Associate Executive Director's Messages
- December 2009 - Q&A with TAA
- September 2009 - Help TAA Grow
- April 2009 - TAA Teleconferences
- January 2009 - Need writing support? Start a TAA Chapter
- September 2008 - Authors need to share their view of the textbook cost controversy
- May 2008 - Member feedback, participation welcomed
- February 2008 - Keep talking, we're listening
December 2009
Q&A with TAA
TAA's greatest resource is its members and both their questions and answers with regard to textbook and academic authoring issues
When a member asks a question, they are asking that question for hundreds of other members who may have been wondering about the same thing, and just haven't asked.
When a member answers a question, they are helping not only the member who asked, but the hundreds of other members who benefit form their answer.
Many of your questions come through our Textbook Authoring Listserv (TAATextbookAuthoring@mail-list.com) and Academic Authoring Listserv (TAAAcademicAuthoring@mail-list.com), which you were subscribed to when you joined.
Some questions that have been asked — and answered — through the Listservs include:
- How common is it for the author to be responsible for cost of permissions?
- Are work-for-hire agreements typical in textbook publishing?
- What are some graduate student specific publishing opportunities?
- Can you share advice for finding a coauthor?
- How can I use social media to market my work?
- How do you generate research topics?
Other member questions come to us via email directly from a member, on the bottom of a New Member Application, on a Renewal Form, or on a Member Update Form. We work to get these members' questions answered by reaching out to other members within TAA that we know have the knowledge to answer that question, by reaching out to individuals outside of TAA who may have the answer, or by developing teleconference sessions or conference sessions that address those topics.
So for those of you have generously shared your expertise with other members by answering questions, a sincere thank you. For those of you who have a question, I invite you to "Q&A with TAA."
September 2009
Help TAA Grow
TAA is launching a direct mail campaign this fall to attract more textbook
authors to the association and we need your help to build our list.
Help TAA grow by sending us the names and mailing addresses of your friends, coauthors, and colleagues who are either current textbook authors, or who are considering writing a textbook.
The first 30 of you who send at least 20 names and mailing addresses will receive a copy of Self-Publishing Textbooks and Instructional Materials, by Franklin H. Silverman (donated by Atlantic Path Publishing). To qualify for the free book, all names and mailing addresses must be sent via email to me at Kim.Pawlak@TAAonline.net by October 1, 2009. Those of you who send 1-19 names will receive a coupon for $5 off your membership renewal rate.
As TAA?s textbook membership grows, so does the network of support it can offer you.
Why are we only seeking to attract textbook authors? Because we already reach out to academic authors thorough the sponsorship of academic authoring workshops held on campuses across thecountry. Although we attract many new textbook authors each year through TAA gift memberships given by current members, through textbook authors who visit the TAA website, and through textbook authors who attend the TAA annual conference, we need to develop a proactive effort to reach out to even more of them.
I also encourage you to renew your TAA membership if you have not already done so. The best way to keep TAA strong is to maintain your membership. If you are unsure of your renewal date and haven?t received a renewal notice, please contact me at Kim.Pawlak@TAAonline.net or (608) 687- 3106.
April 2009
TAA Teleconferences
TAA's Teleconference Series continues to grow, with almost 200 people participating in the first four teleconferences of the season. Many more have listened to the recordings, which are available to TAA members (click here).
Not only are this season's teleconference recordings available there, but those of past teleconferences as well. They can be listened to online or downloaded onto your desktop and loaded into an MP3 player for listening on the go.
We have received some great feedback about the teleconferences so far. Of the February 10 teleconference, "Taxes and Authors -What You Should Know," presented by Robert M. Pesce, partner at Marcum & Kliegman LLP, TAA member Robert Ferrett, a computer textbook author, said: "I'd like to thank everyone involved for setting up today's teleconference on Taxes and Authors. I had not realized the amount of taxes that could be saved by creating a Subchapter S corporation. From what Robert Pesce said, I probably should have done this several years ago. However, this one teleconference probably paid my membership for life ..."
