Writing It!
The Podcast About Academics & Writing
Displaying 3 items of Writing It! with the tag "university press".
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Episode 79: Books that Change the Conversation with Fred Appel
June 29th, 2026 | 41 mins 20 secs
crossover books, editor, peer review, university press
We’re speaking with Princeton University Press publisher, Fred Appel about what distinguishes Princeton University Press and what he and his colleagues look for in the book proposals they receive. We talk about the editor-author relationship, how an academic book can land in the trade/crossover section of a university press; the problem with proposing that your book is for the “general reader”; word count; appropriate time to completion; the advantage of publishing your accessible book with a university press, instead of a trade press; and what make for a great book title.
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Episode 77: Who Cares and Why Now? And More Editor Straight Talk with Cate Hodorowicz
June 1st, 2026 | 43 mins 4 secs
author platform, book proposal, literary non-fiction, marketing, university press
We’re speaking with UNC press editor, Cate Hodorowicz about what she’s looking for; how she knows if a book will work as trade; how to set yourself up for a good book exhibit hall conversation with an editor; how to show you have a robust author platform even if you’re not active on social media; what kinds of honest conversations you can have with a press editor about expectations for the book; and the benefits of being part of a book series.
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Episode 70: "Yes, your editor googles you..." and other things your editor thinks and does with Adina Popescu
February 23rd, 2026 | 38 mins 54 secs
academic press, book publicity, book reviews, dissertation, editor, university press
In this episode, we talk with Yale University Press Executive Editor Adina Popescu about what makes her interested in a book manuscript and in an academic author. Our topics include: What the query letter should include; how to approach the conference "book exhibit hall conversation with an editor; what occurs at the mysterious university press "boards" and who is present at those meetings; why and when book manuscripts return to reviewers; why an editor might ask for additional reviews of your manuscript, and how to get the most out of the review process. Adina also talks what has changed the most in publishing and book-reviewing.