Webinar Series
How to register for an upcoming webinar:Members: You can participate in as many sessions as you'd like for free. To sign up, click the Register button below. Read Frequently Asked Questions About TAA Webinars Non-Members: Join TAA today and receive access to all of TAA's live webinars and 250+ presentations on demand for one full year. 2022 Spring WebinarsConnecting with a College Textbook Publisher in Changing TimesDate: Thursday, February 10, 2022, 1-2 p.m. EST Presenter: Sean Wakely, Vice President of Product and Editorial, FlatWorld
Get the Best Index For Your Book: Create a Collaborative Relationship With Your IndexerDate: Wednesday, February 16, 2022, 1-2 p.m. EST
Presenter: Lisa Fedorak, Owner and Indexer, Fedorak Indexing Services You’ve been working long and hard on your book and now you need to get an index for your book. Should you index it yourself, let your publisher take care of it, or hire someone yourself? And if it’s the latter, how do you go about getting a great index for your book when you’ve never gone through this process before and don’t know anything about it? This one-hour webinar presented by indexer Lisa Fedorak will guide you through a collaborative relationship between author and indexer and give you information that can help you get the best index for your book. It will cover when to start looking for an indexer, how to find and evaluate an indexer, things to discuss with your indexer at the start of the indexing process, what to expect during the process and dealing with revisions to the index. Learn more The Future of TextbooksDate: Thursday, February 24, 1-2 p.m. ET Presenters: Eirik Wahlstrøm, CEO and co-founder, Harald Manheim, CTO and co-founder, Ingrid Skrede, CMO, Ludenso
U.S. textbook publishers have been focusing on eTextbooks and all-inclusive access models in recent years, but how will that affect the future of print textbooks? Studies by Fredskild and Fredriksen (2020), show that students still preferred print textbooks over eTextbooks by 74%. Will this change in the rapidly evolving technological landscape, and how can print books still play a role in education in the future? Award-winning Norwegian EdTech Company Ludenso has partnered with one of Norway’s largest publishers, Aschehoug, to make their traditional textbooks come to life through Augmented Reality (AR), coupling it with relevant digital resources. Join Eirik Wahlstrøm, Ingrid Skrede, and Harald Manheim from Ludenso, for this 60-minute webinar to learn what AR is and how it can be used in the existing and future print textbooks to better illustrate complex concepts and spark curiosity. In the webinar, you will get a live demo of the technology, insights into the research findings from the initial tests of using AR in classrooms in the Nordics, as well as a step-wise guide into how you as an author easily can bring your books to life. Learn more Laughing and Learning: Effective Ways to Use Cartoons in Your TextbooksDate: Tuesday, March 1, 2022, 1-2 p.m. EST Presenter: Bob Mankoff, former Cartoon Editor of The New Yorker, President, Cartoonstock.com
In this cartoon illustrated webinar, Bob Mankoff, former Cartoon Editor of The New Yorker will show the most effective ways to use cartoons to communicate with your audience on highly complex and even sensitive topics, allowing you to foster learning and encourage dialogue. Bob Mankoff takes humor seriously but not so seriously as to make it unfunny. So be prepared to laugh and learn. Book Marketing and Social Media by Authors: Do's and Don'tsDate: Wednesday, March 16, 2022, 2-3 p.m. EST Presenter: John Bond, Publishing Consultant, Riverwinds Consulting
Beyond Productivity: How to Build a Joyful Writing PracticeDate: Thursday, April 7, 2022, 1-2 p.m. EST Presenter: Michelle Boyd, PhD, Writer, Scholar, Founder, InkWell Academic Writing Retreats
2021 Fall Webinars - Watch On DemandNew Publisher Practices and the Effect on RoyaltiesPresenter: Juli Saitz, CPA, Senior Managing Director, Ankura Consulting Group
How to Hook Your AudiencePresenter: Erica Machulak, PhD, Founder, Hikma Strategies
Draw Your Readers in: How-to’s of Digital Textbook IllustrationPresenter: Paul A. Krieger, author of Visual Analogy Guides
How Do Publishers Evaluate Book Proposals and Query LettersPresenter: John Bond, Publishing Consultant, Riverwinds Consulting
AcWriMo Webinar Series: Are You Ready to Pursue Your Dream of Publication?