Judging from comments such as, "Thank you for your excellent teleconferences. As someone new [and not yet published] in this field, these have been an eye-opener. I tell everyone to join TAA because it's the best value in an Association that I know of!" and "Thank you for this 'just in time' training that I needed for my next project," it seems these teleconferences have filled a need for many of you.
We plan to continue to offer teleconferences and are already working to develop our schedule for fall 2009. Many of you have shared your ideas for future teleconferences in your surveys, and we appreciate your feedback. Keep it coming!
Kim Pawlak,
TAA
Associate Executive Director
January 2009
Need writing support? Start a TAA Chapter
Every day I hear from members who are struggling to complete their writing projects or find a publisher, and are looking for some assistance. I suggest they seek the counsel of TAA's network of members through one of TAA's two Listservs, match them with a mentor, or point them to several other TAA resources. But I know that what they are really seeking is someone who can be there for them on a regular basis; someone who can hold them accountable for not moving forward on their writing projects, and who can be there to answer the myraid of questions they will have along the way.
While TAA offers all this and more, it is all being done from a distance; and for some members, that's not enough. They need more one-on-one interaction. To fill this gap, TAA recently developed a TAA Chapter system that provides a local support network for TAA members. A TAA Chapter is structured like a writing group, with regular meetings led by a Chapter Chair. Existing writing groups can also enhance their offerings by becoming a TAA Chapter.
TAA Chapters receive all the benefits of a TAA membership for each chapter member, plus a start-up grant of $500 to cover the cost of purchasing a library of textbook or academic authoring resource materials, and conducting a chapter recruitment event; a chapter website and listserv; 20 percent of each chapter member's dues returned each year; and for chapters with 30 or more members, one free TAA sponsored workshop each year.
TAA sponsored workshops include "Publish & Flourish: Become a Prolific Scholar"; "Writing for Publication"; "Writing Grant Proposals"; "Academic Publishing"; "Destination Dissertation: Practical Strategies for Writing the Thesis or Dissertation"; "Sharing Results: Crafting an Article"; "Textbook Writing 101"; and "Developing a Textbook Proposal". Learn more about these workshops: Click here
TAA Chapters can be made up of textbook authors, academic authors, or both. TAA so far has two chapters, the TAA Alpha Chapter at MSU, Mankato, and the TAA Chapter at Mansfield University, PA. Each is led by a "Chapter Chair", willing to recruit members and to serve as a liaison between TAA and his or her institution and chapter members.
Authoring a textbook academic book, scholarly journal article or grant application can be a challenge if you don't have a support network. A TAA Chapter can help you connect with other authors so that you don't have to feel so isolated. It can also help you create a sense of community, find collaborators for joint projects, and provide you with accountability partners. By meeting regularly as a group, your chapter's members can not only provide each other with peer support, but share advice that can increase their writing skills to get their book projects completed, their grants funded, or produce more scholarly journal articles.
You may think you don't have the time to lead or participate in a writing group, but a writing group can actually help you manage your time better by helping you become more productive and challenging you to complete your projects.
Chapter members pay only $30 for a TAA membership, and existing members can join a chapter for no additional cost. A TAA Chapter can be started with as few as 15 members. If you're interested in starting a TAA Chapter, or just want some more information, please feel free to contact me at (608) 687-3106 or kim.pawlak@taaonline.net
Let TAA help you get published this year.
Kim Pawlak,
TAA
Associate Executive Director
September 2008
Authors need to share their view of the textbook cost controversy
I have been reading the various online articles regarding textbook piracy, used books, the high cost of textbooks, etc., and the comments on these articles (mostly by students). I have found that a few common currents run through each of these articles, and that many of them include information that is simply taken as fact from previous articles, comments made by the media, someone interviewed for the article, or other students, professors, etc.
Some of those common elements include:
- Publishers churn out revised textbooks with little or no change from the previous editions and then sell them for more than the previous edition. This is done to thwart the used book market.
- Professors choose textbooks with little thought for how much they cost or how useful they will be for their students. They object to choosing a textbook based solely on cost only because many of them write textbooks themselves.
