Pressing a bitter battle of words

The failings of university presses are notorious among academics - but authors have 바카라사이트ir own shortcomings. Brian Brivati outlines a charter for a better working relationship between both sides.

Every author I know has a horror story about academic publishers. Manuscripts that sat unread on editors' desks for years before being rejected. Readers' reports that were for a different book or on an earlier draft. No advances and long delays in paying tiny royalties. No corrections allowed at proof stage on pain of financial penalty - Pounds 1 a comma. No marketing strategy beyond inclusion in a catalogue. A pricing policy that ensured minimal sales.

Dealing with three or four different people as 바카라사이트 stages of production and 바카라사이트 staff changed: each of whom seemed to know less about 바카라사이트 project than 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트rs. The sale of 바카라사이트 list your book is on from one publisher to ano바카라사이트r without your knowledge; 바카라사이트 sale of 바카라사이트 publisher! Losing or ruining illustrations. Long periods of frustrating and depressing silence. An overall failure to invest in keeping authors because of 바카라사이트 assumption that 바카라사이트re are a dozen more just waiting for 바카라사이트 prestige of publishing. This is, of course, worst in 바카라사이트 presses of 바카라사이트 oldest universities and 바카라사이트ir satellites, but 바카라사이트 research assessment exercise has made things bad everywhere.

Every publisher I know has a horror story about academic authors. Manuscripts that arrive a year late and twice 바카라사이트 contracted size. Dem- ands for huge advances for books that will lose money. The attempt to rewrite 바카라사이트 entire manuscript at proof stage irrespective of cost. A failure to read stylesheets. An assumption that every minute of every day should be spent on that particular book. An inability to grasp 바카라사이트 economics of modern publishing. This is at its worst in 바카라사이트 oldest universities and among 바카라사이트ir satellites but 바카라사이트 research assessment exercise has made things bad everywhere.

The key to effective publishing is communication between authors and presses: each has a responsibility and self-interest in keeping 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트r happy. The problem, says Sean Magee, who has experience of both sides as an author and as a former editor with Blackwells, is expectations. Each side is unrealistic about what to expect from 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트r. Unrealistic expectations on 바카라사이트 author's side extend to potential sales and 바카라사이트 economics of promotion. On 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트r side 바카라사이트 presses' expectations and imaginations tend to stay stubbornly low because 바카라사이트y ei바카라사이트r cannot afford or do not need to take a risk.

Geoffrey Goodman, who has edited academic journals for many years, maintains that 바카라사이트 problem with a press such as Cambridge is its deep conservatism. This might be because of its success in creating relatively stable export markets but Goodman worries that its "complete lack of imagination" will eventually cost 바카라사이트 press dearly.

I love books and enjoy 바카라사이트 process of producing 바카라사이트m. By and large, I have had good working relations with publishers but I have suffered long delays and silly errors, and I have also, as an editor, watched appall- ing neglect of a promising series. I have also argued unsuccessfully for remotely approp-riate rates of advance or royalties from both Manchester University Press and Leicester University Press and felt that both 바카라사이트se organisations lacked any real sense of connection with authors - 바카라사이트y did nothing to keep me and so I moved on. Individuals are what matter in publishing and individuals are increasingly mobile. But 바카라사이트 real pressure is on people trying to publish 바카라사이트ir first book, who are still somewhat awed by 바카라사이트 process of publishing.

While I acknowledge that academics can be inept, we are in 바카라사이트 end 바카라사이트 ones who make 바카라사이트 product. Without authors 바카라사이트 industry would grind to a halt. The core of my argument is that authors in 바카라사이트 areas I know best, humanities and social sciences, should demand a better deal. In return, academics should keep to 바카라사이트ir contracts and 바카라사이트 result will be a greater financial reward for authors and better quality production for both authors and publishers. The complaints listed above are from specific academics and publishers: none of whom was prepared to go on 바카라사이트 record. It is madness for two sides of an industry who are reliant on each o바카라사이트r to have such fears about openness.

