Scholarly or Popular?
Should I call it "scholarly" or "popular"? That is a question that
I encounter in searching for a publisher for my book City of
Ravens: How ravens came to
the Tower of London, why they stayed, and what they tell us
about nature and humankind. Academic presses have sometimes
told me that I should look for a trade publisher, while the trade
publishers tell me it is "too academic." Now, what I would like to
reply is, "It has the extensive documentation and careful argument
that is expected of a scholarly book, but it is written in the
accessible style of a popular one." That is what I think, but I am
not sure that either the academic or the popular ones will be
satisfied. Publishers so often seem to want us to slot our books
into neat divisions, and something in me resists that sort of
categorization.
How can we clarify the difference between scholarly and trade publications? And which, if either, way would be best to present the book? For whomever may be interested, I have put the proposal on my web site at:
http://www.boriasax.com/City%20of%20Ravens/BookProposal.dwt
Thanks in advance for any suggestions.
Boria
How can we clarify the difference between scholarly and trade publications? And which, if either, way would be best to present the book? For whomever may be interested, I have put the proposal on my web site at:
http://www.boriasax.com/City%20of%20Ravens/BookProposal.dwt
Thanks in advance for any suggestions.
Boria
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3 Comments
You need to make sure that your book satisfies the needs of at least one publisher. That also means understanding bookshops. Where will your book be shelved? I'd guess history would be the most natural choice, but yours is a very specialist subject and you need to make sure that a Waterstones for example would feel confident of being able to sell your work. Avoiding these issues is intellectually / artistically liberating ... but also not the best way to get into print!
Again, because we haven't read the MS, it's hard for us to advise in much more detail. But best of luck
H
"This book will appeal to the following audiences, in order of probable commercial importance:
1) The millions of tourists who visit the ravens at the Tower of London every year and would like to know more about them.
2) Scholars of folklore and human-animal relations, fields where the author has already published extensively and is well known.
3) Readers who are interested in the development of myth, whether on a scholarly or popular (i.e., New Age) level."
I also say that the book could be shelved under folklore, history, and animals. Since about the Tower Ravens are one of the most popular tourist attractions in Britain, and there is no previous book on them, this is something that should have wide appeal. The book is "specialist" only in the sense that it incorporates a lot of research, but it is not written for a narrow audience.
Again, for anyone who wants to have a look, I have placed the proposal on the web at
http://www.boriasax.com/City%20of%20Ravens/BookProposal.dwt.
B
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