Today's newsletter brings you an interview with Marcella Landri, acquiring editor at the University of Michigan Press. My goal with sharing editor interviews in my newsletter is to put a human face and feelings to the names you may see when exploring publishers' websites and preparing to submit your book proposal. I believe authors and editors mutually benefit when they can see each other as whole people.
Having met Marcella in person earlier this year, I can say that she is one of the warmest (and funniest) people I've encountered in the academic publishing world, and so I'm delighted to introduce you to her if you don't know her yet. In our conversation below, Marcella shares what she's looking for these days as an acquiring editor and offers some tips for aspiring book authors.
Marcella Landri: I’m the acquiring editor for African, Asian, and American studies at the University of Michigan Press (UMP). I oversee several book series including newer additions such as Global Queer Asias, Critical Militarization Studies, and Tiwizi, our newest series on indigenous North Africa. I also acquire standalone titles in my list areas.
Before joining UMP, I worked as the acquisitions fellow and assistant editor at the University of Washington Press. At Washington, I supported the lists in Asian studies, American studies, Native and Indigenous studies, and environmental history. I’ve also worked as an editor, writer, and translator for the Amazigh Cultural Association of America; as the lead editor of Comfort Hive Magazine, and as the managing editor of several journals for professional societies.
Previous editorial roles have been essential to my development as an acquiring editor. But I also find that earlier jobs I’ve held teaching, canvassing, and working in the service industry have taught me vital skills that I use every day—like being patient, giving feedback, talking to strangers about complex issues, or listening for what people need.
I acquire books that are in conversation with our publishing program at Michigan, that push the boundaries and expectations of their field, and that I believe will be useful and interesting to others. Here are some of the core questions my list is asking:
- Whose voices and histories have been silenced in scholarship?
- How do we center narratives, theory, and methodologies rooted in local and regional knowledge production?
- How can we advance scholarship that resists settler colonialist foundations of established disciplines?
- How do we deconstruct territorial demarcations—of the nation, region, or area—to challenge colonial and hegemonic boundary-setting?
I’m particularly interested in books that explore indigenous sovereignty, dewesternized approaches to theory, decolonial and transnational intersectionality, and global approaches to the study of race and ethnicity.
Laura Portwood-Stacer: What are you looking for when you receive a pitch from an author who wants to publish with you?
Marcella Landri: When I read a book proposal, I ask myself many questions. The first question is about editorial fit: Does this project fit my list?
If the answer is yes, then I ask more questions including:
- Is the writing clear and engaging?
- Is there a compelling argument? Is it easy to find, and does it seem to be supported by evidence?
- Does the author have reasonable expectations that align with Michigan’s publishing program?
Laura Portwood-Stacer: How do you approach working with authors? Is there anything that potentially makes you stand out as a great editor to work with?
Marcella Landri: I have a lot of empathy for those working in a foreign context. I know from experience how difficult it can be to write in a non-native language. My first language is English, but I wrote several hundred pages in academic French during graduate school. I earned a bachelor’s degree in modern literature and a master’s degree in comparative literature from Sorbonne University. I’d follow my French friend, Juliette, around the swimming pools of Paris, which was the only way to get her to edit my papers during her free time. My dad was also an international student arriving first at Texas A&M and then Tulane from his hometown Tala Xlil in rural Algeria. At Michigan, I feel lucky that my list includes many international authors—our list is richer for it, and it’s one of the reasons I was excited to take on this role as an acquisitions editor.
Laura Portwood-Stacer: What kinds of things do you enjoy discussing with academic writers?
Marcella Landri: People can talk to me about anything. Tell me what keeps you up at night; what gives you peace of mind at the end of the day; or what your reason is for waking up in the morning. Tell me about something you like to cook or a place you like to go. I enjoy talking with authors about mundane and extraordinary experiences. To be more specific, I do get really excited to talk about tea, the beverage. If you prefer, you can also just talk to me about your book project.
Laura Portwood-Stacer: Do you have any specific advice for authors about the scholarly book publishing process?
Marcella Landri: One recent Manuscript Works newsletter was all about why you need to pay attention to new books. I was excited to read this email because I talk to authors about new books all the time. Maybe it’s obvious, but I think scholars benefit from reading new books both inside and outside of their field. Pick up a trade book. Read something for fun; but take your reading seriously. Authors should be reading not only as scholars but equally as writers and probably also as editors. Become familiar with the conventions of the book genre—before you decide to follow or ignore conventions. Try to identify how good writing feels to read and how compelling arguments are constructed. Which strategies do you find effective and which ones don’t work as well? Who is covering your topic and how are they doing it? How do people write for an academic audience? How do they write for a general audience? If scholarship is a conversation, you have to be willing to listen before you add your two cents. Sometimes this feels like the best advice I can give authors besides telling them to believe in themselves or to have fun while they’re writing.
Laura Portwood-Stacer: If an author wants to reach out about a book project they’re working on, how should they contact you?
Marcella Landri: Please email me at mlandri@umich.edu. Next month you can find me at the African Studies Annual Meeting in New Orleans. This upcoming spring, you can find me at the Association for Asian Studies Annual Conference in Boston or the Arab American Studies Triennial Conference in Dearborn, and I regularly attend the American Studies Association Annual Conference. I recently moved to Minneapolis, so you could also find me in the Twin Cities.
I hope you enjoyed learning more about Marcella and will consider pitching a book to her if you work in one of her acquisitions areas! For what it's worth, I've had many past clients publish books with the University of Michigan Press and they have all spoken positively of the experience.
You can reply directly to this message with questions or suggestions for the newsletter. Thank you for reading!
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This newsletter is coming to you from Laura Portwood-Stacer, PhD, professional developmental editor and publishing advisor. I offer practical tips on writing and publishing scholarly books, centering the humanity and agency of authors and publishing professionals throughout the process.
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