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March
21, 2006
Author Needed
The newly created
Insurance Training Association (ITA), is looking for an author to create
manuals for pre-licensing to be used by its online students. The manuals
would cover Life, Health and Property/Casualty, and include quizzes
and practice exams to total 90 hours of instruction. If interested,
contact Doug Harness at (503) 222-2969 ext. 3003, or doug@farmerspdx.com.
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Place a Business
Card-Sized Ad for $50
You can now place
a business card-sized ad in The Academic Author for only $50
per issue. Commit to four issues, and we'll bump up your fourth ad to
1/8 page! Contact Publications Editor Kim Pawlak at kmpawlak@centurytel.net.
Click
for more advertising info
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TAA Welcomes
64 New Members
TAA welcomes the
following new members:
Sriram Baksh
Joseph E. Balog
Linda Balog
Amy Barnhill
Michael J. Braunscheidez
Thomas F. Brunton
Alisiah Chase
Joe Chesebro
Doug Collier
Tom Cone
Denise Copelton
James Cordeiro
Marcie Desrochers
Moira Fallon
Jim Fatula
Douglas A. Feldman
Ricardo Fierro
Amy Gaesser
Craig Gallagher
Monica Gilligan
Amy Guptill
Pamela Haibach
|
Don Halquist
Dale Hartnett
Tracey Householder
Nancy Iafrati
Alisa James
Brendan Keefe
Maura Keefe
John Keiser
Donald Kent
So Yon Lee
Lauren Lieberman
Jennifer J. Little
Maggie Logan
Jose Maliekal
Katherine Marsh
Lars Mazzola
Catherine McKeen
Sandeep Mitra
Randy Moredock
Gregg Murray
Yusuf A. Nur
Karen S. Olson |
Joseph M. Ortiz
Jana Penders
Tara R. Robinson
Ida Rockwell
Jane B. Romal
Margery Saunders
Patricia Schwert
Linda Snell
Joan Spade
Louise K. Stein
Joanne Stevens
Juanita Suarez
Marcia A. Ullman
Stephen Ulman
Gregory J. Vogt
Melissa Waite
Nancy Washer
Steve Weinbeck
Janet Willer
Rong Yang
James Zollweg |
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TAA member posts
question to TAA blog
TAA member Kevin
Patton posed the following question to the Text and Academic Authoring
blog recently: "I'd like some feedback on the idea of a textbook
author incorporating in some fashion, rather than operating as a 'sole
proprietor.' How many of you are incorporated (or have LLC status)?
What are the actual advantages or disadvantages of incorporation that
you have experienced? Have any of you actually been threatened with
legal action that your status protects you from? Do you find the tax
consequences beneficial or not beneficial? Do any of you know of attorneys
who deal specifically with authors and their 'tax entity' issues?"
Respond to Kevin's question by posting your answer in the Text
and Academic Authoring blog or e-mail your answer to Kim Pawlak,
TAA Publications Editor at kmpawlak@centurytel.net.
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Three Candidates
Running for Seats on TAA Council
Three TAA members
are running for two open seats on the TAA Council. Mathematics author
Don Collins is running for his second term. He is a former managing
editor of mathematics at Merrill Publishing (now Glencoe Publishing),
and the author of seven school mathematics textbooks. Because of his
publishing and authoring background, Collins said he feels he can make
a unique contribution. "The last three years that I have served on the
Council have been a learning experience for me," he said. "I feel that
this experience will only help me in better serving you and TAA." Communication
law author Paul Siegel chaired TAA's convention in San Antonio, and
is a former member of the TAA Council. He said these experiences helped
in develop an understanding of some of the organization's challenges:
"I look forward to the chance to help the association meet those challenges."
Mary Kay Switzer, a communications author, has been an active member
of TAA as a former TAA Council member and Council secretary. She also
served as chair of the TAA Convention in 1997. "Through the years I
have been an active member of TAA," she said. "I support its mission
and want to continue to develop innovative ways to promote the welfare
of TAA members and the constituents it serves." TAA Council members
serve three-year terms. Ballots must be postmarked by April 15, 2006
to be counted. For full candidate bios and position statements, see
below.
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2006
TAA Council Elections:
Candidate Biographies and Position Statements
Don W.
Collins is a native Texan, but has lived several places throughout
the U.S. He has a B.S. in mathematics from West Texas A&M
University, an M.A. in mathematics from Boston College, a CAS
degree from North Illinois University, and an Ed.D. in curriculum
and instruction from the University of Houston. He taught public
school for seven years in Texas and Illinois. He also worked in
educational publishing for 21 years. He was managing editor of
mathematics at Merrill Publishing (now Glencoe Publishing, a subsidiary
of McGraw-Hill). He taught at the university level at Ohio State
University, Sam Houston State University and Texas Tech, before
settling at Western Kentucky University where he has been for
the last 12 years. Collins is the author or co-author of seven
school mathematics texts. He is married with three children --
all college graduates -- from Ohio Sate, USC, Arizona, North Carolina,
North Carolina State, and Northwestern.
Position
Statement: "I have been aware of the Text and Academic Authors
Association since its inception. As a managing editor at an educational
publisher, I always suggested to the authors that I hired to join
TAA. I always fought for author's rights and tried to deal fairly
with authors, but I wanted these authors to have a backup in case
I was no longer in a position to help them or my superiors overruled
me. When I became a university professor and an author, I joined
TAA. Three years ago, I ran for TAA Council and won the election.