The five-session series included:
Please Note: These sessions were recorded but each recording was only available for 24 hours following the live broadcast due to licensing restrictions on the content. The handouts are still accessible here. 2021 Spring Webinars - Watch On DemandEffective Organization Strategies for Developing a Textbook Chapter
Thinking about writing a textbook can be much like planning to climb a mountain. A daunting task that may be overwhelming and require both endurance and strength before even getting started. But what if I told you that like most major projects or journeys, the effectiveness of the whole is really defined by the quality of the small parts that get put together? In this one-hour webinar, TAA's Membership Marketing Manager and author/co-author of several computer technology textbooks, Eric Schmieder, shares strategies for organizing your content at a chapter level in a way that defines your author style for content delivery. Adapted from content in TAA's Writing and Developing Your College Textbook: A Comprehensive Guide, 3e, Schmieder focuses on the organization of content into an effective table of contents through carefully crafted headings and then enhancing the sections with feature strands to engage the reader. Once you have applied these strategies to one chapter, simply rinse and repeat until all of the chapters come together for a finished textbook that exceeds your expectations. Watch Your Textbook Isn't Being Revised. Now What?
Presenter: Donna Battista, VP of Content Strategy, Top Hat As publishing companies look to manage costs and focus on large introductory courses, many high-quality and high-value textbooks are not being revised. In this webinar, Donna Battista, VP of Content Strategy at Top Hat, and previous Pearson Executive, helps authors navigate this increasingly common challenge. She provides guidance on requesting rights back, what to do when rights are reverted, and what options there are to make content available. This webinar is packed with industry knowledge and best practices based on Donna’s extensive experience in the publishing industry. Watch Why Your Journal Articles Are Confusing, and How IMRaD Can Help
Do you struggle to describe your research in writing? Like your crisp research vision inevitably devolves into a disorganized, confusing journal article? Let’s discuss a tool that can help—one with which you’re already familiar, but likely not familiar enough: journal article structure. In this 30-minute webinar + 15 minutes of Q&A, Thomas Deetjen, aut hor of Published, explores the value of the Introduction, Methods, Results & Discussion—or IMRaD—journal article structure. Watch Taxes & Authors: What You Should Know in 2021
While it is understandable that most writers would prefer to concentrate their time on their writing, writing is a business and you need to make sure you’re taking care of all of the tax deductions that you should be. Robert M. Pesce, a partner with Marcum LLP shares the basic tax information you should know as an author. Watch
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College textbook publishing has changed in many significant ways over the past twenty years. While the industry is still dominated by a small number of large publishers, their product and business models have evolved greatly. Pressure to create a variety of low-priced product options and resulting decreases in growth and profit have caused many publishers to pull back on the acquisition of new products. Consequently, acquisitions editors have often begun to focus on managing existing titles rather than on acquiring new products. If you are flexible, persistent, and creative, you can still find opportunities to write or contribute to a college-level textbook. This webinar first will describe the current college textbook publishing landscape. Then it will provide you with actionable ideas about how to approach and form a relationship with the editorial staff who are responsible for bringing new writing talent into a publisher. 
While textbooks aren’t known for being funny, it might surprise you to know that many textbooks sort of double as cartoon anthologies, using cartoons throughout to provide comic relief while reinforcing and making memorable critical concepts through the pleasure of humor.
Publishers want authors to participate in the marketing and promotion of their new book. But many times authors are novices in publicizing their work. Publishing Consultant John Bond will examine author marketing and social media efforts done right and done wrong. He will look at best practices for promoting their book, as well as explaining why some efforts are time consuming and produce little results. Real life examples will illustrate how authors can smartly and efficiently work with the publisher to market their work; social media included. An extended question and answer period will follow the presentation. 
Are you tired of feeling anxious, overwhelmed, or unconfident as a writer? Do you long to recover your love of inquiry and cultivate a joyful relationship with your writing? 
In the era of “fake news,” it is critical that research be translated and published as widely and accurately as possible. Among many journalists, however, academics are notorious for their caveats, sub-clauses, and unwillingness to tell a good story. Research experts often find it challenging to engage non-specialist audiences in ways that preserve the rigor and credibility of their work. 
Have you ever wondered how digital illustrations for textbooks are created? Paul Krieger, an author and illustrator, demonstrates the process of how he uses a Wacom tablet and Adobe Illustrator software to create original illustrations for his books. He also designs his own book covers and offers tips for creating more appealing and effective book covers. In addition, he will show authors how they can easily start a handy digital sketchbook using an iPad, an Apple Pencil, and an inexpensive app called Procreate. Whether you are simply curious or want to try your hand at illustration, join Paul to see how digital illustration is done. 
The Query Letter and Book Proposal are the go-to means of communicating an author's ideas to prospective publishers. But how do publishers assess Book Proposals? When they read a Query Letter, how do they evaluate the idea, the author, and the market? Publishing Consultant John Bond examines these common author documents and then uses a publisher's magnifying glass to look at them through their eyes. By reviewing Query Letters and Book Proposals for the publisher's wants, the author will be better equipped to create more attractive projects that will secure greater attention and possible publishing contracts. John shares best practices for creating these documents as well as the do's and don'ts. 
