I talked to a book rep about this once after none of my suggestions were incorporated into a methods text, and she told me that there are two stages to the review process: one while the book is being (re)-written, and the other while deciding how to market the book, and that my review was probably one of the latter.
Marty Bourgeois University of Wyoming -----Original Message----- From: Jeff Nevid [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Monday, June 23, 2003 12:01 PM To: Teaching in the Psychological Sciences Subject: Re: Chronicle article - Selling Out: a Textbook Example Hi All: This is apropos as I'm sitting here waiting for the fifth and final review to arrive of a new edition of one of my textbooks. I can assure you that as an author I carefully go through every review and make changes to strengthen the manuscript based on this feedback. It would be foolish and self-defeating not to incorporate suggestions from instructors who are using the book or may do so in the future. Not every comment is a gem, but most are well thought through and constructive. My only gripe is when reviewers insist on including everything under the sun and then complain about the length of the text. I can also assure you that the publishers I work with place great value on reviewer feedback. Jeff Nevid ---- Original Message ----- From: "Patricia Keith-Spiegel" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: "Teaching in the Psychological Sciences" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Monday, June 23, 2003 1:16 PM Subject: RE: Chronicle article - Selling Out: a Textbook Example > I used David Myer's intro text through several > editions (which must have involved several thousand > copies sold, what with the huge class sizes) and, at > one point, was asked to review the next edition. The > fee? As I recall it was about $300, or about what I > would have earned selling lemonade in front of my > house (if one figures in the hours). I think most > reviewers accept assignments because of an interest in > reading that particular manuscript. I like to hope > that most publishers get reviews to help the author > create the best possible book that will attract > adopters who have critically reviewed their options. > > Patricia Keith-Spiegel, PhD > > > > --- "Wuensch, Karl L" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > I've always assumed that the major publishers use > > those reviews as a > > sort of advertisement. Bribe? Nah, not for just a > > few hundred dollars. I > > rarely write one of these reviews, only do so when I > > am already familiar > > with the book or the author, and I always send a > > copy of my review to the > > author -- I've had my suspicions that the author > > would never see the review > > if I did not do so. I have seen my reviews affect > > the final form of text > > books, but doubt they would if I did not correspond > > directly with the > > authors. > > > > ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ > > Karl L. Wuensch, Department of Psychology, > > East Carolina University, Greenville NC 27858-4353 > > Voice: 252-328-4102 Fax: 252-328-6283 > > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > http://core.ecu.edu/psyc/wuenschk/klw.htm > > > > > > -----Original Message----- > > From: ROBERT [EMAIL PROTECTED]@MATHSCIENCE > > [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] > > Sent: Monday, June 23, 2003 11:27 AM > > To: Teaching in the Psychological Sciences > > Subject: RE: Chronicle article - Selling Out: a > > Textbook Example > > > > > > Very interesting and certainly food for thought and > > topics for discussion on > > a number of different levels. > > > > For those of you who have published text books, is > > the perception that > > reviews (obtained by a publisher) have little > > influence on the final product > > and/or on the revision process a true/realistic > > perception? > > > > Rob Flint > > ---------------------------- > > Robert W. Flint, Jr., Ph.D. > > Assistant Professor of Psychology > > The College of Saint Rose > > > > > > > > --- > > You are currently subscribed to tips as: > > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > To unsubscribe send a blank email to > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > > --- > You are currently subscribed to tips as: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > To unsubscribe send a blank email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] > --- You are currently subscribed to tips as: [EMAIL PROTECTED] To unsubscribe send a blank email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] --- You are currently subscribed to tips as: [EMAIL PROTECTED] To unsubscribe send a blank email to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
