A few weeks ago, I reached out to of the 2017 TAA and asked them to answer some questions about their textbook writing. I had so many great responses I decided to create a six-part series to share them. The focused on why they decided to write their textbook, and how they got started. The focused on what they do to boost their confidence as a writer, how they fit writing time into their schedule, and what software they use. The focused on which pedagogical elements in their textbook they are most proud of, and what involvement they have had in marketing their book. The focused on what they wish they had known before they started, and advice for other authors.
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This fifth, and final, installment in the five-part series focuses on the more veteran authors, who share the key to their textbook’s longevity, what they have learned over the years, and their approach to preparing for a new edition. Q: What has been the key to your textbook’s longevity? Kenneth Saladin, author of 2017 McGuffey Longevity Award winner, Anatomy & Physiology: The Unity of Form and Function, 7e: “(1) Writing style, art, and photography; (2) the contributions of other writers who produce adaptive learning products linked to my books; and (3) the marketing power of a big publishing house. (1) With respect to my own contribution, I think the key is writing style—to produce a narrative that goes well beyond just getting the facts down on paper, but engages the reader with a story-telling narrative that they (as students’ emails so often testify) actually find enjoyable to read. I’ve also developed numerous original artistic presentations and sought out captivating photographs to show concepts visually in enlightening ways that other textbooks do not. Some of these come to mind while teaching my lectures and labs, so they reflect the rapport I attain with students in the classroom and ways of presenting or re-explaining ideas that make their minds light up. (2) With respect to other content contributors, the work of my digital team in producing interactive learning media for the book has been a tremendous boost to sales in recent editions.
They’re better at this than I, and my writing task leaves too little time to also develop these learning tools. In turn, they rely on me for accurate and current scientific information and good ways of expressing it. Thus, together, we achieve a synergy that has made the book broadly appealing. (3) Third, the marketing power of McGraw-Hill has been crucial to the longevity of my books. I depend on a good marketing manager, regional sales managers, and a large army of sales representatives to promote the book, win adoptions, and keep them by cultivating relationships with faculty users. I’ve known other authors to put just as much work into their first editions as I did, only to be discontinued after one or two editions simply because their smaller publishers didn’t have the muscle to promote their books adequately in a crowded and intensely competitive market.” Timothy Slater, coauthor of the 2017 McGuffey Longevity Award winner, Lecture-Tutorials for Introductory Astronomy, 3e: “Continuous marketing.” Alan Trujillo, author of the 2017 McGuffey Longevity Award winner, Essentials of Oceanography, 12e: “Be willing to try some new things in your book through different editions.
Actually I was brought onto the book as a coauthor to help save the book! Its publication numbers were really low and it needed help. Previous editions of my textbook were written in a very non-student-friendly manner.
Always consider your students and what topics they struggle with when you revise.” Q: What is your approach when preparing a new edition? When do you start? How do you organize your research and files? How do you decide what needs updating? Russell Grimes, author of the 2017 Textbook Excellence Award winner, Carboranes, 3e: “In preparing Carboranes Third Edition, I used the second edition as a template. Going through that book page-by-page (over eleven hundred pages), I identified areas that needed updating because of new developments, and made appropriate changes in the text and graphics.
In some cases this required introducing entirely new sections. Also, there were parts of the second edition that I was dissatisfied with, and the third edition gave me an opportunity to do a better job of writing and/or presentation. I should also say that my interaction with the editorial staff at Elsevier was a bit smoother for the new edition than it had been for the previous one, and this was very helpful. In particular I think the cover design in the third edition is much improved.” Robert Lucas, author of the 2017 Textbook Excellence Award winner, Customer Service Skills for Success, 6e: “I start creating content for the next edition once I finish the current revision. I do this by scanning articles in print and online and printing copies which I keep in file folders labeled for each chapter. Throughout the years between editions, I also jot down ideas and notes related to trends, personal customer service experiences and ideas from other professionals with whom I speak. When ready to revise, I go through these to determine potential ideas for content and/or reference sources for material quoted.
I start an edit by reading the entire text. Like many authors this often results in a ‘I cannot believe I wrote that mess.’ After looking through my data/article files and notes I have written to myself, I start rewriting and repositioning content.” Saladin: “I’m always planning a new edition even before production turnover (PTO) of the edition I’m currently working on. As PTO approaches, or I’m already reading chapter proofs, ideas come to mind too late to incorporate them into that edition—things I’d like to write better, concepts for new drawings or photos, and new scientific information from my reading. Thus, I keep a chapter-by-chapter revision plan and make note of these things as they arise. By the time edition X is published, I already have a substantial file of plans for edition X+1.