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Last Updated August 28, 2010
- Authors Asking: Should I receive royalties on products such as Vango Notes and other derivative products?
- New TAA workshop: 'Book-worthy: How Smart Academics Write To Get Published'
- TAA Article: Faculty success, developing a research and publication agenda
- Busy TAA People: Mary Kay Switzer
- TAA seeks committee members
- Busy TAA People: Matt Stevens
- TAA Interim President Ron Pynn: 'I'm back'
- Call for 2011 TAA Conference Presenter Proposals
- Waxer receives 2010 TAA President’s Award
- Siegel receives 2010 TAA President’s Award
- 2010 TAA Conference hits the mark
- Sustaining Members Tara Gray, David I. Schneider, and Jay L. Devore
- 2010 TAA Conference PPTs and handouts now available for download
- Nominate your book for a 2011 Texty, McGuffey Award
- Pynn appointed TAA interim president
- 2011 TAA Conference in Albuquerque, NM, June 25-26
- Spiegler appointed Council rep to Executive Committee
- 2010 TAA Conference Tweets
- Harris appointed at-large member of TAA Council
- TAA Council creates five new committees
- TAA Council to meet two days in January 2011
- Non-Members now eligible for TAA Publication Grant
- Contributing Member William Curry
- Sustaining Member Jay Coakley
- Sustaining Member Mary Ellen Guffey
- TAA Podcast page now organized by content
Additional
TAA Notes Info:
Busy
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Authors Asking: Should I receive royalties on products such as Vango Notes and other derivative products?
Q: "I have a business textbook with Pearson/Prentice-Hall. I picked Pearson for this book because I really like the level of development they invest in new projects, and now that we are in the second edition, the book is doing reasonably well. With the second edition Pearson also launched a VangoNotes version of our book..."
Click here for answers from Paul Rosenzweig, Marilyn Fordney, and Ric Martini.
New TAA workshop: 'Book-worthy: How Smart Academics Write To Get Published'
TAA is sponsoring a new workshop by former university press acquisitions editor Rachel Toor entitled, 'Book-worthy: How Smart Academics Write To Get Published.'
This workshop is designed for people who understand that all writers, especially good ones, struggle to be better. It will assist writers in determining whether their topic is actually book-worthy (and adapt it if it’s not); how to write so that others want to read their work; how to approach publishers and what to expect from the process; and what attitudes, behaviors and disciplines are required to write and publish a book.
“We’re all enamored with our topics,” said Toor, who currently teaches creative writing in Eastern Washington University’s MFA program and is on the faculty of Pacific University’s low-residency MFA program. “Most academic writers deliver content in a way that fails to keep the reader in mind. This workshop will address, in a way that should not be too painful, how to move through your infatuation—or desperation—to figure out what is worth writing about, how best to present your material, and how to get it published.”
Toor’s workshop will focus on the craft of writing--Who are the good writers in your field? What makes reading their books a pleasure? What tricks and moves do they use that you can steal in your own work? What are the practices and habits of successful writers?-- and discuss the publishing process. “This will include how to talk to editors at conferences (please do not try to give them copies of your manuscript), how to write query letters, how to respond to reader’s reports, what you need to know about contracts, and the sad fact that your work isn’t finished when you hand in a final manuscript,” she said.
A cum laude graduate of Yale University, with an MFA from the University of Montana, Toor is the author of three books, Admissions Confidential: An Insider’s Account of the Elite College Selection Process, The Pig and I, and Personal Record: A Love Affair with Running, and writes a monthly column on issues in writing and publishing for The Chronicle of Higher Education. Her work has appeared in Inside Higher Ed, Glamour, Reader’s Digest, Ploughshares, The LA Times, JAMA (The Journal of the American Medical Association) Running Times, Marathon & Beyond, and Runner’s World among other publications.
TAA’s Academic Authoring Workshops assist authors in jumpstarting their writing and getting it published.
TAA sponsors these workshops by covering the domestic travel and lodging costs of bringing a presenter to your institution, including air, ground transportation, lodging and food. The host institution pays the speaker's fee. The speaker's fee will depend on the length of the workshop, the content and the number of participants of each workshop.