I felt that since I had seen both the publishing and authorship
sides of textbook publishing, I could make a unique contribution.
I still feel that way. The last three years on the Council have
been a learning experience for me. I feel that this experience
will only help me in better serving you and TAA. TAA is growing
and our new director and others have some exciting ideas. If elected
I pledge to do my utmost toward the continued growth and status
of TAA."
Paul Siegel
is director of the School of Communication at the University of
Hartford. His life as a textbook author is a relatively recent
one, in that the first editions of his Communications Law in America,
and the comparison volume, Cases in Communication Law, carried
2002 copyright dates. He served on the TAA Council previously,
but dropped off, he said, out of fear that he would feel like
a mere "fellow traveler" until his next editions were under contract:
"They are, and I'm back -- if you'll have me."
Position
Statement: "I wish I had great wisdom to impart, but I don't.
I became enamored of TAA -- both in concept and reality -- while
my first editions were in press. I attended my first TAA Convention
in New Orleans and made the mistake of opening my big mouth too
much, such that I was put in charge of planning the next year's
convention in San Antonio. From that (actually quite delightful)
experience, and from my previous stint on the TAA Council, I have
developed an understanding of some of the organization's challenges,
and I look forward to the chance to help the association meet
those challenges."
Mary Kay
Switzer has been an active member of TAA as a Council member
and Council secretary. She has worked to enable the presentation
of TAA workshops at various institutions of higher learning, and
chaired the TAA Convention in 1997. She helped develop the TAA
Foundation by chairing the Grant Committee. She has also been
a judge for the association's Texty and McGuffey Awards and its
Research Awards. As an educator for several years, she has developed
textbooks for use in higher education. Several of her research
articles have been presented and published in various academic
journals. She received many awards for her books and articles.
In addition, she has produced, directed, and written many ETV
programs and series as executive producer for Educational Video
Projects. She has also been principal investigator, writer and
director for various educational grants to benefit teaching and
learning. She serves as the vice president of the Matrix Foundation
Board, which is associated with journalism accreditation through
affiliation with AEJMC. Recently, she was appointed director of
the Edith Wortman Endowment Fund, which underwrites various educational
projects.
Position Statement:
"I would like to serve TAA as a Council member. Through the years,
I have been an active member of TAA. I support TAA's mission and
want to continue to develop innovative ways to promote the welfare
of TAA members and the constituents it serves." |
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Should Authors
Incorporate?
TAA member Kevin
Patton would like help with the following question: "What advantages
or disadvantages are there for textbook authors to incorporate in some
fashion, rather than operate as sole proprietorships?" If you can answer
Kevin's question, please send him an e-mail at kevin@lionden.com,
as well as post your answer to the TAA listserv: TAA@mail-list.com
so that all members can benefit from your wisdom.
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TAAF Approves
Hiring Grant Writer to Seek Funding for Minority Textbook Authors Survey
The Text and Academic
Authors Foundation (TAAF) approved TAAF Executive Director Richard Hull's
request to hire grant writer Karin Kelley to write grants seeking funding
for TAAF's minority textbook authors survey, the first step in the Foundation's
efforts to encourage minority textbook authorship.
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TAA Clarifies
Terms of TAA Challenge Grant
TAA pledged a $15,000
challenge grant to the TAA Foundation dependent upon the TAAF's success
in raising an additional $15,000 from a combination of foundation and
corporate grants and individual gifts and pledges. To make a tax-deductible
gift to the TAA Foundation, use the Foundation's secure
online form or contact TAAF Board Chair Michael Lennie at mlennie@lennieliterary.com.
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TAAF's Fundraising
Goal Raised to $40,000 in 2006
TAAF hopes to raise
$40,000 in grants and individual gifts in 2006. The goal includes a
$15,000 matching grant from TAA, which will be awarded if TAAF can raise
an additional $15,000 from foundations, corporations and individuals.
To make a tax-deductible gift to the TAA Foundation, use the Foundation's
secure
online form or contact TAAF Board Chair Michael Lennie at mlennie@lennieliterary.com.
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TAAF Authorizes
Purchase of Donor Management Software, Prospect Research Services
The TAA Foundation
authorized the purchase of the donor management software GiftWorks,
and the use of Blackbaud's research services to aid in its Executive
Director Richard Hull's efforts to identify prospective donors to the
Foundation and manage donor records.
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TAA Member Testimonials
TAA would love to
hear from members about what they find most advantageous about their
membership. What first caused you to consider joining TAA? What benefit
or service does TAA offer that you find most helpful? How has your membership
in TAA helped your authoring career? Why do you continue to be a member
of TAA? Please send your signed testimonials (include your name, title,
field, college/university, etc.) to Kim Pawlak, Publications Editor,
kmpawlak@centurytel.net.
Your testimonials may be used in TAA News Alerts, on the TAA website,
in a future TAA brochure, in a future issue of The Academic Author,
etc.
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Renew Your Membership
Online!
TAA has just launched
a new online member form that will allow members to renew online using
a secure server. The form can also be used by new members. Check it
out in the TAA Member Center here.
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