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May
8, 2007
Simon
& Schuster seeks perpetual grant of rights
The Authors
Guild has issued an alert to its members warning them that trade
publisher Simon & Schuster has changed its standard contract
language in an attempt to retain exclusive control of books even
after they have gone out of print. The traditional practice -
followed by all other major trade publishers -- is that rights
revert to the author if the book falls out of print or if its
sales are low.
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Attorney:
Print-on-demand technology not good reason for 'out of print'
clause
The change
reported in Simon & Schuster's "out of print clause," which
would do away with requirements that inventory copies of a book
be available for sale or that minimum sales be maintained for
a work to be considered "in print," said Arthur J. Jacobs, an
attorney with Jacobs deBrauwere LLP, is clearly not in the interests
of most authors.
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S&S
accuses Guild of overreacting to change in rights clause
Following
an alert made by The Authors Guild warning its members of Simon
& Schuster's attempt to gain perpetual grant of rights in
its contracts with authors, the company has said that it will
continue to negotiate regarding its reversion of rights clause
"on a book-by-book basis." They also accused The Authors Guild
of overreacting to the change in their standard contract language.
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Authoring
attorney to authors: Think twice before signing standard publishing
contracts
Authoring
attorney Zick Rubin said Simon & Schuster's statement that
it will continue to negotiate authors' contracts with regard to
the reversion of rights clause is no surprise.
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Free podcast
on scientific writing
Visit the Copyright
Clearance Center's Beyond the Book website to listen to a free podcast,
"How Science Writing is Changing," with Barbara Gastel, co-author
of the latest edition of How to Write and Publish a Scientific
Paper, widely considered the "Bible" for science writers: http://www.beyondthebook.com
(An iPod or MP3 player is not needed to listen. Programs can be
played directly at your PC or downloaded and burned to a standard
audio compact disc. Transcripts are also available.)
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Thomson
Learning Higher Education sold
The Thomson
Corporation has sold its Thomson Learning Higher Education assets
to funds advised by private equity firm Apax Partners, and its
Nelson Canada division to multi-employer pension plan Omers Capital
Partners for a total of $7.75 billion in cash. The transaction
is expected to close in the third quarter of this year and is
subject to regulatory approvals and other customary closing conditions. Thomson
Learning Higher Higher Education's higher education, careers and
library reference assets include Wadsworth, Delmar Learning, Gale,
Heinle, Brooks/Cole, and South Western. Nelson Canada, a leading
provider of books and online resources for the educational market
in Canada, will be majority-owned by OMERS.
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Oregon
Bill 365 passes the Senate, moves to the House
Despite efforts
by the Association of American Publishers (AAP) to discourage
the Oregon Senate Education and General Government Committee from
supporting a bill that would intervene with faculty selection
of textbooks and support materials used in classes across the
state, the bill passed out of the Committee and the full
Senate.
However,
the Republicans on the Senate Committee issued a Minority
Report on the bill that calls for more reasonable disclosure requirements
than those listed in the original bill and bans the sale and purchase
of complimentary copies. Visit http://www.leg.state.or.us/07reg/measures/sb0300.dir/sb0365.amr.html for
the text of this report. AAP is attempting to earn support
for similar changes in the House and is negotiating with the
Oregon Student Association and OSPIRG (Oregon State Public Interest
Research Group) on the bill language.
"Our hope
is that enough support for our suggested language can be
gained in the House to modify the bill before it
passes both chambers," said AAP's Assistant Director for
Higher Education Stacy Skelly. "We believe there may be an opportunity
to request changes to the bill, based on the facts AAP has shared
with members of the House."
Oregon's
Legislative Session ends August 20.
For more
on Oregon Bill 365, click
here.
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Online
indexing course offered
Indexing Consultant
Seth Maislin is teaching a web-based indexing course from May
7 to July 23, 2007. Persons mayÊjoin the course until May 14.