To learn more about this workshop or to bring this workshop to your institution, visit www.taaonline.net/workshops/academic_workshops.html
TAA Article:
Faculty success: Developing a research and publication agenda
by Dr. Kathleen King
Anyone associated with higher education will acknowledge that tenure track faculty have to perform a fantastic balancing act. Compared to an administrative or line role in an organization, higher education faculty have tremendous autonomy and freedom. However, they face competing demands of many different (and good) opportunities, and for them the stakes are always high. Help is here! This article introduces a powerful strategy for staying on track in the research strand of this competitive journey.
Busy TAA People: Mary Kay Switzer
Mary Kay Switzer, co-founder of the of the Pass Area Performing Artists, in Banning, California, is developing another community theatre, CAST Theatrical Players, in the Inland Empire (Riverside and San Bernardino, California). CAST's premiere performance is part of the year-long celebration of the anniversary of Mark Twain and the release of his memoirs after 100 years. CAST will present Switzer's "Mark Twain's Words and Works". Of his writing, Twain had this to say, "If I had known what trouble it was to make a book, I wouldn't have tackled it. But I made the great discovery that when the tank runs dry you've only to leave it alone and it will fill up again in time, while you are asleep--also while you are at work at other things and are quite unaware that this unconscious and profitable cerebration is goin on. Fools who never wrote a book are always giving me their infernal advice about how to write."
TAA seeks committee members
The TAA Council seeks members interested in serving on five new committees: Membership, Governance, Marketing/Outreach, Finance, Personnel, and Conference.
To volunteer, contact TAA Headquarters at (727) 563-0020 or TextandAcademicAuthors@taaonline.net
Membership
Initiates and monitors membership recruitment and retention for TAA; periodically surveys members concerning satisfaction with TAA services.
Governance
Evaluates the composition and performance of TAA committees; publishes notice of vacant positions; solicits and receives nominations for TAA election of officers and Council positions; and prepares the election ballot.
Marketing / Outreach
Promotes increased visibility of programs and activities reflecting TAA's mission; oversees a marketing strategy and reviews TAA communications.
Finance
Works with the TAA Treasurer to oversee the financial well being of the association, including consideration, adoption, and oversight of the budget; makes reports and recommendations to the Council concerning the finances of TAA.
Personnel
Works with the Executive Director to identify and plan staff development and training activities; conducts a performance review of the Executive Director; makes recommendations on staff salary and benefits; and seeks to resolve conflicts among staff that may arise.
Conference
Working with staff, the committee recommends dates and locations for future TAA conferences; reviews and oversees the conference budget.
Busy TAA People: Matt Stevens
McGraw-Hill just adopted TAA member Matt Stevens’s second book, The Practical Construction MBA.
TAA Interim President Ron Pynn: 'I'm back'
 TAA Interim President Ron Pynn |
"I'll be back." This is not the Terminator speaking, or even Arnold Schwarzenegger, but your new interim president of TAA for 2010-11. I first started publishing in the mid-1970s and I was a founding member of TAA in 1987. I marvel at the changes in publishing over the last 35 years, although TAA's core mission remains the same — assisting the creators of intellectual property, be they text or academic writers, with their writing and publishing activities.
TAA has continued to adapt to the changing face of publishing, seeking to keep authors informed and abreast of the changes. Helping writers succeed in this new world of publishing continues to drive TAA. When I first began publishing, writing with a computer was a daunting task, desk top publishing a novelty, and electronic books and course kits were but in their infancy. Today, all are central to the publishing landscape.
TAA has grown with the times, offering writers a full array of information and tools to aid in their writing. TAA offers contract assistance, publishing grants, teleconferences, writing and grant writing seminars, networking, mentoring, conferences, and a web site full of helpful information. All this is dedicated to assisting authors with their writing needs.
TAA has never lost sight that it is a member based organization. TAA seeks not only to serve authors and new authors, but TAA seeks input from its membership. If there are ideas or projects you want TAA to investigate, let us know. If you want to help shape the direction publishing moves in the future, there are opportunities to become involved on TAA committees of the governing council of TAA. The TAA staff welcomes hearing from its members.
