director of the�Center for the Comparative David�Kyuman�Kim
“For all of us who suffer the dark night of the publishing soul, Getting It Published comes as a most welcome beacon of light. Germano is ourVirgil for the not-always-divine comedy of academic publishing. He coaxes us as authors and writers to ask ‘the right questions’ of ourselves, of our publishers, and of our audiences. In this wonderful and insightful book Germano provides—with wisdom, whimsy, and wit—hard-nosed advice and good humored encouragement. From basic ‘how to’ and ‘must I really?’ questions to invaluable counsel about negotiating the uncharted territory of electronic publishing, this is THE field guide anyone needs who is making their way from the purgatorio of the manuscript on the desk to the paradiso of a book well-published.”
Peter J. Dougherty
“If books are the slow food of our increasingly frenetic scholarly communications culture, in Bill Germano we have their Escoffier. Whether delineating the features of an effective book proposal, explaining the mysteries of the editorial selection process, or extolling the virtues of the book as a defining mode of academic discourse, Germano succeeds at joining practical advice with intellectual insight throughout. Budding and seasoned scholars alike, as well as their administrators, will find more than a writer’s reference in Getting It Published. They will find a guide to the academic life. Bon apetit!”
Library Journal
Addressing scholars seeking to publish nonfiction, former humanities editor Germano (VP, Routledge) assumes no knowledge on the part of his audience beyond their academic specialties. Suggesting that authors keep publishing procedures in mind while writing, he includes tips on editing, getting permissions for anthologies, and delivering the manuscript. Intended as ready reference (an index is promised), the book is brief enough to skim, which might prove fruitful in other ways. Unfortunately, the book lacks an appendix listing current university presses. Compared with the many overly long how-to-get-published guides for aspiring novelists, this is a concise and readable text with minimal fluff. Strongly recommended for academic and public libraries. Robert Moore, ITWorld.com, Southboro, MA Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information.
Booknews
Germano's short volume is filled with useful advice drawn from a career as editor at an academic press (formerly editor-in-chief and humanities editor at Columbia UP, he's now vice president and publishing director at Routledge) and written in an admirably direct style that preserves a personal tone that will appeal to the recent PhD's and new authors who will be his best audience. The gamut of publishing is covered, from basics on publishers and their duties, to the details of writing, editing, and presenting a proposal; surviving the review process; the details of contracts; writing for collections and anthologies; and how to present the finished manuscript. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)
Gerald Graff
“Though it’s the most urgent problem any academic faces, we don’t hold any faculty meetings to discuss the question of ‘How DO you write a book and get it published, anyway?’ We academics like to pretend instead that we know how do this stuff—how did we get to be academics if we don’t? But William Germano is privy to the dark secret that many graduate students, junior faculty members, and even. . . uh, full professors think they know how to do this stuff but actually don’t. In a terrific book that’s a joy to read, Germano provides direct and savvy advice that will help all of us not just to get it published but to make it as good as we can.”
Diana Fuss
“This endlessly useful and expansive guide is every academic’s pocket Wikipedia: a timely, relevant, and ready resource on scholarly publishing, from the traditional monograph to the digital e-book. I regularly share it, teach it, and consult it myself, whenever I have a question on titling a chapter, securing a permission, or negotiating a contract. Professional advice simply does not get any savvier than this pitch-perfect manual on how to think like a publisher.”
Sebastian D.G. Knowles
“Bill Germano has done it again—a masterful guide to the perils and possibilities of academic publishing, written with wit and understanding. The author has twice visited our campus to lead a workshop for junior faculty on the book publication process, and his seminars are always a great success. Like his book, Bill Germano is meticulous, fearless, funny, and directly to the point. I recommend Getting It Published as a cost-effective alternative to flying him out to see you and speaking with him for eight hours about your manuscript: the result, a sober and informed perspective on the ins-and-outs of getting your tenure book in the hands of a publisher, will be essentially the same. Editors of book series will also value this book: it’s as much a manual on what good editors should be looking for in the manuscripts that they receive as it is a guide for prospective authors. High marks on all counts!”
