Why Academic Editors Should Read Getting It Published

On June 6, the academic editing book club will discuss the book Getting It Published, Third Edition: A Guide for Scholars and Anyone Else Serious about Serious Books, by William Germano. This book club is run by the Academic Editing Special Interest Group, a collaboration of Editors Canada and the Editorial Freelancers Association (EFA).

You might be asking yourself how a book published in 2016 can remain relevant. But there’s a reason that Getting It Published, Third Edition: A Guide for Scholars and Anyone Else Serious about Serious Books stays at the top of today’s recommended lists. It’s the reason any scholarly book ever gets published: It speaks to an audience seeking clear guidance about a vital subject. Author William Germano practises what he preaches. 

If you have only time for one chapter, read chapter 6, “What Editors Look For.” You’ll learn about the loan word Fingerspitzengefühl, literally “fingertips feeling,” and how the best editors try to prove they’ve got it.

Beginning a book

Germano says beginning a book takes “curiosity, ambition, and courage” (pg. 228). 

It also takes a copy of Getting It Published at your side, outlining exactly what editors are looking for in your book proposal. 

Throughout the book, Germano shows you the vantage point of the reviewer and publisher. He then writes from both sides of the pencil, deftly switching his point of view from writer to editor. But instead of leaving your head spinning, he shows you how all parts of the whole work together to serve a unified purpose, informing and encouraging your reader.

The nuts and bolts that every academic writer needs are included here. He speaks to contracts, collections, anthologies, quotations, pictures and strategies for handling digital manuscript headaches. 

Finishing a book

Finishing a book requires the strength to say “when.” To stop you from falling into a trap of endless revisions, Germano offers ways to check that your digital manuscript is complete and consistently formatted.

The afterword gives you a brief primer on promotion for books that may not be “big media fodder.” Germano helps you understand that, like you, your book has a “career,” and he shows you how you can help your book climb that ladder. 

Reflections

I found the concept of a book’s career very inspiring. It reminds me that anything I write, edit or publish can extend toward horizons even more distant than my own. 

Germano’s book has fundamentally changed the way I work. My topics are often technical and become outdated quickly. To keep relevant, I now try to structure my content so that the knowledge can survive intact, even if the implementation changes. 

Getting It Published ends by saying, “This book ends here. Now begin yours” (pg. 235). William Germano sends you off with a sense of purpose and a plan. In that spirit, I encourage you to think of your book’s career, and consider picking up this book. (If you’re interested in reading further, Germano’s latest book, Syllabus: The Remarkable, Unremarkable Document That Changes Everything, is also exemplary.)

Join the discussion

The academic editing book club will discuss Getting It Published: A Guide for Scholars and Anyone Else Serious about Serious Books on Friday, June 6, 2025, at 10 a.m. PT / 1 p.m. ET. Our host for the conversation will be Rudy Leon. You can RSVP here to receive the Zoom link. Use code UCPNEW for 30% off when you order the book online! 

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