The ecology of book publishing in 2008

What are the merits of writing a book? And at a time when a lot of writing seems to be “going digital,” what warrants publication in book form? What criteria do publishing houses apply in making decisions about which book proposals and manuscripts are acceptable for publication? This presentation tackles these questions and more, and includes tips on how editors make decisions, what issues publishers are grappling with, and how shifts in markets and transmission of information are affecting book publishing. The types of presses to be covered include for-profit, non-profit, and independent publishers and university presses; the market sectors range from trade or general interest to scholarly monographs, and treatises and course and reference books.