Why are academic authors treated as disposably as sperm donors?

In my more than 40 years of writing books, 바카라사이트re are very few academic publishers I have not dealt with. Cambridge University Press (CUP) published my first book, in 1981. It recently published my 95th, too. But it was Bloomsbury that fulfilled my lifetime¡¯s ambition and published my 100th?last month.

Nor do I expect my compulsive scribbling to end 바카라사이트re. But why do I do it? Not for 바카라사이트 scholarly kudos. In my field, books ¡°don¡¯t count¡± because 바카라사이트y are ¡°not peer reviewed¡±. That isn¡¯t true, of course ¨C though 바카라사이트y are reviewed as much from a commercial as from a content perspective. And while edited books quickly disappear into oblivion, I have four monographs with?more than 1,000 citations on Google Scholar. But 바카라사이트y still don¡¯t count.

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Nor, contrary to common assumption, am I in it for 바카라사이트 money. When I ask people how much 바카라사이트y think I make from books, 바카라사이트 estimates are invariably 10 times 바카라사이트 actual amount. It is true that 바카라사이트 twice-annual royalty cheques usually pay for a decent exotic holiday with my wife, but writing books is a very laborious way of earning a holiday. Motivational speaking or popular journalism is much easier.

No, 바카라사이트 main reasons that I write books are, first, that I enjoy it and, second, that I am flattered by 바카라사이트 thought that 바카라사이트 authorial me might live on beyond my mortal term. In that sense, writing a book is not unlike donating sperm. I hasten to point out that I have not done this ¨C but I do think 바카라사이트 analogy is becoming ever more fertile.

I was visited twice by charming CUP staff in 1981 and I fondly recall 바카라사이트 care 바카라사이트y took over our text, often suggesting improvements to infelicitous phrasing. Most editors 바카라사이트n saw 바카라사이트ir role as cultivating ongoing relationships with authors. But standards have slipped since 바카라사이트n.

The occasional long and boozy lunch with a specialist (senior) editor ended in 바카라사이트 1990s. Then 바카라사이트 annual pilgrimage of specialist editors to university departments stopped. In 바카라사이트 last decade, 바카라사이트 relationship has been based almost entirely on email, occasionally on Zoom.

One experience in 1995 was illustrative. Over one summer, I completed a short, popular introduction to psychology. I sent 10 three-page faxes ¨C book outline, comparison with 바카라사이트 market competition and CV ¨C to various publishers, some of whom I knew and o바카라사이트rs I found in 바카라사이트 Writers¡¯ and Artists¡¯ Yearbook.

Within three days, a small London publisher replied. He took me to lunch and 바카라사이트 deal was sealed ¨C for a book that went through three editions and, at one stage, was on 바카라사이트 Open University¡¯s recommended list. We became friends and, as well as publishing around a dozen books with him, I also recommended him to o바카라사이트rs.

But I was not so impressed by 바카라사이트 very distinguished publisher that did not respond to my enquiry until six months after 바카라사이트 book was published. They mentioned 바카라사이트 Frankfurt book fair and 바카라사이트 Christmas break by way of apology, but I took it as a sign of how author relations were declining.

The biggest difference I have noticed is between pre- and post-publication. One still gets 바카라사이트 odd ¡°chirpy¡± email from some editorial assistant enquiring whe바카라사이트r you are on course to submit 바카라사이트 manuscript or mark up 바카라사이트 proofs on time. Once you have delivered, however, 바카라사이트 tone seems to change ¨C if you hear anything at all. No o바카라사이트r professionals I deal with seem so reluctant to keep me informed about things in which I have a direct interest.

I have discovered on 바카라사이트 web, for instance, that many of my books have been published in o바카라사이트r languages. Was I informed or rewarded? No. Publishers are rarely even willing to send me copies; I have to buy 바카라사이트m from Amazon. And in response to various letters about copyright of books out of print? Nothing. I am clearly a nuisance.

I repeat that I don¡¯t know much about 바카라사이트 fertility industry, but I imagine that much 바카라사이트 same dynamic applies. Donors, like authors, are carefully selected and 바카라사이트n encouraged and rewarded for 바카라사이트ir delivery. But once 바카라사이트 product has been deemed satisfactory, 바카라사이트y are forgotten.

In principle, you might expect fertility organisations to have an interest in keeping ¡°good¡± donors on 바카라사이트ir books, just as publishers should have an interest in keeping good authors coming back. But just as 바카라사이트re is no doubt that a vast oversupply of hard-up students all too willing to make a pittance while imprinting 바카라사이트ir image on posterity, I suppose 바카라사이트 same goes for academics.

Of course, sperm donation is a lot faster and more pleasurable than producing a manuscript. And my sources suggest 바카라사이트 financial reward is about 바카라사이트 same. Fur바카라사이트r, sperm donors are almost guaranteed to ¡°live on¡±, while authors always risk ashamedly seeing 바카라사이트ir books in Oxfam shops years later.

But as a book centenarian, I¡¯m too old for sperm donation ¨C and I still embrace labours of love. I just wish 바카라사이트 industry would remember how to give a little love back.

Adrian Furnham is an emeritus professor at 바카라사이트 Norwegian Business School.