The University of Nevada Press

Where can you find books on topics that run the gamut from poetry and fiction, humanities and social sciences, and science and technology? No it’s not Barnes and Noble – it’s the University of Nevada Press. The Press team works hard to promote literacy in the state by publishing books that reach a diverse audience while contributing to the educational goals set forth by Nevada’s institutions of higher education. “Our mission is integral to the educational process. We disseminate research and creative thinking to the wider world,” says Director Joanne O’Hare. The team at the Press is responsible for the books production as well as acquiring the manuscripts and marketing the finished products.

Gary Hausladen, a geography professor at UNR, has always been interested in film and literature. His interest in western film eventually led to the idea to create a book about the American West. His idea was to edit an anthology that would include essays, photographs, maps, and stories related to that topic. He knew it would take a lot of time and effort on his part, but he was determined to see to it that the project was completed. His quest to find potential authors began with a speaker series that was open to the public. In addition to this, Hausladen, with advice and input from colleagues at UNR, began making phone calls to recruit more authors.

Acquisitions editors at the Press work in much the same way that Hausladen did. They can’t always wait for writers to come to them so they spend a lot of their time visiting the higher education institutions and attending conferences on various topics to find potential authors says O’Hare. Of course, even if the Press recruits an author that doesn’t necessarily mean that it’s a done deal. O’Hare points out that all manuscripts have to be approved by the Editorial Board.

Before going to the editorial board, however, the book begins its journey with an extensive review process beginning with the submission of a manuscript proposal. This proposal lets the Press team know what the book is about and who the intended audience is. About one year after his initial idea was hatched, Hausladen was ready to submit his proposal. According to the Press guidelines, this proposal must include a sample of the book consisting of a chapter, short story, or collection of poems. Hausladen went a little further than that by including an outline of the book, description of each chapter, two sample chapters, and descriptions of various maps and photos. All of his hard work was well worth it as the Press was interested in pursuing his idea.

Hausladen was invited to submit his full manuscript. From there, the review process began. The first stop for Hausladen’s work was the Press’ in-house editor. O’Hare says these editors look for well-written manuscripts that have a potentially good market. “We also look for books on a subject that has a history of performing well and we talk to scholars in that field,” says O’Hare. With approval from the first editor, Hausladen’s manuscript was next reviewed by two outside scholars with expertise in that particular subject area. In Hausladen’s case, one of these two reviews was not exactly positive. While this created a real stumbling block for Hausladen, the Press believed so much in the project that they made the decision to send it to a third reviewer. “A positive third review meant the manuscript was strong enough to present to the editorial board,” says Hausladen.

This third and final stop during the review process is the most important of all. Consisting of eight individuals from the NSHE campuses and the Desert Research Institute, this board decides what manuscripts are worthy enough for the Press to pursue. According to O’Hare, each manuscript must go through so much review to ensure that they are suitable to present to the board. “Because I had to respond to all the comments made from the reviews and contact all of the other authors, it probably took another year before the manuscript went to the editorial board,” says Hausladen. He was able to begin contract negotiations once his project was approved by the board.

Just as the Press team chooses which manuscripts they want to publish, the authors must also choose what to include in their final product. As the time for production grew closer, Hausladen learned that this was not an easy task. “I sat down with Joanne O’Hare, who at the time was the editor-in-chief, and we selected all the graphics and photos together that we thought would be visually stimulating,” says Hausladen. “We ended up taking out several photos.” His final manuscript consisted of 12 authors, including himself, and hundreds of graphics and photos. With all of the necessary corrections and changes made, the manuscript moved on to the production department.

More thought goes into the design of a book than most people realize. “There are so many elements to consider. It really is like working on a puzzle because there are so many pieces,” says design and production manager Carrie House. For example, depending on the type of book she is working on, she has to consider the thickness and color of paper, print style and size, line length, and page size. While the production team invites input from the authors, it is not always forthcoming. “Sometimes the author doesn’t have any ideas for the cover of the book. In that case, we have to sit down with the marketing department to decide on the appropriate cover,” says House. She explains that, because the cover is such an important marketing tool for the book, they look to the marketing department for guidance. In some cases, ideas are generated from outside designers. “If designs are sent in and we can’t choose one, I post them and the entire staff gets a chance to make comments,” House says.

Once the cover has been selected, the next step in production is the actual printing of the book. The printing is done by outside printers who have contracts with the Press. Disks are sent to these printers who turn them into proofs. Once the proofs have been approved, a print date is scheduled. According to House, the number of copies printed varies for every book. Typically, between 750 and 1500 books are printed in the first year of its release.

Even before the production phase is complete, the marketing department begins efforts to promote the book. The new title appears in the Press catalog, which is released twice a year, so that retailers, libraries, schools, and the general public can place orders for it. Each catalog features about 13 new books. A questionnaire is also used to generate ideas from the author regarding book promotion. This questionnaire supplies information to be used in press kits, brochures, catalogs, fliers, and book jackets. Launch meetings are another technique used to brainstorm marketing strategies. Marketing Manager Chris Campbell says that, although the focus is on marketing, these meetings are a way for the entire team to come together to discuss other aspects of the book. “We talk about special strategies that we can use to reach our audience,” says Campbell. In addition, bound copies are sent to newspaper and magazine reviewers for early review. Hausladen was ecstatic about a very positive review for his book appeared in the Los Angeles Times. “This is great for us because reviews for academic works are not too common in the L.A. Times,” says Hausladen, who credits Campbell for choosing to send the book there for review.

Even after the book is published, the marketing team continues efforts to promote it by organizing book signings at bookstores or interviews on local talk radio shows. Hausladen participated in one book signing event sponsored by the Press for his book. According to Campbell, book signings are an important promotional tool for works of fiction and poetry. “If people see the author or hear him read from his book, they are more likely to buy it. Nonfiction works are different because people buy those more for their subject matter,” she says.

Almost three years and countless hours of work, Hausladen saw his goal accomplished. The University of Nevada Press published “Western Places, American Myths” with chapters written by 9 geographers, 1 historian, and 1 photographer. “I chose eleven people who are very good writers,” says Hausladen. His book was recently awarded the 2003 Nevada Humanities award for best UN Press book.

Recently, Joanne O’Hare took her new position as press director. She says that every book published furthers the University of Nevada Press both locally and nationally and positively impacts the educational process. “I hope to build on the Press’s solid backlist of published works and draw on its excellent faculty from campuses statewide to continue this mission,” she says.

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