I'm back! And as the 2010-11 interim president of TAA, I want to again serve my fellow authors in their writing activities, to assist writers get published, and to help writers receive recognition, and even compensation, for their publishing. I am eager for the challenge of the coming year.
Ron Pynn
Call for 2011 TAA Conference Presenter Proposals
TAA is currently seeking proposals to present at its 2011 Conference in Albuquerque, NM, June 24-25, 2011 which will be held at the Hotel Albuquerque in New Mexico.
Proposals will be accepted by October 15, 2010 or until all slots are filled.
Waxer receives 2010 TAA President’s Award
TAA Council Member Barbara Waxer received the 2010 TAA President’s Award from outgoing TAA President Paul Siegel for her “invaluable expertise and tenacity.”
Siegel receives 2010 TAA President’s Award
Outgoing TAA President Paul Siegel received the 2010 TAA President’s Award in appreciation of his skill and diligent efforts for the association during his two-year term.
2010 TAA Conference hits the mark
The 2010 TAA Conference, “Recent Trends in Textbook & Academic Publishing,” held in Minneapolis, Minnesota, June 24-26, offered an inside look at new authoring and publishing models, including open access textbooks and journals, and the challenges and opportunities they pose for authors. The conference attracted 74 attendees, many for the first time.
"This was my first TAA event — I've thoroughly enjoyed the experience and the people I've met and talked to," said Christopher Grey.
Geography textbook author Robert Christopherson kicked off the conference again this year by giving attendees a geographical overview of the Twin Cities-Minneapolis, St. Paul region. This popular start to TAA Conferences was a bit hit again this year, with attendees exclaiming: “Great start to the conference... It was excellent... The time and effort put into the presentation was greatly appreciated. The pictures were fabulous.”
Said one attendee of Attorney Stephen Gillen's session on negotiating textbook and journal contracts: "Excellent. Great handouts. Outstanding presenter. Great role playing exercise!" Of Michael Spiegler's session on writing a textbook, one attendee said: "Well-informed 'insider's view...valuable does of reality for aspiring textbook authors." Of CPA Scott Loden’s session on tax tips for authors, one attendee said: “I came away with important tax tips that I can use immediately.”
Attendees also commented positively on the opportunities for meeting with mentors, and the roundtable discussions held over lunch on the first day of the conference. Said one attendee about the mentoring she received: "Many thanks to those who share such helpful information so freely." Said one attendee about her participation in a roundtable discussion: "Very helpful... delightful, interesting conversation."
Several 2010 Textbook Excellence and McGuffey Longevity Award winners were present to accept their awards. Molefi Kete Asante was formally inducted into TAA’s Council of Fellows, which honors distinguished authors who have a long record of successful publishing.
A special thank you to Featured Sponsors Copyright Clearance Center (CCC) for sponsoring the Roundtable Discussions Luncheon, Community College Consortium for Open Educational Resources (CCCOER) for sponsoring the Awards Ceremony Luncheon, and Atlantic Path Publishing and New Forums Press, LLC for each donating 30 books for early conference registrants.
Several PowerPoints and handouts from 2010 TAA Conference sessions are now available for download.
View the conference photo gallery
SAVE THE DATE:
The 2011 TAA Conference, will be held in Albuquerque, NM,
June 24-25 at the Hotel Albuquerque.
Sustaining Members
TAA thanks Sustaining Members Tara Gray, David I. Schneider, and Jay L. Devore.
2010 TAA Conference PPTs and handouts now available for download
Several PowerPoints and handouts from 2010 TAA Conference sessions are now available for download by members on the conference website. More will be added. Current documents are available for the following sessions:
Editing a Collective Volume of Papers from a Conference (Rountable), presented by Richard Hull, Professor Emeritus, Philosophy, State University of New York at Buffalo, and editor of several book series, including Presidential Addresses of the American Philosophical Association
Getting the Best-Looking Book: Best Production Practices for Authors, presented by Cynthia Miller, Vice President of Higher Education Services at Element, LLC
Authoring Into Retirement: Too Much Invested to Quit?, presented by J. David Hunger, Emeritus Professor of Management at Iowa State University
How Open Licensing Improved Our Textbook and Our Careers, presented by Barbara Illowsky, Professor, Mathematics & Statistics, De Anza Community College
Fine-Tuning Your Work: Writing, Editing & Publication Preparation Skills for Scholarly Authors, presented by Laura Poole, Archer Editorial Services
Opportunities for Authors from Emerging Hi-Ed New Business Models, presented by Jeff Shelstad, Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Flat World Knowledge
Google Settlement: Where It Stands, What It Means For You, presented by Christopher Kenneally, Director of Author Relations for the Copyright Clearance Center (CCC)
Nominate your book for a 2011 Texty, McGuffey Award
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TAA is now accepting nominations for 2011 Textbook Excellence Award and McGuffey Longevity Awards.