"Writing Indexes for Books and Websites" is a 30-hour online certificate
program being sponsored by Middlesex Community College's Community
Education and Career Training department. The cost for the course
is $599. Learn more atÊhttp://www.middlesex.mass.edu/CareerTraining/WritingIndexesforBooksandWebsites.htm
or http://tinyurl.com/jvkd8
Maislin will
be presenting a session and a roundtable on writing indexes at
the 2007 TAA Conference in Buffalo, NY June 22 and 23:
Book Indexing Basics: Click
here
Writing Indexes: Click
here
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Podcasting
in the classroom
Read this
April 23, 2007 article on arstechnica.com about the use of podcasts
in academia, "Moving beyond podcasts: multimedia and the academic
experience." http://arstechnica.com/articles/culture/moving-beyond-podcasts.ars
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Pearson
Education conducts research on effectiveness of its programs
Pearson Education
has conducted independent scientific research studies on its K-12
and Higher Education programs to determine their effectiveness.
The studies were conducted on the publisher's K-12 reading, literature,
language arts, mathematics, science, assessment, and digital courseware
programs, as well as its PASeries and several higher education
math and physics programs. View the results at http://www.pearsoned.com/new_research.htm
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Pearson
purchases Harcourt divisions
Pearson, the
international education and information company, today announces
that it has agreed to acquire Harcourt Assessment and Harcourt
Education International from Reed Elsevier for $950 million in
cash. The acquisition extends Pearson's position as the world's
leading education company by adding international reach, complementary
products and new capabilities. The transaction does not include
Harcourt's US School basal and supplementary publishing businesses.
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New journal
on microbial ecology
Launched in
May, The ISME Journal - Multidisciplinary Journal of Microbial
Ecology is a new journal from the International Society for Microbial
Ecology (ISME) and Nature Publishing Group (NPG). The team of
highly regarded Editors comprises Mark Bailey (Oxford), John Heidelberg
(South California) and George Kowalchuk (Netherlands), who are
supported by an outstanding international editorial board. The
ISME Journal is expressly dedicated to advancing highly significant
research in the expanding field of microbial ecology, by providing
a dynamic forum featuring the highest quality of original research
articles, poignant and up-to-date reviews, commentaries and short
communications. The ISME Journal seeks to promote diverse, multidisciplinary
areas of microbial ecology spanning the breadth of microbial life,
including bacteria, archaea, microbial eukaryotes, and viruses.
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English
second language book receives 2007 Eric Hoffer Book Award
Daniel S.
Janik and Joel Weaver have been awarded a 2007 Eric Hoffer Book
Award for their book, "How to Choose the BEST English Language
School in the USA." The work is published by AuthorHouse.
Erick Hoffer
Book Awards honor noted philosopher and educator Eric Hoffer (July
25, 1902 - May 21, 1983), an American social writer whose "cogent
insights to the nature of mass movements and the essence of humankind"
eventually received him 1983 Presidential Medal of Freedom.
According
to Best New Writing 2007, "English is the most powerful language
in the world, and there is no place better to learn it than the
United States. In clear and accessible language, Janik and Weaver
provide a comprehensive approach to selecting an English language
school and location, based on a number of practical and a few
overlooked factors. The latter portions include approaches in
several languages [English, Chinese, Korean, Japanese, Spanish
and German all in one book]..."
The book
consists of six sections in each of six languages; each section
also includes English so that readers can copy questions directly
into an e-mail or letter, or read them over the telephone. Each
section begins with an introductory chapter about studying English
in the United States and another about selecting the right set
of questions to ask prospective schools.
Subsequent
chapters cover questions to ask schools about academic quality;
regional characteristics; physical campus features and facilities
as well as food, accommodations and expenses. Included are useful
Internet links.
"The book
was written for interested international and domestic students,
parents, counselors and agents," say the authors.
Each year,
The Eric Hoffer Book Award (formerly The Writers' Notes Book Award)
recognizes excellence in independent publishing by academic, small,
and micro presses, as well as self-published authors in eleven
genre categories that cover the entire publishing spectrum. Full
coverage can be found at www.HofferAward.com
and in the upcoming release of Best New Writing 2007.
