Special
Convention Update
April
18, 2005
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to Current Convention News
Marketing your
book: Your second most important task
Computer science
author Bill Pasewark will serve on the TAA Convention plenary session
panel "Marketing Your Book: Your Second Most Important Task."
Pasewark will present a chronological tale of marketing techniques that
he has found successful. "These techniques span from my first 'professional'
presentation at Boston University in 1950 to last week's full-page ad
in our professional journal with the Pasewark & Pasewark author logo
prominently displayed," he said.
Pasewark, general
manager of the family-owned partnership Pasewark LTD, has taught at
New York University, Michigan State University and Texas Tech University.
He and his five children have over 90 years of combined experience authoring
more than 100 computer and business textbooks. The Pasewarks have won
a McGuffey Award and seven Textys.
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Policies and
Politics of Textbook Adoption
Christopher Stream,
assistant professor of Public Administration at the University of Nevada,
Las Vegas, will discuss state adoption policies and practices for textbooks
during his TAA Convention presentation, "Beyond the Three R's: The Policies
and Politics of Textbook Adoptions." Stream was hired by TAA as principal
investigator (PI) for a potential grant to study the textbook adoption
process across the 50 states. "It will highlight the role played by
state governments, local school districts and the politics of 'morality'
involved in the textbook adoption process," he said. Three particular
themes will be emphasized for analysis: economic efficiency (cost of
books, economies of scale, etc), adoption preference dimensions (the
process for selection textbooks either by committee or some other method),
and the political and ideological influences on the textbook adoption
process. "In this study, I will explore the question of whether the
textbook adoption is a simple economic matter for local school districts
or is the adoption process a battleground for high-profile 'culture
wars?'" said Stream.
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Convention to
Offer Networking Opportunities
Network with authors,
publishers and lawyers over drinks and hors d'ouerves in the TAA hospitality
room from 4:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. on Friday and Saturday during the TAA
convention.
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How to Land a
Higher Education Grant
Kenneth Henson,
distinguished professor at the Citadel's School of Education, and author
of a new book by Allyn & Bacon, Grant Writing in Higher Education: A
Step-by-Step Guide, will present a session at the TAA convention on
"Grant Writing in Higher Education."
Learn how to get
inside the evaluators' heads from an experienced grant writer who has
written a string of grants ranging from a few hundred dollars to more
than a million dollars each. This session is designed for beginning
writers and writers who have had a few proposals accepted and wish to
get ideas for new topics and develop skills needed to increase the acceptance
rate of their future proposals. "This session is all nuts and bolts:
do this and get these results," he says.
Henson will share
examples of proposals and point out the unique features that caused
them to be accepted. "I will also discuss myths that tend to block grant
writers," he said. "For example, there's a perception that there's no
more money out there -- that wealth has dried up. That's not true at
all. There's billions of dollars out there."
Henson's session
will also share advice on how to use the grantor's RFP (request for
proposal) to design your proposal; how to use questionnaires; and how
to develop a good grant writing style.
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Advice for First
Time Writers
Doug Matthews, president
of Teaching Point, which has developed the Expert Systems for Teachers
T Series, a product line of comprehensive teacher preparation materials
written by expert teachers who understand the needs of new teachers
and teachers facing out-of-field assignments, will present a panel presentation
at the TAA convention on "Writing for the First Time."
Matthews will share
his advice on the technical side of preparing files and how to organize
academic content. A panel of first time authors will also speak about
their experiences.
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Step Eight to
Becoming a More Prolific Scholar
Much is known about
the steps scholars can take to become more prolific, said Tara Gray,
who will present her popular writing workshop, "Publish and Flourish:
Become More Prolific," as a 10-hour pre-conference workshop at the TAA
convention in Las Vegas Thursday, June 23, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Friday,
June 24 from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. (Cost is $175 for TAA members
before May 1, $225 after; non-members $225 before May 1, $275 after.)
Gray shares the eighth step in becoming a more prolific scholar (She
will be sharing a step in each News Alert leading up to the convention):
Share later drafts
with little-e experts and Capital-E Experts. Little-e experts include
anyone trained in your discipline; Capital-E Experts include the biggest
experts in your discipline or your sub-discipline. Share middle drafts
with experts who can help you in some of the ways that non-experts can
help you-as well as some of the ways that Capital-E Experts can help
you. Little-e experts can help you with clarity and organization as
non-experts can, but only if you make it very safe for them to ask questions
about those topics. Because you have written this paper, you will know
far more about the topic than they do. So you must make it safe for
them to ask you questions. Some experts can also help you by giving
you ideas for what you should read and where to send your article and
they can help you get better known in your field by referring your work
to others and so on. That is to say, some little-e experts can help
you in many of the same ways that Capital-E Experts can help you. For
that reason, you should approach them in much the same way you approach
Capital-E Experts, as discussed next, except that you can share earlier
drafts with them because you know them better and know more of them.
Strive to get about half your feedback from experts.
Share near-finished
drafts with at least two Capital-E Experts. Why do you want to send
near-finished drafts to Experts, when you could wait for them to read
the final copy in print? Because they are far more likely to read-and
engage with and cite-something that lands on their desk with a letter
addressed specifically to them than with something that they find "in
the literature." So approach the Experts by tailoring an e-mail or letter
that explains how their work has informed yours and by asking specific
questions aimed at the intersection of your work and theirs. Explain
that you are asking only for a "quick read" and would be delighted if
they would spend even 20 minutes with your work. Then ask, "What articles
should I read and cite that I haven't?" and "To what journal would you
send this manuscript?" Don't be bashful; ask for a turnaround of 2 to
3 weeks. (Why at least two Experts? Because, no matter how careful and
thoughtful your approach, some won't respond.)
Gray shares 12
steps to becoming a more prolific scholar in a special article. Click
here to view the article.
Download
flier for more info.
Download
form to register.
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Preliminary TAA
Convention Schedule Now Online
Check out the preliminary
convention schedule for the 2005 TAA Convention here.
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Register Now
to Attend TAA Convention in Las Vegas!
TAA is returning
to Las Vegas this year to hold its annual convention. Attending this
year's convention is no gamble, however; new authors will find solid
ideas for getting started in textbook or academic authoring and veterans
will find challenging sessions too! The convention will be held at the
Imperial Palace Hotel, a first-class resort centrally located in the
heart of the fabulous Las Vegas Strip. Just minutes away from McCarran
International Airport and easily accessed from all major highways. The
special TAA room rate is $85 a night. Call the hotel now to make your
room reservations: (800) 634-6441. Convention registration is $75 for
members before May 1, $125 after. Registration for non-members is $125
before May 1, $175 after. Non-member registration includes a one year
membership to TAA. A pre-convention workshop, "Publish and Flourish:
Become a Prolific Scholar," will be held Thursday, June 23, 8 a.m. to
5 p.m. and Friday, June 24 from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. Cost is $175 for
TAA members before May 1, $225 after; non-members $225 before May 1,
$275 after. To register for the convention and/or pre-convention workshop,
contact TAA at (727) 563-0020 or TEXT@tampabay.rr.com
or download a registration form here.
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