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.
🔧 The 3 types of presses
Published 9 days ago • 14 min read
The Manuscript Works Newsletter
Essential knowledge on scholarly book publishing that every author should have
Hello Manuscript Workers!
I'm back with a regular newsletter this week. As I mentioned a couple weeks back, I'll be sending a slightly different mix of emails this year, with newsletters like this coming every two weeks. These regular newsletters will focus on practical, nuts-and-bolts advice and resources (hence the wrench emoji in the subject line). Between these bi-weekly issues, you'll see other, shorter messages from me with timely announcements of upcoming programs (but I'll be keeping these as minimal as possible to keep your inbox clutter-free). Thanks for reading!
What's in this edition:
Quick tip: The 3 types of presses where scholars publish books
Frequently asked question: How do I publish a trade book?
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.
The 3 types of presses where scholars publish books
Most readers of this newsletter will be well aware of university presses as possible homes for their scholarly book projects. But it's important to understand that there are other options out there, and which path is right for you will depend heavily on your goals in publishing a book. Different types of publishers can bring different strengths, resources, and levels of access to bear in supporting your book project, so it behooves you to explore what all of them have to offer. Here I offer you a (necessarily somewhat oversimplified) typology:
University presses are attached to universities (duh) but some museum presses and presses associated with other nonprofit institutions are members of the Association of University Presses and thus might be grouped in this category. University presses are mission-driven, which means that while they do need to make responsible financial decisions when acquiring and publishing their books, they also prioritize publishing books of intellectual and social merit, even when such books might not be immediately profitable.
University presses vary widely in the number of books they publish per year and the financial resources they bring to the table. Scholars generally find university presses attractive because of the bespoke author experience they offer and the academic prestige which may be crucial to a scholar's case for tenure and promotion.
Commercial academic presses are often (though not always) run within large for-profit publishing corporations and may publish thousands of books per year. Familiar examples might be Routledge, Bloomsbury Academic, or Palgrave Macmillan. Because these publishers put out a high volume of books each year, some authors may feel that they have a less personalized experience. On the upside, the publishing process can be quicker and come with access to a very large distribution network. Furthermore, the business model of commercial academic presses may allow them to invest in highly niche monographs that university presses aren't able to. (See my interview with editor Christian Pizarro Winting below for more insight into the pros and cons of publishing with a large commercial academic press.)
Trade presses are distinct from university presses and commercial academic presses in that they focus on publishing books for readerships outside of the academy. While trade presses may accept some book projects by scholarly authors, they are not as focused on peer review and the academic mission of the first two types of publisher. They may be for-profit or not-for-profit entities; the "trade" aspect has to do with audience and distribution rather than the financial structure of the publisher.
I find it helpful to break the trade category into two sub-categories. First there are small(ish) independent presses that accept unagented proposals and may be mission-driven to serve a specific kind of readership (which may include scholarly readers but isn't a readership defined by academic affiliation). You might be familiar with some indie trade presses such as Verso, the New Press, or Haymarket. You usually don't need a literary agent to submit a proposal to these presses, and some of them will even conduct peer review if it's important to the author (or the intended audience).
In the other sub-category I put larger presses that are aiming for broad reach and high commercial payoff. Think Penguin Random House or Simon & Schuster (and their imprints). These presses require a literary agent to bring a project to their editors for consideration, so you'd need to take the extra step of proving your project's commercial viability to agents before they'll pitch it to these large publishers. These presses don't necessarily prioritize intellectual merit and they don't conduct peer review, but they can be the right path if you have ambitions to take your scholarship public and you're willing to write your manuscript and proposal accordingly.
I've definitely glossed over some of the nuances for the sake of clarity and brevity, but just knowing that these different kinds of presses exist is half the battle in deciding which direction to take your project. I also haven't mentioned self-publishing, which is another viable option for some scholars, depending on their platform and goals.
Keep scrolling for more resources that can help you determine which path is right for your current project! And if you're ready to get your manuscript in shape to submit to your publisher of choice, take a look at my upcoming Manuscript Development Workshop, which starts on March 2nd.
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Updated training course for editors and aspiring editors who want to work with academic writers. This is the last time I will be offering this as a live, instructor-led course. The course technically started yesterday but you're still welcome to sign up. Our first live meeting will be on Friday (January 23)
In this regular feature of the newsletter, I chat with an acquiring editor to find out what kinds of scholarly book projects they're interested in hearing about and to capture any great tips they have for aspiring authors. Today's guest editor is Christian Pizarro Winting.
