Associate Executive Director's Messages
May
2008
Member feedback, participation welcomed
Starting in February, we began publishing The Academic Author monthly, rather than quarterly. I hope that you are enjoying the more frequent issues of your member newsletter, and that it has helped you stay more connected to TAA and your authoring. We welcome your comments about the newsletter, and would appreciate any suggestions for content. You can also submit articles for publication. We are accepting submissions of how-to articles, Writer's Block essays (essays on the writing life), columns (on textbook and academic authoring issues such as used books, open access, comp copies, etc.), and member news (you published a book, journal article, or other educational work; received a promotion or an award; etc.). For more information, or for writer's guidelines, contact me at kim.pawlak@taaonline.net
You may have noticed that we have begun sending TAA News Alerts, our bi-monthly e-newsletters, via a Constant Contact html-based service rather than through the TAA Listserv. This decision was based on the feedback we received from members, who said they wanted to receive the News Alerts, but didn't want to receive messages from the Listserv, and they couldn't get one without the other. We also wanted to send TAA News Alerts in a more attractive, easy-to-read format. We hope you like the new News Alert format, and welcome your feedback.
TAA began holding bi-monthly teleconferences on March 6. They have so far received high ratings. A participant of the first teleconference, "Publish & Flourish: Become A Prolific Scholar", moderated by Tara Gray, said: "It was great!!! Thanks Tara Gray and TAA!" "I was surprised -- agreeably so -- by the small number of participants so that there could be individual attention and participation, and feel I've already received full benefit from membership and am recommending this to others. I'm glad I found you! Thank you." A participant of the second teleconference, "Royalty Q&A" moderated by Paul Rosenzweig said: "Thank you TAA for hosting the Royalty Q&A teleconference. I learned some useful information about royalty issues, especially how authors should negotiate clauses in contracts that permit the authors to review the books to ensure royalty statements are accurate. I look forward to future TAA teleconferences." A participant of the third teleconference, "A Coach's Perspective on Finishing Your Dissertation," moderated by Dave Harris, said: "Dave Harris offers a valuable perspective that doctoral students working on their dissertation need to hear. He provides important insights to help students get the most out of this learning experience and his insights ring true. He clearly breaks down the dissertation process into its component parts and provides practical advice for every student working on a dissertation. What most resonated for me were his comments to stop researching and start writing, and his statement that there are many voices and opinions out there, so in putting your ideas on paper, there will be others who disagree. And that is okay. I think doctoral students at any stage of their dissertation process will benefit from Dave Harris' teleconference."
(The last two teleconferences, "Don't Settle for A Publisher's Standard Contract: Terms You Can & Should Negotiate," moderated by Stephen Gillen, and "Tips and Tricks for the Do-It-Yourself Indexer," moderated by Seth Maislin, were held after press time.)
You can listen to recordings of all of the teleconferences here on the TAA website: Click here. More teleconferences are being planned for fall. If you would like to moderate a teleconference, or have a suggestion for a topic, please email me at kim.pawlak@taaonline.net or call me at (608) 687-3106.
We recently sent out a Member Survey via email. I would like to thank those of you who have already responded. I encourage the rest of you to take a few moments and fill out the survey. A print copy of the survey has been included in this issue. This information will help us shape future member benefits and services, and restructure current member benefits and services to better serve you. This is your association and we want you to be part of its growth and development. I look forward to hearing from you.
Kim Pawlak,
TAA
Associate Executive Director
February
2008
Keep talking, we're listening
In print and email surveys that we conducted bettween September 2007 and January 2008, some TAA members told us they found The Academic Author to be one of the most valuable member benefits, while others said it was printed too infrequently.
As a result of that feedback, we have decided to begin publishing The Academic Author monthly rather than quarterly, starting this issue (except in the months of July and August).
This is just one example of the changes we have made in member communication and services in the past year, most of which were a result of member feedback. Here are several more:
• Grants of up to $750 for publication costs associated with publishing a scholarly article of book
• Free mentoring via an online mentoring directory that allows members to match themselves with veteran academic and textbook authors
• Authoring advice and insight via a new "How-to" section, more frequent postings of Q&A's to "Authors Asking", and essays on writing in the "Writer's Block" section
• An expanded "Busy TAA People" section, which allows members to get to know one another through member profiles, and by sharing their news, as well as links to their personal and professional website addresses
• A more active TAA Listerv, TAA's members-only email discussion list. If you are not receiving postings, please contact me so that we can make sure that you are subscribed. Post messages to taa@mail-list.com
I hope that you will continue to provide us with feedback, both by responding to surveys, and by contacting us directly at TEXT@tampabay.rr.com or (727) 563-0020. We're listening.
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