How I found my publisher for ‘Minor Keys’

I didn’t want to write Minor Keys as a traditional academic book, despite being a Professor. I wanted ordinary people to read it – I wanted to be free from academic convention, in-text citations and that dense ‘clever’ language that most people would struggle to follow.  I wanted people to enjoy reading my book – read it for fun even! – and importantly I wanted them to be able to afford to buy it in the first place. The trouble was that I didn’t have much of an idea how to make this happen. My previous work had all been for an academic audience – journal articles and books published with academic presses charging high prices, or who keep materials behind their paywalls, but the nonfiction trade presses seemed to deal exclusively with agents and require a full manuscript before they’d consider you. I was way too impatient for that, and I felt stuck. How could I get my book out there to the people I wanted to reach?

In the summer of 2022, I could feel the research phase of my project coming to a close. It was time to write, but how would that writing make its way into the world? I was pondering my dilemma while I ambled down the stairs to get some coffee at an academic conference I was at. I peered over the edge of the staircase. The hall below was noisy and bustling, bright and full of delegates milling around networking, high on the ‘holiday feel’ of the first proper academic jolly post-Covid. Through the sea of heads I noticed a floor with tables full of books that I’d not seen before, another level down below the coffee stations. Ah, the publishers’ stands, with their reps hoping to sell titles, and snag new authors to write them. They looked like dolls house miniatures from up here! The coffee lines were long so I carried on down to take a look.

Academic publishers sign books on the strength of a proposal, which makes them a good choice if your project is still at the idea stage, as mine was. The editor will work with you to develop a proposal that the commissioning board is likely to accept, which is another great reason to choose an academic press if that suits your project. But academic research monographs (that’s research-led books to you and me) often retail at a high price because the chances of them becoming bestsellers are slim, and the publisher still needs to recoup costs and make a profit. I stepped down among the stands and idly flipped a few covers as I browsed. New books are always exciting to me and these travelling bookshops are always a high point of attending a conference, if only for the smell of new pages, and the free pens.

 “Oh, no, I’m not looking for an academic publisher” I told the rep who approached me to ask if I had any writing plans. “But, thanks anyway!” She smiled and handed me a few paperbacks from her table. “I want to write a book for ordinary people that doesn’t cost a fortune.” I explained, somewhat arrogantly as I took them from her.

“Like these?” she asked. The books were slim and glossy with funky cover designs and interesting titles and flipping over to the back jacket of one I was delighted to see it retailed at £18.99. It was exactly the sort of thing I was looking for.

“Oh!” I said “Yeah… I guess so!”

“Sounds like you want to write a cross-over book to me. We love those here.” She held out her hand – still a novelty in post-covid times. “ I’m Bahar, and we’re Bristol University Press”

“OK” I said,  “I’m listening. Could we set up a call with an editor please?”

The butterflies began to flutter at the base of my spine.

My experience of writing with Bristol University Press (BUP) has been joyous. From my very first conversation with Paul Stevens (the editor I was assigned) to delivering the book into the copy-editing stage they have been a perfect fit for me, and my book ‘Minor Keys’. The experience has shown me that not all academic publishers are created equal – especially those that are part-funded by universities or other scholarly institutions, where commercial pressures are eased a little, as the following quote from Paul Stevens’ website at BUP shows:

I enjoy working closely with my authors to help shape their ideas and ensure that the books realise their full potential. It’s a privilege to be able to do this at a press which values quality over quantity, and that’s unafraid to try some different things along the way. We also welcome proposals for trade titles that are written for general readers.

But had I not stumbled across them at the conference, maybe I wouldn’t have found them! So coffee-break serendipity aside, how can you get started on deciding who to approach to nurture and release your book with you? If you’re in need of guidance on how to start or just curious to know more, Watch out for the follow-up to this story where I explain publishing options for research-led writers in more depth.