Review of Handbook for Academic Authors: How to Navigate the Publishing Process 6th Edition, Kindle Edition by Beth Luey. Is it worth it?

Introduction

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Cambridge University Press; 6th edition (24 Mar. 2022)

Paperback ‏ : ‎ 298 pages (varies with device display on Kindle edition)

ISBN : 9781009073356

From the publisher’s website: “Whether you are a faculty member, a librarian, an independent scholar, the junior member of a research team, or a writer outside academia, Handbook for Academic Authors will help you select the right publisher, submit a winning proposal, negotiate a favorable contract, and work with your editor to ensure your research reaches the largest possible audience. The book provides advice on writing for different audiences and managing the mechanics of authorship, including manuscript preparation, acquiring illustrations, proofreading, and indexing. To address the major changes in scholarly publishing over the last decade, the sixth edition has been revised and updated to include discussions about open access and digital publishing, the use of social media as a marketing tool, changes within academia, and concerns of new entrants into academia. Written in a personalized, accessible style, Handbook for Academic Authors offers sound advice and encouragement to a wide range of aspiring academic authors.”

Availability

And on Amazon: Handbook-Academic-Authors

Waterstones: handbook-for-academic-authors

Review

A comprehensive guide, and any academic seeking to get published may find this worthwhile. There are more succinct and cheaper books on the market, however, which cover the same ground with regard to books, but she does cover journal and textbook publishing.

This is written from an author’s point of view, although she has clearly experience of going through the publishing process, having published ten books in her lengthy career.

Her work on communicating with editors is particularly good and encouraging.

Pros and cons

Pros	Cons
Very comprehensive	Some might find this expensive as an ebook
Well written, although sometimes wordy	The ebook version is the same price as the paperback version on Amazon.
Covers journals as well as books and textbooks	Doesn’t cover self-publishing options
Recently updated	Some examples are outdated
	Very lengthy, and a  time-consuming read

Who is it best for?

Academics wishing to publish in books and journals

Verdict

It’s worth it if you have the time read it, and can afford it.