The Textbook Excellence Award, open to members and non-members, was created in 1992 to recognize current textbooks and learning materials. To be nominated, a work must carry a copyright date for the previous or current year.
The McGuffey Longevity Award, open to members and non-members, was created in 1993 to recognize textbooks and learning materials whose excellence has been demonstrated over time. To be nominated, a work must have been in print 15 years and still be selling.
McGuffey Awards
2011 Author Nomination Form
2011 Publisher Nomination FormTexty Awards
2011 Author Nomination Form
2011 Publisher Nomination Form
The nomination fee, which can be paid by the author or publisher, is $300. The deadline for sending the nomination form and fee for the 2011 awards is October 15, 2010. The deadline to receive books for judging is November 15, 2010. (These deadlines can be somewhat flexible according to publication dates.)
Pynn appointed TAA interim president
Founding TAA Member and former Executive Director Ron Pynn was appointed TAA interim president to replace Don Collins, who resigned after serving a year as vice president/president-elect. Pynn will lead the association for one year, starting July 1, 2010. Incoming Vice President Mary Kay Switzer will become president on July 1, 2011.
Pynn was one of the founding members of TAA, joining the association in 1987. He has served previous terms as president and served as executive director for 10 years.
2011 TAA Conference in Albuquerque, NM, June 25-26
The 2011 TAA Conference will be held in Albuquerque, NM, June 25-26 at the Hotel Albuquerque. TAA Council members Paul Siegel, Tara Gray and Barbara Waxer will serve on the 2011 Conference Committee.
Spiegler appointed Council rep to Executive Committee
TAA Council member Michael Spiegler was appointed to serve a one-year term on the Council's Executive Committee, which meets monthly by teleconference to discuss association business in between the Council's bi-annual meetings in January and June. Spiegler joined the Council July 1, 2009 and is currently serving the second year of his three-year term.
2010 TAA Conference Tweets
Tweeted live via TAA's Twitter page at the 2010 TAA Conference:
- Michael Lennie, attorney: What if pub says no to eliminating PUBSUPP contract clause? The more authors who object, the stronger your case.
- Michael Lennie, attorney: Beware of PUBSUPPS/publisher's supplement. Packaged with your book, it can reduce your share of royalties.
- Michael Lennie, attorney: Beware of KWAK/kit-within-a-kit. Kit of book & pub. produced study guide that when sold, reduces author royalties.
- Barbara Illowsky, open licensed textbook: Benefits--sold the copyright, increased use, recognition, improved text, prof. dev., consulting.
- David Hunger: Problem regarding authoring into retirement--No more work variation (faculty & text writing). Textbook becomes full-time job.
- David Hunger, Authoring into Retirement: Can't give up your textbook and expect to get it back again.
- Laura Poole, Fine Tuning Your Work: Spell out abbreviations the 1st time you use them. Use the abbreviation throughout the rest of the work.
- Laura Poole, Fine Tuning Your Work: Most common mistake is using the plural "they" when you really mean the singular "he/she".
- Linnea Fletcher, Grant Writing for NSF: Read the solicitation, volunteer to be a reviewer, talk to program officers if you have a question.
- Linnea Fletcher, Grant Writing for NSF: Don't use warm fuzzy words. Use direct words. Flowery language is not a plus.
- Web Resources Authors Can Really Use: Zoho Notebook allows you to collect all types of media into an online notebook. Add text, images, docs
- Web Resources Authors Can Really Use: Google Scholar scholar.google.com, Cuil www.cuil.com, Academic Earth academicearth.org/
- Negotiating Text, Journal Contracts: "Excellent. Great handouts. Outstanding presenter. Great role playing exercise!"