- Students are the champions in every story; the Robin Hood of the education industry. They are "fighting" the establishment and finding "creative" (and of course not illegal) ways to "combat" (get around) paying for expensive textbooks. They are heroes, creating used book swapping websites, scanning print textbooks and making them available to fellow students, etc.
- Websites that offer used books at discounted prices are also the heroes. "They are scouring the nation for used books and offering them to students at low, low prices."
- Used books and textbook piracy of e-books is "hitting print textbook publishers hard". They are coming out swinging with new editions (that are barely distinguishable from the previous ones).
The public arguments by publishers and authors against these claims have been thin. TAA and its members need to combat the misinformation repeated in the media with some equally compelling statements. The "other side" is using the human issue of the poor student struggling to pay for their education and the burden of textbooks. We need to use the human issue of the author and his or her motivations for writing textbooks, and uncover the truths behind all the misconceptions currently being repeated in media articles on this issue.
After working with authors for almost 15 years, I know that they sacrifice much of their free time and family time to produce a textbook that will help students learn a subject. Many do so with little profit. They begin working on revisions shortly after a book has been completed; researching new developments in their field and building a file of new content to be included in the next edition. The number one reason authors cite for writing a textbook is that they thought they could offer a new perspective on the subject. The second is that there was no textbook currently available on that subject. Students need to know the reality of what authors make from their textbooks. Most aren't driving around in BMWs on their royalties. View a recent Q&A with new and veteran authors at the 2008 TAA Conference: Click here
Perhaps we need to delve into how professors choose textbooks (with a survey maybe) to see if it is as random an act as the media portrays it to be. They always seem to quote professors who say they can't find a good textbook for their course, or say their students are disinterested in reading the textbook. We need to quote professors who carefully choose quality textbooks and use them in their courses and how those textbooks enhance student learning. I would welcome any insight you can offer into how you choose a textbook for your course, when you make that decision, and how much cost is a factor in that choice (e-mail me at kim.pawlak@taaonline.net)
Students need to understand that their efforts are not decreasing the cost of textbooks but raising it. For every used book that is sold, the publisher and creator of that work receives nothing. The used book industry is not some "do gooder" out to help the student save money, but to make money themselves. They buy books at a fraction of their original cost and sell them at a huge profit. A profit that goes directly in their pockets, and not a dime goes back to the publisher or creator of that work. Some even sell complimentary copies, which no one ever paid for, and others sell Instructor's Editions, which should never make it into students' hands.
Students need to be educated about how the textbook industry works. The publishing industry image has been tarnished in their eyes, and publishers need to make efforts to market to this group. What is the value of a textbook? Why should students keep their textbooks rather than sell them? Why do publishers print revised versions of textbooks? What goes into producing a textbook? The marketing needs to be done on the students' level.
Whether print, electronic, digital, or some other future distribution tool, the content needs to first be created. That is the element that gets lost in all the hype over the cost of textbooks. The argument that we need to move toward electronic books so that they can eventually be offered free to students misses the role of content creation. While some professors may want to labor over a textbook for free, they will not be able to distribute it by any means for free. If they don't pass on the cost of distributing it to the consumer, they will absorb the cost of a website, the time it takes to maintain it, and the time it takes to update the content of the book. How many professors are going to want to do that over time? Students need to be reminded of the old adage: "You get what you pay for."
I welcome your thoughts and discussion on this issue.
Kim Pawlak,
TAA
Associate Executive Director
May
2008
Member feedback, participation welcomed
Starting in February, we began publishing The Academic Author monthly, rather than quarterly. I hope that you are enjoying the more frequent issues of your member newsletter, and that it has helped you stay more connected to TAA and your authoring. We welcome your comments about the newsletter, and would appreciate any suggestions for content. You can also submit articles for publication. We are accepting submissions of how-to articles, Writer's Block essays (essays on the writing life), columns (on textbook and academic authoring issues such as used books, open access, comp copies, etc.), and member news (you published a book, journal article, or other educational work; received a promotion or an award; etc.). For more information, or for writer's guidelines, contact me at kim.pawlak@taaonline.net
You may have noticed that we have begun sending TAA News Alerts, our bi-monthly e-newsletters, via a Constant Contact html-based service rather than through the TAA Listserv. This decision was based on the feedback we received from members, who said they wanted to receive the News Alerts, but didn't want to receive messages from the Listserv, and they couldn't get one without the other. We also wanted to send TAA News Alerts in a more attractive, easy-to-read format. We hope you like the new News Alert format, and welcome your feedback.
