Scholarly Publishing

Publishing an academic book is a process somewhat shrouded in mystery, and it can be difficult to know where to begin. Some things to consider as you ponder your book and where to publish:

• look to your bookshelf: check out the publishers of books that have helped you in your work or are similar in focus or format to your idea
• ask your colleagues: your network is probably full of people who have either contributed to a book or know someone who has.
• look locally: consider a local press, especially if your work has a regional focus or your audience is local
• consider university presses: research publishing began within universities long before for-profit publishing and paywalls, and many universities are still at the forefront of academic book publishing.

see below for more specific advice >

Universities were the original publishers of research articles and monographs, and for many disciplines they remain the most prestigious monograph publishers. Consider the University presses around you regionally, those who have published books on your shelf, but also explore by focus using various society directories:

There is no single list of UND-authored books, however, with a little digging, you can uncover a surprising number of UND authors. Below is a short list to illustrate the breadth of books authored by folks at UND:

• Cynthia Prescott, Professor of History and Chair of the Department of History & American Indian Studies as well as Professor and Department Chair of Anthropology, recently published "Pioneer Mother Monuments: Constructing Cultural Memory" with the University of Oklahoma Press
• in 2021 Diana D’Amico Pawlewicz, an assistant professor, Education, Health & Behavior at UND, wrote “Blaming Teachers: Professionalization Policies and the Failure of Reform in American History,” published by Rutgers University Press.
• William Caraher, editor of the North Dakota Quarterly and Associate Professor, History & American Indian Studies, published "Bakken: An Archaeology of an Industrial Landscape" through the NDSU Press.
• Helene Weldt-Basson, Professor in Languages and Global Studies, published a text of literary criticism, to which others contributed, "Postmodern Parody in Latin American Literature: The Paradox of Ideological Construction and Deconstruction".  with the publisher Springer

Local publishers and presses abound! Consider a local press, especially if your work has a regional focus or your audience is local:

If it's important to you to make your work accessible, consider a publisher who offers open access publication. Many open access publishers also offer physical copies of books, too, so going open access does not have to mean saying goodbye to visions of your name on a book spine.

Resources and forums abound online with advice on getting your book published, academic or otherwsie. Here is a place to begin: