UP Week 2020 – Part Two

On the CAP blog, we get to know our authors and our University Press colleagues; we find out how they write – and why – and what they most enjoy about publishing. For University Press Week, we’ve collected their reasons for why they love University Presses – what makes them so important?

Read part one here

“What I love about the University of Illinois Press specifically is the opportunity to help authors reach a larger audience.  Most of the authors we publish are not known to the general public, so seeing an author’s book reviewed in widely read publications like the Wall Street Journal and New York Times or helping the author become a recognized expert in their field is genuinely exciting.” – Michael Roux, Marketing and Sales Manager, University of Illinois Press

“I had published my previous book, Sensational Flesh: Race, Power, and Masochism (NYU Press, 2014) with a university press and I felt like this book was a continuation of where the previous book left off. I also was happy with where the previous book had ended up circulating and, as such, it made the most sense to continue with a university press.” – Amber Musser, Sensual Excess, New York University Press

“I’m reminded that we’re pretty lucky to do what we do here at CUP. We take the thoughts, ideas, and words of authors throughout the world, craft them into a book, and then spread that knowledge far and wide. I’m fortunate to do something I love – book marketing – in the company of intelligent, talented, and surprising people in Sage House, and far beyond, every day.” – Martyn Beeny, Marketing and Sales Director, Cornell University Press

University presses have the enormous advantage of having a clear publishing mission: to advance knowledge, particularly scholarly knowledge. Although this mission can be difficult to maintain in the face of “bottom line” priorities, university presses’ commitment to it is of the highest value to the academic community. Thus, work like this collection, which might not appeal to a mass audience, has the opportunity to be circulated among the students, teachers, and researchers who are concerned with these issues, as well as others in the general public. Moreover, some university presses also have a commitment to publishing on contemporary politics dynamics, enabling timely reflection on current conditions. In the case of Duke University Press, both things seemed to be at work. I am very grateful for the work of acquisition editor Gisela Fosado and the Duke team in bringing this project to fruition!” – Elisabeth Jay Friedman, Seeking Rights from the Left, Duke University Press

“I love that working for a university press means that every day I am producing work that matters and is important to others. Particularly because I work in marketing, I find it gratifying to know that my efforts will help place the latest scholarship into the hands of the individuals who need it most.” – Julie Fergus, University of Washington Press

“Books have always been a cornerstone of my life and identity. And now I get paid to talk about them all day! I always set out to work in publishing and feel so lucky to have found work I am passionate about in my preferred industry right in my hometown. We publish incredible books at UIP and I love trying to help them find their audience. I also love working with my marketing department colleagues! We have a really supportive team and collaborate and communicate constantly which is so valuable in a work environment.”– Heather Gernenz, Publicity Manager University of Illinois Press

Read part one here

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Find out more about University Press Week here.

Our 2020 book highlights