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Laura Portwood-Stacer: Thanks for chatting with me, Christian! Could you tell readers where you work, what kind of books you’re acquiring these days, and anything else about yourself you’d like to share?
Christian Pizarro Winting: Thanks for having me, Laura! I’m an acquisitions editor at Palgrave Macmillan, which is an imprint at Springer Nature, a global academic publisher. The imprint just celebrated its 25th anniversary, but our roots go all the way back to the 19th century. For Palgrave, I acquire books in Political Science and Political Theory. Scholars often assume that because we aren’t a university press, we are more akin to a nonfiction trade publisher. While we do publish the occasional crossover book, our primary audience is the academy, so I’m focused on finding innovative monographs, stellar edited volumes, and essential reference works. In terms of topics, I have a big tent to fill, so I am active in a range of subfields; but I have emphases in American Politics; Race, Ethnicity, & Politics; Religion & Politics; History of Political Thought; Political Philosophy; various ideologies like Liberalism and Marxism; and more! I’m especially interested in the growing subfield of American Political Economy. I’m very fortunate that I have a lot of resources to pursue great research.
Before joining Palgrave, I began my career at the University of Georgia Press about 10 years ago and then rose from an editorial assistant to an associate editor at Columbia University Press. There are many differences between nonprofit, university press publishing and commercial publishing, so I am very appreciative of having had both experiences. In my work, I try to bring that personal, hands-on author-editor relationship to the efficient, large-scale production and distribution that Palgrave and Springer Nature offers. I very much see my role as twofold: I am both representing the press to potential authors, as well as representing authors under contract to the press. In that way I act as an advocate for my authors to make sure that we publish their book in the shared vision we have.
LPS: You work at a commercial academic publisher that publishes thousands of books per year, with a broad digital and global reach. Can you talk about the benefits of publishing with a press like yours and what prospective authors might find appealing about working with a commercial publisher (versus, for instance, a smaller university press)?
CPW: With the resources of Springer Nature, Palgrave Macmillan is an excellent publisher for certain projects and certain authors. Our most immediate benefit is the reach of our research. Our primary mode of distribution is through our ebook platform Springer Nature Link, which many folks can access for free via their institutional libraries. Here we publish all of our books and journal articles across Science, Medicine, the Humanities, and the Social Sciences–all for free. Because the reader does not have to pay for access to any of the content (their institution already has) our research sees dramatically more usage than authors at other publishers typically see in print or individual ebook sales. The platform is also global in reach. There are some 15,000 different institutions that have access to the platform spread all over the world, helping our authors spread their research as far as possible. We of course produce physical copies of our books as well and they are positioned at different price points so that physical copies are always affordable.
Many authors also love publishing with us for our efficiency. As you mentioned, we publish thousands of books each year, so we need to be efficient in our production of those books to ensure that we are hitting quarterly and annual targets to fulfill promises to our customers. Most of our books publish in less than 6 months from when we receive the final draft of the manuscript, which helps ensure the research is as fresh as possible.
Lastly, we publish a range of product types from authors at various stages of their careers. In addition to monographs and edited volumes, we also publish short-form monographs (we call them Palgrave Pivots) that are priced very affordably, handbooks that provide overviews of different subfields and topics, undergraduate- and graduate-level textbooks that support digital materials for students and instructors, and the occasional academic crossover book for a broader audience. We’re always open to exploring new ideas with our authors who can be working on their first book, their second, or their tenth!
LPS: On the flip side, do you find that some authors have concerns about working with a large commercial publisher? What advice would you give a prospective author to help them determine whether working with you is the right fit for their book and their career goals?
CPW: Often junior scholars aren’t as familiar with us as they are with university presses. That may be because their advisors published with a UP, or they view certain publishers as the ones that matter in their field, so they assumed they would publish with a university press. More senior scholars may be more familiar (maybe they’ve had a colleague publish with us); but if they haven’t published with a commercial publisher themselves, they may not be aware of our benefits or what sets us apart from other commercial publishers.
The first thing I would advise authors is to reach out to a range of editors to gauge their interest in your book project. Even if you don’t feel like you have your proposal polished and ready, I’m always happy to have early conversations about a scholar’s research so I can help them find out if we could be a good home. Whenever I’m speaking with an author for the first time, I always ask what is important to them when considering the publisher, the process, or the product that they’re looking for. If an author says a book will be part of their tenure file, I advise them to speak with their chair and get clear direction on which publishers will best support their application. For some folks, we’re a great option for tenure, and for some folks we aren’t. And that’s OK! Even if an author finds out that Palgrave isn’t the best home for their book, we may be a great home for their next book. If tenure isn’t a factor to the author, and reach or speed of publication are more important, then we might be a great fit!
