Materials development in TESOL has been gaining popularity as a field of study for the last few decades. TESOL materials research as an area of inquiry includes studies focusing on textbook content (e.g., grammar, cultural representation, and authenticity), consumption (use/adaptation of materials by learners and teachers), and production (design…

This Instructors Perspectives' essay from Robert Blake initiates a discussion on publishing language textbooks. It is followed by responses from Annamaria Bellezza, Nikolaus Euba, and Mark Kaiser.

This article describes the self-publishing journey, challenges and methods of development, impact, the value of a self-published e-textbook in tenure decisions, and recommendations. This journey led to the self-publishing of an e-textbook for iPad® delivery at a Midwest university for a course on electronic distribution and hotel management in the…

This article reassesses the Fred Newton Scott and Joseph Villiers Denney collaborative textbook authorship by emphasizing Denney's generally overlooked contributions to that coauthorship and to the field of composition generally. Through an examination of Denney's scholarly work and his personal correspondence with Scott during the period marking…

Writing and publishing a textbook for the first time is an arduous process. Potential authors are provided information on things they should, and should not, do to insure a more successful experience in writing their first textbook. Authors are provided information on decisions to be made and actions to be taken at the various stages of…

A textbook author tells of her early struggle to become a textbook writer, the long journey and the many detours she took along the way to getting her first textbook published. Having identified early in her career that writing a textbook was her chosen way to have an impact on her field of organization theory, she encountered many obstacles to…

Defines developmental editing as more than copy editing but less than actually writing the book. Explains how a developmental editor can assist textbook authors in developing a book's structure and writing style. Discusses some aspects of a career as a developmental editor. (DDR)

Argues that every year countless college professors are financially and professionally damaged and deceived by editors offering textbook contracts. (MM)

Tells how two teachers who have authored a number of popular geography textbooks got started. Describes what they attempt to accomplish when they write a book and gives insight into the difficulties that teacher-authors may encounter. (JDH)

Examines the sociological mechanism which is driven by five audiences (students, instructors, peer/colleagues, publishers, and the individual's inner feelings/needs), which shapes the college textbooks that are adopted and used by today's science teaching community. (JN)

In order to obtain a publishing contract, an author must usually submit a prospectus of the text which includes a description of the proposed text, an annotated table of contents, and sample chapters. (JN)

Fullerton responds to the 16 textbook authors about her article on textbook publication, stating that textbook quality will improve if publishers and academics collaborate as partners rather than squaring off as adversaries. Emphasizes the need for sociology instructors to do more in introductory courses to draw students into the excitement of the…

Offers the author's own experiences with the textbook publishing process to point out that authors and publishers produce textbooks which sell, that textbooks which sell continue in print and inspire imitators, and that teachers' power in the process stems from their choices about which textbooks they will use. (JAD)

A university professor describes his experiences with publishing companies and editors as he wrote the undergraduate U.S. history survey textbook "These United States." (RM)

Examines the publishing process, following a book from concept to product. (HOD)