New Website Demystifies University Press Publishing
NISO Member News
New York, NY, and Washington, DC— The Association of University Presses (AUPresses) is pleased to announce the launch of Ask UP, an online resource devoted to explaining how university presses work.
“We hope that this site will help scholars not only understand the fundamental decision points and action steps in the mission-based scholarly publishing process, but also recognize university presses as their partners in the advancement of scholarship,” said AUPresses executive director Peter Berkery.
The Ask UP site currently features answers to three dozen common scholarly publishing questions, such as:
- What should I include in my proposal?
- Why should I consider publishing my article in a university press journal?
- How do I find a publisher for my digital project?
- When can I expect a contract?
- Why do I have to get permission for this item?
- What happens when the final manuscript is turned in?
- What do university press marketing departments do to promote scholarly books?
Taken together, these questions and answers detail a common set of scholarly publishing practices as undertaken by university presses around the globe, although specific procedures and policies may vary from press to press.
Importantly, the site invites visitors to pose their own questions. Incoming questions will be selected and answered by publishing professionals at a host AUPresses member press and added to the site quarterly. Staff members at NYU Press will serve as the first Ask UP site hosts this fall, with staff at Michigan State University Press, Fordham University Press, and the publishing program of the Modern Language Association (MLA) set to host during subsequent quarters of 2020-2021.
The site also suggests further reading on such topics as academic career advancement, writing and style, publishing and scholarly communication, and copyright and intellectual property.
The Ask UP site was created by the Association’s Faculty Outreach Committee, under the leadership of 2018-2019 committee chair Angela Gibson, MLA director of scholarly communication, and 2019-2020 committee chair Ilene Kalish, NYU Press executive editor. Current committee chair Anne Donlon, MLA project manager for digital initiatives, took the lead in designing the site on UP Commons, part of the Humanities Commons network.
“Working with the committee and so many of our university press colleagues to answer these perennial scholarly publishing questions and to set up a mechanism to respond to future questions has been a really exciting project for us all,” said Donlon. “Over time, we hope that this site will not only serve prospective authors but will also nurture informed scholar-advocates for university presses everywhere.”
About This Organization
About the Association of University Presses
AUPresses is an organization of more than 150 international nonprofit scholarly publishers. Since 1937, the Association of University Presses advances the essential role of a global community of publishers whose mission is to ensure academic excellence and cultivate knowledge. The Association holds integrity, diversity, stewardship, and intellectual freedom as core values. AUPresses members are active across many scholarly disciplines, including the humanities, arts, and sciences, publish significant regional and literary work, and are innovators in the world of digital publishing.