An Academic's Introduction to Trade Book Authorship

Members (Free)

Non-Member Cost $25 (Upon payment, click "Return to Text and Academic Authors Association" and you will be able to download teleconference)

Presented by Elsa Peterson, a freelance editor with 25 years of experience in the college textbook industry; Paula Caligiuri, Professor, Human Resource Management, Rutgers University, and author of Managing the Global Workforce

Authoring a nonfiction paperback for general readers (in industry parlance, a trade book) is an adventure into the unknown for many academics, even those who have been prolific in academic publishing. Decisions to be made include: Which facets of my academic expertise will interest general audiences? How should I adapt my writing style in authoring a trade book? What should my manuscript and book proposal look like? Do I need an agent, and how do I find one? How will I negotiate a contract with a publisher? What will I do to publicize my book? Rutgers Professor Paula Caligiuri and freelance editor Elsa Peterson, who recently worked together on Paula's first trade book, will discuss these and other questions.

Audio Conference Handout (PDF)

Elsa Peterson

Elsa Peterson has been doing editorial work, primarily for the college textbook industry, since 1984. Although her academic background is in music — she holds a B.A. with highest honors from the University of California at Riverside and an M.A. from Case Western Reserve University — her versatile editing talents have led her into a wide variety of disciplines ranging from the arts and humanities to psychology, business and management, human physiology and nutrition, and foreign language. She was a senior developmental editor for psychology with McGraw-Hill Higher Education and has freelanced for virtually every leading textbook publisher in the U.S. In addition to manuscript development, she is experience in permissions editing, picture research, and writing content for textbook ancillaries. Based in Norwalk, CT, Elsa offers a discount to TAA members who use her editing services.

Paula Caligiuri

Please note: Recordings may not be copied, shared, or distributed.