Media Room

“Thank you for the informative seminar on marketing to the educational market [at Publisher’s Marketing Association PMA-University in New York City, June 1, 2005]. You provided information that we are applying immediately to our publishing program.... Again, thank you.” --Clay Braznik, Director of Publications, Society of Actuaries

"Your book Writing and Developing Your College Textbook is an outstanding book about the publishing process--very useful for authors, publishers and all professionals in the publishing industry. In my library I have several books about publishing, but yours is the best."  --Jose Braga, Brazil

"I very much enjoyed your book and expect it would be very helpful to aspiring authors." --Anthony Patrick O'Brien, Lehigh University

"I bought a copy of your book, 'Writing & Developing College Textbook Supplements,' and have it right in front of me. I've read bit and pieces of the book and find it helpful. Though we are a small publisher, we publish about 8-10 textbooks annually. We do provide ancillaries but even in the 5 years that I've been here, requests have increased for more and more supplements. Thank you." --Janet Davis, Acquisitions Editor, Health Administration Press

For further information please click on a link below.

Sample interview questions
1. How is higher education publishing changing today?
2. What is the future of academic and scholarly publishing?
3. How did textbooks and journals become so expensive?
4. How are publishers responding to today’s price revolts?
5. How should I choose a textbook for my course?
6. Can I make any money as a textbook author?
7. How can I find a publisher for my textbook idea?
8. What should I watch out for in author-publisher agreements?
9. What do I need to know about the publishing process?
10. What is the segmentation in post-secondary markets?
11. How does one cope with peer reviews?
12. What is pedagogy and why does my book need it?
13. What is different about today’s learners?
14. How should I choose figures and photos for my book?
15. What is information literacy?
16. How are textbook supplements developed?
17. How are media changing the delivery of instruction?
18. How can I propose a (multimedia show, video, web site, casebook, reader, etc.)
to go with my text?
19. What should I watch out for in author-editor relations?
20. What makes or breaks an author team?
21. What does an editor look for in an author?
22. What should an author look for in an editor?
23. Does the publishing industry have ethical standards?
24. What are the ethics of authorship?
25. When is academic self-publishing ever okay?

Sell sheets (downloadable flyers)

— Writing and Developing Your College Textbook (pdf)
— Self-Publishing Textbooks and Instructional Materials (pdf)
— Writing and Developing College Textbook Supplements (pdf)

Press releases (downloads and links)

— Press Release (.doc file)
— SA2 Press Release (Society of Academic Authors)
— Current Press Release (.doc file)

Book reviews (downloads and links)

— What People Are Saying about Writing and Developing Your College Textbook
— CHOICE Review Writing and Developing Your College Textbook (pdf)
— Midwest Book Review: http://www.midwestbookreview.com/bookbiz/wr_shlf6.htm
— What People are Saying about Self-Publishing Textbooks and Instructional Materials
— Leonardo Review Silverman (August 2005)

__Reference and Research Book News: http://www.booknews.com/ref_issues/ref_feb2008/atlanpat1.html

__Midwest Book Review, 2nd ed.: http://www.midwestbookreview.com/lbw/apr_08.htm#Writing/Publishing

Writing and developing your college textbook; a comprehensive guide
to textbook authorship and higher education publishing, 2d ed.
Lepionka, Mary Ellen.
Atlantic Path Publishing, c2008
978-0-9728164-7-2 LB3045 $37.95 (pa)
In only a few years a great deal has changed in academic
publishing, and only part of that change has been in available and
applicable technologies. In this edition, practitioner and
consultant Lepionka explains current developments in digitization,
wiki-textbooks and pricing, but also concentrates on textbook
writing, such as setting learning objectives to develop the entire
textbook package, and adds more links to resources, practical
authoring tools and examples. She reviews the industry and how it
publishes textbooks, then covers proposals, contracts, audience
assessment, authorial voice, learning objectives, heading
structure, pedagogical considerations, feature development,
drafting and revising, schedule and length control, citations and
permissions, and visuals. The result is a practical guide that
covers a wide range of fields and provides solid support for
textbook editors as well as college instructor-authors.

Shannon Hendrickson
Associate Editor, Book News Inc.
5739 NE Sumner Street
Portland, OR 97218

503-281-9230 / 503-287-4485(fax)
www.booknews.com
shannon@booknews.com

Writing and Developing Your College Textbook
Mary Ellen Lepionka
Atlantic Path Publishing
PO Box 1556, Gloucester, MA 01931-1556
9780972816472, $37.95, www.atlanticpathpublishing.com

Jim Cox's review for Library Bookwatch on The Midwest Book Review:

Textbook publishing for technical schools, colleges, and universities, is a very specialized and potentially lucrative section of the publishing industry and one that has both state and institutional compliance requirements and standards that must be adhered to by authors who aspire to have their books adopted for curriculums, library collections, and student reading list. Now in a fully updated and significantly expanded second edition, "Writing And Developing Your college Textbook: A Comprehensive Guide To Textbook Authorship And Higher Education Publishing" by Mary Ellen Lepionka continues to be the premier introduction and instruction reference guide manual for college instructors, academic authors, textbook editors, and publishers of education materials. Beginning with informed and informative chapters on the college textbook publishing industry, "Writing and Developing Your College Textbook" continues with superbly organized and presented chapters on what authors must do to interest a publisher in their manuscript, publishing contracts, textbook development, identifying the intended readership and their needs with regarding the textbook's subject matter, writing with authority, the role of 'Learning Objectives', 'Heading Structure', pedagogy, chapter organization, 'Feature Strands', drafts and revisions, issues of length and management schedules, permissions, and visual elements for text enhancement. Of special note is the up-to-date advice with respect to pricing issues, academic self-publishing, open access, digitization, 'wiki-textbooks'. Simply stated, any author aspiring to write and have published a textbook, regardless of its subject matter, should begin by giving a careful reading to what Mary Ellen Lepionka has laid out in the pages of "Writing and Developing Your College Textbook".

Testimonials

— Lepionka Testimonials (pdf)

Title credits

— Lepionka Title Credits (pdf)

Resume

— Lepionka Resume (pdf)

Workshops

— Workshops for Authors (pdf)
— Author Workshop Flyer (pdf)
— Workshops for Editors (pdf)
— Editor Workshop Flyer (pdf)
— Workshop Host Questionnaire (pdf)