By Andrew Berzanskis, Jane Bunker, and Rebecca Colesworthy
Published in Inside Higher Ed in March 2023.
When asked what surprised her most about publishing after a summer spent working as an intern at one of our presses, a history graduate student replied, “In graduate school, we focus on tearing books apart. But I was impressed by how much you do in publishing to build up a book.”
Whether or not it reflects a common experience of graduate school, this observation speaks to the labor and expertise that goes into the creation of a university press book. Building up books—strengthening their contributions and helping them reach readers, shape debates, and inform the broader public—is central to the overarching mission of university presses and at the heart of peer review.
Continue reading in Inside Higher Ed.
This piece highlights recent revisions to the AUPresses Best Practices for Peer Review of Scholarly Books.
Andrew Berzanskis is editorial director of the University of Oklahoma Press and chairs the Association of University Presses’ acquisitions editorial committee. Jane Bunker is director of Cornell University Press and is the Association of University Presses’ president-elect. Rebecca Colesworthy is senior acquisitions editor at SUNY Press.