Janik currently
teaches English and English as a Second Language at Intercultural
Communications College in Honolulu, Hawaii, in association with
Upper Iowa University, Fayette, Iowa. He also teaches English
at Hawaii Pacific University and Psychology at Argosy University
Hawaii. Weaver is Director of Intercultural Communications College
and an Adjunct Instructor of ESL courses for the Hawaii Department
of Education, as well as past-chair of Hawaii NAFSA and a lecturer
on Intercultural Communications with that body of International
Educators.
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Free workshop
on writing a college textbook
Psychology
textbook author Michael Spiegler will be presenting a three-day
workshop on writing a college textbook at the University of Washington
in Seattle, August 4-6, 2007, as part of one of 70 Chautauqua
Short Courses for teachers that are sponsored by the National
Science Foundation each year. The hands-on, interactive workshop
will cover the challenges and rewards of textbook writing by providing
participants with a realistic snapshot of what it entails, what
is required professionally and personally, how to get started,
and how to bring the vision of a book to fruition, which includes
writing a prospectus and sample chapters, contacting publishers,
negotiating a favorable contract, the writing phase, the production
phase, dealing with publishers, alternatives to traditional publishing,
and survival skills for authors. Spiegler is a professor of psychology
at Providence College, and has been a successful textbook author
for 35 years, with leading books in two areas of psychology. He
is currently writing a comprehensive Handbook for College Textbook
Writing.
For more information
about the workshop and to enroll, visit http://depts.washington.edu/chautauq/
(local site) or http://www.massachusetts.edu/chautauqua/about.html
(national site)
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TAA Listserv
messages archived in Authors Asking
TAA Listserv
messages from February 13 to April 20, 2007, have now been archived
in Authors Asking, a Q&A feature located in the members-only section
of the TAA website. Recent message topics include contracts (revisions
clause); how to submit proposals to publishers (one at a time,
or all at once); using material from one book by one publisher
in a second book by another publisher; reasonable royalty rates;
what is should cost for a contract review by an attorney; dealing
with a co-author's retirement; writing software choices; royalties;
trademarks; and copyright infringement.
Read the messages,
archived in a Q&A format, here.
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New
TAA Council members announced
The TAA Council
has announced the results of the TAA elections. They are: Paul
Siegel, vice president-president elect; Ronald E. Pynn, secretary;
and Steven E. Gillen and Nancy J. Volkman, TAA Council members.
John Wakefield will remain TAA president for another year. Paul
Siegel will take over the presidency July 1, 2008. Michael Sullivan
will remain interim TAA treasurer until the Council can find a
replacement.
New Council
positions begin July 1, 2007. Officers serve two-year terms and
Council members serve three-year terms.
Siegel is
a former TAA Council member and was TAA Conference chair in 2001.
He is director of the School of Communication at the University
of Hartford, and author of Communication Law in America.
Pynn is TAA's
former executive director and will be serving his second term
as TAA Council secretary.
Gillen is
an authoring attorney with Greenebaum Doll & McDonald, and
will be serving his second term as TAA Council member. Volkman
is an associate professor in the Department of Landscape Architecture
and Urban Planning at Texas A&M University in College Station,
Texas, author of many academic articles in the area of landscape
history, and co-author of the leading textbook in that field,
Landscapes in History.
Paul Siegel |
Ron Pynn |
Steve Gillen
|
Nancy Volkman
|
John Wakefield |
Mike Sullivan
|
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Changes
to Conference Program
Conference
registration, all sessions, and the TAA Awards Luncheon, will
now be held on the 2nd Floor of the Hyatt Regency Buffalo in the
Delaware and Ellicott rooms. No sessions will take place in the
Regency Rooms on the Mezzanine Level as stated in the preliminary
conference schedule. The Roundtable Discussions Luncheon will
still be held in E.B. Greens restaurant located off the hotel
lobby.
