Thread on Rabiner and Fortunato's Thinking Like Your Editor. As someone who is writing books (don't ask how many) 
... I *know* that one of the key questions editors and publishing houses ask is "is this book financially viable?" - can the book sell?
Rabiner & Fortunato are clear on what this book is intended to do: help authors of "trade books". Even if there are academic trade books...
It's important to decide which one you want to write (or when revising your dissertation to become a book, which book you want to produce)
2 of the books I'm writing (one summarizing my blog into a book form & another one coauthored with @EllieMackin on research) are academic-y
So, technically not about my scholarly research, but about elements of the academic process. These could be sold as "academic trade" books.
Any editor worth their salt will tell you the first thing you need to consider is audience. How do you evaluate these? 4 solid criteria
The Big Five that Rabiner and Fortunato propose are present in every single book I've read on publishing. Practice writing these for yours.
Something I noted in an earlier thread on publishing that Rabiner and Fortunato make clear: your book proposal should tell what's different.
How does your book change our thinking about something? Why are previous treatments of the subject insufficient to provide a fuller picture?
As I've noted in earlier threads, you should read A TON of book introductions to see the stylistic manoeuvring that comes with showing a gap
"Gomez and Gonzalez showcase how Mexican water laws evolved. However, their analysis lacked subnational comparisons, which I do here".
I love that Rabiner & Fortunato provide so many concrete examples that they work the reader and prospective author through "now, YOU do it"
From my experience, this insight by Rabiner & Fortunato is often overlooked: if an editor seeks you out: MEET UP AND FOLLOW UP. JFC. Do it!
Something disappointing from books about academic writing is that there isn't a book about How To Write A Book. They all compress lessons.
Here's how 2 1) evaluate the market 2) write the proposal and submission package 3) negotiate proposal 4) work through the editorial process
"Oh and by the way here's one or two chapters on issues that will come up with your writing". That's why these books all have a market.
You need a book on how to write, one on how to edit your dissertation as a book, one on how to organize yourself. Different lessons for all.
I will give Rabiner and Fortunato credit for providing 3 chapters on writing the book though Ch 7 is the most process-oriented of them all.
Impressed by abundance of examples and walk-throughs that Rabiner and Fortunato offer. Most impressive? Full Sample Submission Package.
Like Joli Jensen, William Zinsser, and others in the genre, Rabiner and Fortunato write agile, easy to read prose worth revisiting often.
After reading a few of these books, I believe one shouldn't purchase just one but keep a small library. </thread>
