By Andrew Malvern, Senior Commissioning Editor for Politics and International Relations, SAGE Publishing

The best textbooks teach and inspire generations of students, enable faculty to strengthen their courses, and, yes, sell thousands of copies each year. But there’s a real knack to writing successful, blockbuster texts, and working in partnership with an Editor for your book project can help ensure your ideas reach their full potential. Here I offer an insight into the role of the higher education textbook Editor and how to get the most out of your author–publisher relationship, from my experience building a new community of textbook authors at SAGE.  

So, how do Editors work to support textbook authors? 

Your Editor knows your discipline’s degree programmes and the market inside-out.

Rarely do proposals land on our desk. Instead, textbook Editors travel to universities and attend conferences around the world to get truly immersed in their discipline. Building this knowledge involves establishing a large and supportive network of academics in the field, affording a uniquely broad overview of a discipline. From conducting desk and market research to our discussions with students and teachers, we really get to know the market and understand not just how the discipline’s always been taught, but what’s new and exciting. This helps us to judge the right balance for new textbooks: I’m looking for an approach that’s bold and tailor-made to meet today’s courses and students’ needs; spotlighting latest developments while also introducing the foundations.  

At SAGE, we see our textbooks supporting a broader social science mission. Rather than dry, descriptive, need-to-know guides, they offer students transferable skills for whatever they do next. These textbooks are set up to have a real impact on how students see and approach the world, and to become engaged citizens. As textbook Editors we’re always learning in support of this mission – forever tapped into the latest content, the art and science of good pedagogy, and keeping up to date with market needs.  

We collaborate closely with authors to develop a proposal together.

I’m always on the lookout for new author voices: module leaders who are teaching against the grain and whose innovative ideas I can help to achieve their full potential. Rather than innovating for innovation’s sake, we support authors who will spearhead a new teaching method that addresses real student needs and sparks excitement in the market.  The crucial question is always: do we really need another book in this area?   

While working on a proposal, an Editor is your best friend. Editors want your book to succeed and will work closely with you to shape your ideas into a proposal that will excite. Editors have a firm grasp of their markets, so can ensure your proposal is explicit in meeting market needs, and oftentimes are best placed to know who will offer the most helpful and constructive external peer reviews. All the while, your Editor is building up enthusiasm (and a strong business case) among key internal stakeholders to secure approval for your text.  

Post-contract, your Editor is on hand throughout with support as you write.

With a good author–Editor relationship, textbooks are fun projects to work on – the writing process is creative as chapters must inspire and excite as much as educate new students.  Editors are always on hand to offer whatever you need: whether that’s to act as your sounding board as first reader; to offer a motivational coffee chat or video call; or to have a red pen in hand for a hands-on edit to your chapters.  

Editors will advise on the subjects, examples, and concepts to include or exclude; solicit helpful external reviews from subject experts; and advise on textbook features. They will also help you to think creatively about how to support students, whether it’s through developing multimedia resources and digital content such as bespoke video, or involving students in the development of the text itself.  

Editors are but one of a large publishing team.

Marketing, Design, Digital, Development, Publicity, Sales, and Production all work collaboratively to support your book from proposal to post-publication; it is only down to this combined expertise that new books launch with real success. And it’s the Editorial Assistant who coordinates this effort. Whether it’s writing back cover copy, advising on draft chapters, approaching (and remunerating) external peer reviewers, compiling online resources, or working with Production and Design on cover and page designs, Editorial Assistants are the cornerstone of your book’s success. Throughout, our Sales and Marketing teams build extensive networks with teachers around the world, understanding their and their students’ needs and supporting faculty to access the most suitable resources.  

Investing for the future.

Authors and publishers embark on strong, supportive, and valuable relationships which span years, if not decades. One of the most rewarding parts of developing such long-term relationships is seeing the prestige of an author grow and grow in parallel to their new textbook really taking off. This is part of a publisher’s longer-term commitment. 

At SAGE, we’re committed to investing in new ideas that we think will resonate and bring about real changes in how disciplines are taught, ensuring they achieve a truly global reach. We see the transformative power a book has in reaching many students and that’s not to be underestimated. We all remember that textbook that really shifted our outlook and made a difference.  

If you have an idea for a new text that offers an exciting new way of teaching, if you struggle to find a high-quality teaching text in your area, or if you have a particular problem that’s poorly served by existing textbooks, there’s an Editor out there who would love to work with you. Please do get in touch to explore the ways to reach thousands of students worldwide with your new idea.