- Should You Write a Textbook: "Well-informed 'insider's' view...valuable dose of reality for aspiring textbook authors."
- About 2010 TAA Conference, Tax Tips for Authors: "I came away with important tax tips that I can use immediately."
- Second day of the 2010 TAA Conference in Minneapolis: Authoring into retirement, fine tuning your work, book production, images and media
- Second day of the 2010 TAA Conference in Minneapolis: web resources for authors, royalty statements, grant writing for the NSF, open access
- Stephen Gillen, Attorney: In contract negotiations, information equals strength, so gather as much info about the other side as possible.
- Scott Loden, Loden, Fraze & Associates (CPA): Authors with an S corp pay no self-employment tax.
- Heather Joseph, SPARC to academic authors: Think about letting go as a way to be able to control your your content in a broader way.
- Clancy Marshall, Dynamic Books: It's very clear in the customized version of the text who the original author is and who revised the book.
- Jeff Shelstad, Flat World Knowledge: Even with the presence of a free book, my authors will win. 50% of students convert free to paid.
- Nicole Allen, StudentPIRG Open access provides studnt centered model that also encourages authors, publishers to create hi quality materials
- Heather Joseph, SPARC Open access is an opportunity to think about the reason scholarship is created in the 1st place and make it accessible
Harris appointed at-large member of TAA Council
Christopher Harris was appointed to serve a one-year term on the TAA Council as an at-large member. His term begins July 1, 2010.
TAA Council creates five new committees
The TAA Council voted at its June 24 meeting in Minneapolis, Minnesota to create five new committees, including Finance, Governance, Membership, Outreach/Marketing, and Personnel. The current Budget and Elections Committees would be eliminated and replaced by the new Finance and Governance Committees.
TAA Council to meet two days in January 2011
The TAA Council will meet January 15- 16, 2011 in St. Petersburg, Florida. The first day of the meeting will serve as a retreat.
Non-Members now eligible for TAA Publication Grant
TAA has opened its Publication Grant program to non-members. The grants of up to $750 can be used to cover expenses incurred in publishing already accepted print academic journal articles and books including academic journal page costs or university press subventions; the cost of preparing artwork or other charts, diagrams, or images to be included in accepted journal articles or academic books; and journal reprint costs.
Grants are also available for expenses incurred as a direct result of research leading to publication of a book or article, including:
- Interlibrary loan costs, or computer time costs incurred in the analysis of data, leading to publication of academic print materials.
- Costs of single photocopies of source materials for research related to the publication of an article or book.
- Costs of secretarial (copying and/or delivery) services incurred in the preparation of academic print materials.
- Cost of permissions incurred in the preparation of academic print materials for reprinting images, quoted material.
Grant funds are also available for costs incurred by the author for textbook projects, provided the textbook is not realistically expected to yield royalties sufficient to recover the costs for which the grant is sought.
How to Apply:
- Download a PDF form and mail to:
TAA Executive Director Richard Hull,
3241 Heather Hill Lane,
Tallahassee, FL 32309-2307
TAA has up to $7,500 available for making TAA Publication Grants in 2010-2011. Grants will be awarded on a competitive basis. The grant period runs from July 1, 2010 to June 30, 2011. Grant applications for the first half of 2010-2011 are due by December 1, 2010. Grant applications for the second half of 2010-2011 are due by May 1, 2011.
Contributing Member William Curry
TAA thanks Contributing Member William Curry.
Sustaining Member Jay Coakley
TAA thanks Sustaining Member Jay Coakley.
Sustaining Member Mary Ellen Guffey
TAA thanks Sustaining Member Mary Ellen Guffey.
TAA Podcast page now organized by content
The TAA Podcast page, where members can listen to recordings of TAA audio conferences, has been reorganized using content categories to make it easier for members to find information.
Academic authors looking for writing assistance, for example, can now click on "Writing" and find all podcasts on writing in the same section. Other content categories include Professional, Editing, Grant Writing, Book Publishing, Publicity, Taxes, Proposals, Contracts, Royalties, Copyright, Supplements and Indexing. All podcasts are free for members: Click here
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