Writing Local History Today

A Guide to Researching, Publishing, and Marketing Your Book

Thomas A. Mason, J. Kent Calder

• Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers
• Year: 2024
• eBook ISBN: 9781538182635
• Edition: 2
• Topic: Education
• Subtopic: Museum Administration

Writing Local History Today guides local historians through the process of researching, writing, and publishing their work. Thomas A. Mason and J. Kent Calder present step-by-step advice to guide aspiring authors to a successful publication and focus not only on how to write well but also how to market and sell their work. Highlights include:
Discussion of how to identify an audience for your writing projectTips for effective research and planningSample documents, such as contracts and requests for proposalsTips and guidance for working with publishersDiscussion of how to use social media to leverage your publicationDiscussion of the benefits and drawbacks to self-publishingThe second edition updates literature, databases, and websites in the fieldThis guide is useful for first-time authors who need help with this sometimes-daunting process, or for previously published historians who need a quick reference or timely tips.

Table of contents

• Acknowledgments
• Introduction
• 1 Readers: Who Is Your Audience?
• 2 Evidence: Where Do You Find It? How Do You Use It?
• 3 Communication: How Do You Shape a Specialized Subject for a Nonspecialist Audience?
• 4 Economics, Design, and Production: How Do You Produce and Market a Book That People Will Pay For?
• Appendix 1: Sample Author’s Guidelines
• Appendix 2: Sample Contract for an Article
• Appendix 3: Sample Book Contract
• Appendix 4: Sample Contract with a Photographer
• Appendix 5: Sample Request for Proposal for Typesetting and Printing a Journal
• Appendix 6: Sample Request for Proposals for Writing a Book
• Appendix 7: Sample Request for Proposals for Publishing a Book
• Appendix 8: Permission Request (Image)
• Appendix 9: Permission Request (Text)
• Appendix 10: Interview Release Form
• Appendix 11: Contributor Agreement
• Appendix 12: Marketing Questionnaire
• Glossary
• Bibliography
• About the Authors