University Presses: The (Crossover) Book Report
Scholarly presses were a modest presence at Book Expo America, the annual trade show for the publishing industry, which wrapped up its business on Sunday afternoon after three days in New York City.
More than 2,000 companies had booths in the exhibit halls. Only a few dozen were sponsored by university presses or commercial houses specializing in academic titles. Corporate publishers often showed their wares in miniature pavilions – impressive command centers, staffed by a dozen or more people, with large piles of free books and promotional knickknacks for visitors. By contrast, scholarly presses offered catalogs and the occasional bowl of tiny candy bars. None of the publicists were dressed as life-sized cartoon characters.
Despite differences in budget and scale, however, they shared something in common with other publishers working the floor at the Javits Convention Center. A few days of intensive, informal meetings can affect the business publishers do for months to come – indirectly shaping how millions of readers hear about new books.
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Naturally Book Expo is when academic imprints push their potential “crossover†books: the titles they hope will appeal to a wider audience than the niche that exists for most monographs.
Source: Inside Higher Ed