As a researcher or scholar you may be more interested in conducting your research or teaching your students than you are in preparing a manuscript for publication. But, fortunately or unfortunately, publishing is a great big part of being a researcher and a scholar in today's world. MEREA Consulting, LLC can help you navigate the publication process from start to finish. We can help you with a developmental edit when you are preparing your manuscript. Our developmental/line edit, described below, is designed to help you tell the story you want to tell in a way that is understandable for your publisher and your audience. Then, when you are ready to approach a publisher, MEREA can help you identify the appropriate publishers and craft your best possible query letter. If you are new to book publishing, MEREA can help you review contracts, pre-publication agreements, and royalty agreements to ensure you understand exactly what the press is offering you.
Editing
We do what we call a “developmental/line edit.” The focus is to help you, the author, tell a better story. There are basic steps you need to take. First, read your manuscript critically yourself – not what you thought you wrote, but what you actually wrote. Second, use software to help you (like Grammarly). Third, use a skilled editor. At MEREA, the developmental side of the edit will include suggestions on re-structuring the manuscript, addressing redundancies, cutting or adding text, including or deleting particular lines of inquiry, and strengthening arguments as needed. The line editing side of the edit will enhance the strength of the manuscript and smooth out the writing style through suggestions on flow of text, clarity of voice, use of language, and development of content. Although we will not do a copy edit (typographical errors, grammar and punctuation errors, or inconsistencies in capitalization and numerals), any of these errors will be corrected as they catch our eyes. This process will include a dialogue between us, ensuring factual accuracy of the text, preservation of your voice and intent, and a better manuscript for presentation to your publisher. NOTE: A copyeditor will be needed to ensure this level of editing is done – generally copyedits are contracted by the publisher.
Book Proposals
MEREA will help you thread the gauntlet of book proposal submission to publishers, whether that be a major trade publisher, a small scholarly press, or Kindle Scout. We will help you identify the appropriate publishers for your manuscript, and then we will help you craft the best query letter possible. It's not hard to do, but it is very important to craft the query letter so that your hoped-for publisher will ask you to submit the manuscript for consideration. With the state of academic publishing these days, almost NO press wants unsolicited manuscripts.
Author's Representative
Once you connect with a press, you might need help reading through those legal documents. MEREA can help you with contract reviews and rights consultations. We'll work with you to ensure you understand exactly what the press is offering you and what your obligations are.
Ask MEREA
If you worked with a publisher lately, the world of publishing might seem completely insane to you. If you have an extensive background of published books, you probably know to expect myriad delays during the process. If you've published in the last twenty years, you probably know you'll likely have both print books and e-books. If you've asked about the details, you probably know that the days of large print runs are (essentially) over.
But if you haven't . . . ask MEREA. We love talking about publishing! You can email us at mereaconsulting@gmail.com
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Scholars Chat
One of the many extra activities thrust upon scholars is the urgent request for a book review. Though it might seem cumbersome, your book review is valuable to the academy. We found this article from Inside HigherEd helped us to easily think through the process for completing a well-written academic book review. Be careful, however. The better reviewer you become, the more you will be asked!
Roman ruins at Pompeii, Italy. Photo by Phil Baca