seek to improve quality of life for LGBTQ+ people, especially youth who aren’t supported by their families of origin. A donation of any amount (even $5) to any relevant organization will enter you into the drawing.
To be eligible for the drawing, please make your donation and email me by December 29th. On December 30th, I will total up all the donations and make a matching donation of my own to TransLifeline. I will also draw ten names to receive one of the knits below (to keep or gift to a loved one). If you’re selected, I’ll follow up with you to find out your mailing address and preferred item. I’m only able to cover shipping within the US, so if you’re located outside the US and you win the drawing, I won’t be able to send you a physical item, but I will offer you a complimentary ebook of The Book Proposal Book instead.
Ok, I hope all of that made sense and that you don’t mind this week’s newsletter being a little far afield from academic book publishing content. We’ll be back to business as usual in January! Thank you for reading, and I'll see you soon.
Tweed wool beanie, sized for a medium to large adult head. Mix of US-grown wool. Handwash only.
P.S. I share photos of all of my knits on my personal Instagram account @trivialknits, so if this kind of thing is your jam, feel free to follow me there.
This newsletter is coming to you from Laura Portwood-Stacer, PhD, professional developmental editor and publishing consultant. I help scholarly writers navigate the book publishing process with more ease and agency.
I hope you'll stick around for practical tips on writing and publishing your scholarly book, but if you'd like to adjust your subscription settings, you can do that at the bottom of this message.
A self-study course for professional and aspiring freelance editors, in-house editors, and scholars who edit others' writing. Learn how to work with scholarly authors, assess manuscripts, create revision plans, and build a sustainable editing business.
A live 6-week program in which you'll write your book proposal, receive expert feedback, and plan your submission strategy. Tentative dates for the next cohort are January 21 through February 28.
Manuscript Works Author Support is a private hub for ongoing support in your scholarly book publishing journey. Inside this community you'll get honest advice about publishers, peer review, offers and contracts, as well as join live Q&A sessions with Laura Portwood-Stacer and your fellow Manuscript Works authors.
This community is open to alums of the Manuscript Works Book Proposal Accelerator and Book Proposal Shortcut for Busy Scholars.
If you have a friend, colleague, or student who might enjoy the Manuscript Works Newsletter, could you forward it to them and let them know that they can subscribe at newsletter.manuscriptworks.com? Thank you for reading and sharing!
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.