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Pre-Conference
workshop cancelled
Kenneth Henson's
Pre-Conference Workshop on Grant Writing in Higher Education,
has been cancelled. If you registered for this workshop, your
fee will be reimbursed.
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TAA announces
2007 Texty, McGuffey Award winners
|
The
Award Winners:
2007
Texty, McGuffey authors share award-winning advice
(Texty)
Finite Mathematics and Applied Calculus,
1st ed., by Frank C. Wilson, published by Houghton Mifflin
(College Mathematics/Statistics category)
(Texty)
Challenging Behavior in Young Children: Understanding,
Preventing, and Responding Effectively, 2nd ed., by Barbara
Kaiser and Judy Sklar Rasminsky, published by Allyn &
Bacon (College Communication/Education/Performing Arts/Visual
Arts category)
(Texty)
Invertebrate Medicine, 1st ed., by Gregory
A. Lewbart, published by Blackwell Publishing Professional
(College Life Sciences category)
(Texty)
Data and Computer Communications, 8th ed., by
William Stallings, published by Pearson/Prentice Hall (College
Computer Science/Engineering category)
(Texty)
Race, Ethnicity, Gender, and Class: The Sociology
of Group Conflict & Change, by Joseph F. Healey, published
by Sage Publications, Pine Forge Press (Humanities/Social
Sciences category)
(Texty)
The Essentials of Computer Organization &
Architecture, 2nd ed., by Linda Null and Julia M. LoBur,
published by Jones & Bartlett Publishers (College Computer
Science/Engineering category)
(McGuffey)
Biological
Psychology, by James W. Kalat (textbook), Elaine Hull
(study guide), Jeffrey Stowell (test bank), Cynthia Crawford
(instructor's resource manual), and Chris Hayashi (NOW and
Multimedia Manager), published by Thomas Wadsworth (College
Humanities/Social Sciences category)
(McGuffey)
College
Algebra, 8th ed., by Michael Sullivan, published by Prentice
Hall (College Mathematics/Statistics category)
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The Text and
Academic Authors Association has selected seven textbooks to receive
a 2007 Textbook Excellence Award ("Texty"), and two textbooks
to receive a 2007 William Holmes McGuffey Longevity Award ("McGuffey").
The awards
will be presented at the TAA Awards Luncheon June 22 in Buffalo,
New York during the association's 2007 Conference on Text and
Academic Authoring at the Hyatt Regency Buffalo. More
on TAA Conference
The Texty
winners for 2007 are:
- Challenging
Behavior in Young Children: Understanding, Preventing, and Responding
Effectively, 2nd ed., by Barbara Kaiser and Judy Sklar Rasminsky,
published by Allyn & Bacon (College Communication/Education/Performing
Arts/Visual Arts category)
- The
Essentials of Computer Organization & Architecture,
2nd ed., by Linda Null and Julia M. LoBur, published by Jones
& Bartlett Publishers (College Computer Science/Engineering
category)
- Data
and Computer Communications, 8th ed., by William Stallings,
published by Pearson/Prentice Hall (College Computer Science/Engineering
category)
- Invertebrate
Medicine, 1st ed., by Gregory A. Lewbart, published by Blackwell
Publishing Professional (College Life Sciences category)
- Finite
Mathematics and Applied Calculus, 1st ed., by Frank C. Wilson,
published by Houghton Mifflin (College Mathematics/Statistics
category)
- A History
of Roman Art, by Fred S. Kleiner, published by Wadsworth/Thomson
Higher Education (College Humanities/Social Sciences category)
- Race,
Ethnicity, Gender, and Class: The Sociology of Group Conflict
& Change, by Joseph F. Healey, published by Sage Publications,
Pine Forge Press (Humanities/Social Sciences category)
The McGuffey
winners for 2007 are:
- College
Algebra, 8th ed., by Michael Sullivan, published by Prentice
Hall (College Mathematics/Statistics category)
- Biological
Psychology, by James W. Kalat (textbook), Elaine Hull (study
guide), Jeffrey Stowell (test bank), Cynthia Crawford (instructor's
resource manual), and Chris Hayashi (NOW and Multimedia Manager),
published by Thomas Wadsworth (College Humanities/Social Sciences
category)
2007
Texty, McGuffey authors share award-winning advice
Past
TAA Award Winners: Click
here
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TAA welcomes
new members
Mizaba D.