Beyond logistical factors, it is also important to assess if the content or style of your book fits with what the publisher focuses on. You can assess this fit by looking at recently published titles (in the last 3-5 years) and reading the introduction or the endorsements on the book. For Palgrave, folks often browse Springer Nature Link to see what similar titles readers might associate with their book, or I can provide custom catalogs to show how we’ll position the book on our platform or at academic conferences. If you are considering a series at the press, make sure you have a clear understanding of the focus of the series and what the series editors look for specifically. Above all, speak with the editor to see if you share a vision for the project and that you are comfortable working with them. You will likely be working together for at least a year, if not longer!
LPS: Are there any particular kinds of projects you’re particularly excited about acquiring these days? Where can authors find you if they’d like to connect?
CPW: There are a few areas that I’m excited about in the coming year. I mentioned earlier that I’m interested in American Political Economy. I have a few projects in the works, and I’m excited to see what new projects come from that research. We also have a new series on African American Politics and Policy that will see its first publication in 2026. I am eager to add new books to that series and continue to grow a dedicated space for Black scholars. And I’m always on the lookout for ambitious scholars interested in editing handbooks–original reference works that bring together specially-commissioned chapters to provide an unparalleled overview of specific fields and setting the agenda for future research.
If you don’t publish in political science or political theory, but you’re interested in exploring publication with Palgrave, you can submit information about your book project here, and your submission will be filtered to the appropriate editor. If you’re interested in speaking with me about your research, you can email me at christian.winting@palgrave-usa.com. If you plan on attending the Midwest Political Science Association or American Political Science Association annual meetings, I exhibit at both meetings every year! I typically set up meetings a few weeks in advance, but I always appreciate it when folks swing by the booth to chat and browse.
New books and award announcements for Manuscript Works clients and readers
The 2020 murder of George Floyd sparked mass protests that pushed many institutions, including corporations, to confront racial inequality. From 2020 to 2024, companies issued public statements to align with racial justice causes and protect their reputations from claims that their practices perpetuate inequality. In response to conservative backlash, many began to withdraw those commitments. Disclosureland argues that corporate rhetoric – whether omitting past involvement in racial inequality, presenting race-conscious disclosures as evidence of action, or retreating under pressure – limits meaningful racial progress. Even when companies pledged to hire and promote people of color or fund racial equity causes, those pledges often served to narrow the scope of corporate responsibility. Through detailed analysis, Disclosureland shows how these practices preserve corporate financial interests while appearing responsive. The book is critical, corrective, and hopeful, urging a functioning federal government and corporate stakeholders to hold companies accountable for their words to enable real progress.
What Dr. Adediran had to say about using Manuscript Works' resources along the way: "As an alumna of the Book Proposal Accelerator, and as someone who relied heavily on The Book Proposal Book, I can say without hesitation that Laura's work materially improved my publication journey. I recommend Manuscript Works' programs and Laura's books to anyone seeking advice on publishing a scholarly book."
Protest and Pedagogy traces how, and in what ways, high school teachers and students sustained and propelled the Black freedom struggle in Charlottesville, Virginia. It centers the relationship between protest and pedagogy within classrooms and the surrounding community of Charlottesville. The story spotlights the resistance of Black teachers and students in the American high school throughout the nation during the twentieth century. Rather than act simply as passive participants in the Black freedom struggle—or outright opponents—Black high school teachers and their students, this book argues, employed a variety of organizing and protest strategies to make schools and communities more just and equitable spaces. Black teachers’ pedagogical approaches in the classroom underpinned protest within and beyond schools. At the same time, Black teacher and student organizing, activism, and protest led to pedagogical reforms in classrooms and schools.
Congratulations to Susanna L. Sacks, whose book Networked Poetics recently received the MLA's 3rd Annual Aldo and Jeanne Scaglione Prize for African Studies!
Want your book featured in a future newsletter? Send your cover image and publisher webpage to support@manuscriptworks.com. Bonus points: tell us which Manuscript Works resources helped you along the way.
Looking for professional support with your book or article manuscript, but not sure who can help? When you fill out my referral request form, you'll be sent a curated list of trusted editors—matched to your specific field and needs—whom you can contact right away.
Keep in mind that experienced developmental editors may book up months in advance, so if you're even starting to contemplate working with someone, now is the time to reach out.
Frequently asked question
What do I need to do differently if I want to publish my project as a trade book, versus a traditional scholarly monograph with an academic press?
Answer: This blog post explains it all. It also provides some important context that will help you decide if a trade book really is the right path for your project.
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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.