TAA began holding bi-monthly teleconferences on March 6. They have so far received high ratings. A participant of the first teleconference, "Publish & Flourish: Become A Prolific Scholar", moderated by Tara Gray, said: "It was great!!! Thanks Tara Gray and TAA!" "I was surprised -- agreeably so -- by the small number of participants so that there could be individual attention and participation, and feel I've already received full benefit from membership and am recommending this to others. I'm glad I found you! Thank you." A participant of the second teleconference, "Royalty Q&A" moderated by Paul Rosenzweig said: "Thank you TAA for hosting the Royalty Q&A teleconference. I learned some useful information about royalty issues, especially how authors should negotiate clauses in contracts that permit the authors to review the books to ensure royalty statements are accurate. I look forward to future TAA teleconferences." A participant of the third teleconference, "A Coach's Perspective on Finishing Your Dissertation," moderated by Dave Harris, said: "Dave Harris offers a valuable perspective that doctoral students working on their dissertation need to hear. He provides important insights to help students get the most out of this learning experience and his insights ring true. He clearly breaks down the dissertation process into its component parts and provides practical advice for every student working on a dissertation. What most resonated for me were his comments to stop researching and start writing, and his statement that there are many voices and opinions out there, so in putting your ideas on paper, there will be others who disagree. And that is okay. I think doctoral students at any stage of their dissertation process will benefit from Dave Harris' teleconference."
(The last two teleconferences, "Don't Settle for A Publisher's Standard Contract: Terms You Can & Should Negotiate," moderated by Stephen Gillen, and "Tips and Tricks for the Do-It-Yourself Indexer," moderated by Seth Maislin, were held after press time.)
You can listen to recordings of all of the teleconferences here on the TAA website: Click here. More teleconferences are being planned for fall. If you would like to moderate a teleconference, or have a suggestion for a topic, please email me at kim.pawlak@taaonline.net or call me at (608) 687-3106.
We recently sent out a Member Survey via email. I would like to thank those of you who have already responded. I encourage the rest of you to take a few moments and fill out the survey. A print copy of the survey has been included in this issue. This information will help us shape future member benefits and services, and restructure current member benefits and services to better serve you. This is your association and we want you to be part of its growth and development. I look forward to hearing from you.
Kim Pawlak,
TAA
Associate Executive Director
February
2008
Keep talking, we're listening
In print and email surveys that we conducted bettween September 2007 and January 2008, some TAA members told us they found The Academic Author to be one of the most valuable member benefits, while others said it was printed too infrequently.
As a result of that feedback, we have decided to begin publishing The Academic Author monthly rather than quarterly, starting this issue (except in the months of July and August).
This is just one example of the changes we have made in member communication and services in the past year, most of which were a result of member feedback. Here are several more:
• Grants of up to $750 for publication costs associated with publishing a scholarly article of book
• Free mentoring via an online mentoring directory that allows members to match themselves with veteran academic and textbook authors
• Authoring advice and insight via a new "How-to" section, more frequent postings of Q&A's to "Authors Asking", and essays on writing in the "Writer's Block" section
• An expanded "Busy TAA People" section, which allows members to get to know one another through member profiles, and by sharing their news, as well as links to their personal and professional website addresses
• A more active TAA Listerv, TAA's members-only email discussion list. If you are not receiving postings, please contact me so that we can make sure that you are subscribed. Post messages to taa@mail-list.com
I hope that you will continue to provide us with feedback, both by responding to surveys, and by contacting us directly at TEXT@tampabay.rr.com or (727) 563-0020. We're listening.
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