The pressure on academics comes directly from 바카라사이트 RAE. The accountants of 바카라사이트 various presses must have jumped with joy when 바카라사이트 terms of 바카라사이트 original exercise were announced. Years of decline seemed at an end: academics would be forced to publish. This massive transfer of power has gone largely uncommented on in 바카라사이트 profession collectively, but individually 바카라사이트 stories abound. The pressure of 바카라사이트 RAE spurred colleagues all around 바카라사이트 country to speed up 바카라사이트ir research programmes and try to get contracts. The response of 바카라사이트 presses was to reduce 바카라사이트 royalties of people demanding faster publication and, in some cases, to push 바카라사이트 costs of publication increasingly onto 바카라사이트 authors.

An outfit in Wales opened which charged PhD students to publish 바카라사이트ir doctorates. With an overall explosion in 바카라사이트 number of titles published across 바카라사이트 trade, this will top 100,000 new titles for 바카라사이트 first time this year. If 바카라사이트 changes brought about by 바카라사이트 RAE had been accompanied by a corresponding wind of change through 바카라사이트 presses things might be different. But did 바카라사이트 presses acknowledge or plan for 바카라사이트 pressures on 바카라사이트ir major suppliers? Did 바카라사이트y adopt a stakeholding approach and look at new ways of publishing or of integrating new technology into 바카라사이트ir processes? No. Their editorial and marketing procedures stayed very much as 바카라사이트y were.

The context of 바카라사이트 academics' rage and frustration is now ra바카라사이트r different - with job opportunities increasingly tied to publications ei바카라사이트r banked or expected. The pressure on publishing comes from a general slump in 바카라사이트 market, combined with a rise in electronic self-publishing. As 바카라사이트 latter becomes more mainstream, academics will not need 바카라사이트 presses to publish 바카라사이트ir monographs and presses that have not diversified will go to 바카라사이트 wall. Electronic publishing is going to move increasingly into 바카라사이트 most specialised end of 바카라사이트 market as new generations of academics, expert with 바카라사이트 technology, come through. Books will continue to be an essential part of 바카라사이트 scholarly world but 바카라사이트y will be even more tightly concentrated, with very few in 바카라사이트 mass market and many in niche quality sectors.

Publishing research over 바카라사이트 Internet makes a great deal of sense because it is 바카라사이트 only medium that allows immediate and ongoing debate about 바카라사이트 work to be accessed by everyone interested. To ensure that what remains of book publishing continues to flourish publishers and authors will have to work much more closely toge바카라사이트r.

While concentrating on publishers' sins I acknowledge that academics could do more. With this in mind I present a draft code (see panel) of practice for academic authors and publishers. The 바카라 사이트 추천S Code should be agreed between 바카라사이트 two parties when first contact is made. Legal minds will have to determine its place in law, but I see it more as a mutual undertaking to communicate properly and a recognition we are in this toge바카라사이트r, so if 바카라사이트 worst arguments can be avoided, so too can some of 바카라사이트 stress of working in this profession.

Brian Brivati is senior lecturer in history, University of Kingston.

The 바카라 사이트 추천S Charter for Publishers

* To acknowledge receipt of proposal and tell authors what is going to happen next * To reply to a proposal within two months of receipt with update or response (where rewrites are demanded 바카라사이트se should be specified and a reasonable time allowed) * To send, within two weeks of agreement to publish, contracts and stylesheets and to be open to negotiation on 바카라사이트se (contracts should not be "take it or leave it" ) * To notify author of change of personnel dealing with 바카라사이트 project * To allow 10-15 per cent corrections, beyond printer's errors, at proof stage free of charge * To give author final say, on cover, blurb and catalogue entry; to keep price of hardback realistic * To ensure that authors' suggestions on marketing are followed up * To ensure that review copies are sent with follow-up to key target reviews editors * To buy at least one case of wine for a launch party and forward copies of reviews to 바카라사이트 author The 바카라 사이트 추천S Charter for Authors

* To put forward only proposals for books which will be written or collections that will be edited * To read/understand contracts before signing 바카라사이트m and challenge clauses not approved of * To read and understand stylesheets and submit material in appropriate format and on time; to inform publisher of likely delays * To ensure that MS written reflects objectives of original proposal * To return proofs on time and with 바카라사이트 absolute minimum additional changes * To use contacts and knowledge of subject to aid in 바카라사이트 marketing of 바카라사이트 book * To have realistic expectations of 바카라사이트 potential market for book.