We value the hard work and diligence of our authors, and UT Press has a vested interest in the success of the projects we produce together. When a book is approved for publication by our board, we send the author a detailed Author’s Guide on what to expect throughout the publishing process. The guide covers everything from from proper preparation of a manuscript to marketing and selling. This page is an abbreviated version of that guide, and gives you, at-a-glance, our role and your role in making your book a success.
The success of your book depends greatly on the collaborative effort between the UT Press marketing department and you. It is critical that you consider yourself a key component of the marketing plan that will accompany the publication of your book. Below are few things for you to keep in mind:
The Book Promotion Form
Included in your Author’s Guide is a book promotion form that you are asked to fill out as thoroughly as is possible. The book promotion form is critical to developing the marketing plan that we will use to sell your book to the broadest possible audience.
Please send in your book promotion form (and a black and white headshot if possible) within ninety days of receiving the guide. It may seem a bit soon to ask for this, but please keep in mind that buyers, such as Barnes & Noble, want to have preliminary information on you and your book at least six months in advance of your book’s publication. The more we can tell them early about the book, the better able they are to determine whether (and when) to order copies.
You will also receive a book promotion letter. As the letter will detail, the marketing department will handle sending out review copies, sending your book to appropriate scholarly and trade meetings, setting up book signings, advertising, sending out direct mail pieces, making sure the book is available in bookstores and on line, and including your book in any special promotions as deemed appropriate and prudent.
In developing the final marketing plan we take into account your suggestions from the book promotion form and our own knowledge and experience. Because of budget limitations we may not be able to implement all the marketing suggestions you make, but we will use our best judgment with the resources we have available.
Advertising and Reviews
For the most part, we advertise in scholarly journals and the exhibit programs of academic meetings. However, for books that appeal to a broad, non-specialized readership, we often advertise in general-interest publications with larger circulations.
Review copies go out shortly after the book arrives in the warehouse. Enclosed with each is a publication slip, listing the price of the book and its publication date. Because most scholarly books are reviewed by journals published on a quarterly basis (and sometimes even less frequently), it may take as long as a year and a half for reviews to begin to appear. Reviews in newspapers and other general-interest publications appear sooner. In most cases, publications send us tearsheets after printing a review of one of our books. We will send you copies of ads and reviews on a quarterly basis.
Direct Mail
Direct mail is a powerful way to reach potential buyers. In the book promotion form, you are asked to let us know if there are any organizations to which we should send a mailing about your book. If you are able to acquire current mailing lists of organizations that should receive notice of your book, please do so as early in the process as possible. If you are able to provide those lists on labels or in an excel chart, even better—it considerably expedites our preparation time in sending out the mailing.