Abedj, Joni Adkins, Kristi Alexander, Salah Aly, Linda Amezquita,
Jane Andrews, Karen Applequist, Amy Aucoin, Edgar A. Barrantes,
Lillian M. Bisson, Margaret Ann Bock, William Bosch, April Brady,
Judy K. Brookhiser, Leticia Burbano de Lara, Ed Cannon, Theresa
Cappello, Sharon Cardenas, Nyla Carney J, Chris Cavert, Prashanti
Chennamsetti, Francie Christopher, Judith Clear, John Coburn,
Chip Cooper, Barbara Crossland, Jetta Culpepper, Jo Ann Daly,
Deepti, Janine DeWitt, Arvind Diddi, Pam Diener, Ana Djukic-Cocks,
Jason Doll, Douglas Dunham, Marcia Dursi, Carole Edmonds, Rodney
E. Echols, Stephanie K. Ellis, Chandrakanth Emani, Kathleen Farrell,
Monica Fine, Max Firdell, John R. Fisher, Gail Flatness, Nancy
E. Foley, Alisha L. Francis, Nancy Furlow, Dave Gesler, Andra
Goldberg, Ana Goulart, Charles Andrew Griffin, Iin Handayani,
Christine M. Hirsch, Gary Hodgins, Thomas M. Hopewell, Carolyn
Jacobson, Jim Ji, Teresa Jimarez, Kristi Johnson, Kathy Jones,
Miguel Juarez, Tazjin Jung, Barbara A. Kinney, Robert Kelly, Lee
Kem, William Koenecke, Johan Koren, Margaret Krassy, Alok Kumar,
Ana Lado, Christine Laney, Chris Lanterman,Stephen Lapan, Sarel
Lavy, Mary Lindahl, Chi Lo Lim, Bommanna G. Loganathan, Terry
Long, Virginia MacEntee, Katherine Mahosky, Sherry Markel, Darcy
Markham, Barbara W. Martin, Liza Martinez, Diann W. McCants, Jean
Marie McDill, Nina McGarry, Tim McKimmie, Tricia Moore, Pamela
Moreno, Maria Irene Moyna, Mark T. Morey, Diane Murphy, Janis
E. Murphy, Julia Offen, Bayo Oludaja, Patricia Pacitti, Sandra
Palm, Alice Petillo, Peggy Pittman-Munke, Joyce A. Piveral, Maureen
Pollack, Anita Poleaha, Stephanie Polliard, Marylynn Quartaroli,
Behnaz Quigley, Tania Ramalho, Chandrika Rajagopal, Kendra Riebschleager,
Jeanetta G. Riley, Marguerite H. Rippy, Robert Stephen Robertson,
Max Ruhl, Barbara Shaffer, Ellen Smith, Jeannette C. Smith, John
K. Smith, Matt Spindler, Mark Springston, Mikhael Star, Barbara
F. Streets, Debbie Steinman, Leon H. Steinman, Kathleen Stemmler,
Deborah Toomey, Mongkol Tungmala, Gwen Vredevoogd, Kathleen A.
Schaefer, Jillian Warssam, Michael S. Wetherholt, Edward White,
Elisa Wiederman, Saihua Xia, Le Yanfen, Cynthia Young, Hong Zhan.
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Gift Memberships
TAA member
Paul Siegel gave a gift membership to Michael Clancy. TAA member
Don Collins gave a gift membership to Robert Dietle. TAA member
Roger Flynn gave a gift membership to Richard Thompson.
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