🧵 "It's not easy in these publishing streets" (Psst, most university presses aren't making much money either)

Dr. T. Flo (Trying to get back on two feet in 2026)@tnflorvil.bsky.social · 5h ago

Greetings, Psst, most academics aren't making much money from their book publications. They can't use their royalties. This means we are not popping our collars and purchasing prosecco or NA prosecco. The few scholars who are making bank are not publishing with university/academic presses.

Write a horror story for academic editors in five words: seeking peer reviewers in August

David Ho@davidho.bsky.social · yesterday

Write a horror story for academics in two words: It’s August.

geek out effed clap back queer studies transmissible spongiform encephalopathy (no but really I'm obsessed with prion diseases)

Merriam-Webster@merriam-webster.com · 5d ago

Find the 5 words from your birth year that perfectly describe YOUR vibe ⬇️ www.merriam-webster.com/time-traveler/

If you missed Tuesday's @historians.org webinar on Book Publishing 101, the recording is now available! @aupresses.bsky.social

Book Publishing 101: Acquisitions, Contracts, and Promotion for Historians – AHA

Book Publishing 101: Acquisitions, Contracts, and Promotion for Historians AHAOnline Tuesday, July 28, 12–1 p.m. ET You’ve written a dissertation or drafted a new manuscript and are in talks to publis...

historians.org

American Historical Association@historians.org · 3w ago

You've finished the manuscript. Now what? Join our AHA Online webinar on July 28 at 12 p.m. ET exploring the nuts and bolts of book publishing, from acquisitions and contracts to marketing. With Mike Baccam, Levi Stahl, and Elizabeth Townsend Gard. Register now.

Like many of you, we are saddened by the news that NCTE has de-chartered #CCCC. USUP stands in solidarity with comp/rhet scholars seeking to maintain a vibrant research community and looks forward to continuing to support #writingstudies & #teamrhetoric through our publications.

We released the metadata for a forthcoming book and MINUTES later the author was getting the scam emails. I don't know how but someone smart needs to fix this problem.

Joshua Barsczewski@joshuabarsczewski.bsky.social · 7d ago

Apparently if you publish a book, you’re doomed to get fake AI-written invitations to be part of book clubs for the rest of your life. today’s invite came from “God’s Will Book Club.” Exactly my brand

Petition to end 8:30AM panels at conferences (just got assigned one 😭)

the dopamine hit of getting to tell your partner (who always does the crossword faster than you) that they misused a word (harbinger) 🤓

Cosign this 100%. I'd always rather a peer reviewer back out than ghost me. The first means we can still work together in future. And though I'd totally forgive a ghoster, they tend to feel like they have to avoid me forever which seems stressful because, um, academia is small.

Ideas on Fire@ideasonfirephd.bsky.social · last wk.

If the bustle of the upcoming academic year is already looming in the back of your mind, it may be time to ponder whether you’re overcommitted. But how do you gracefully bow out from a request you’ve already agreed to? Here are tips. ideasonfire.net/backing-out-... #AcademicLife

This and Darth Vader Agamemnon

EMILY WILSON@emilyrcwilson.bsky.social · last wk.

9. By far my favorite thing in the film is Robert Pattinson's hilarious and sexy Antinous. If anyone ever wants to make a spin off TV series with Antinous risen from the dead to mess with other mythical households, I would be so there for it.

Does IMAX make anyone else a tad queasy? Off to go see the Odyssey in 35mm come at me film purists.

Hey folks: even if you aren't involved, consider signing this petition in solidarity with your fellow academics? Interdisciplinary translation: this is like if they canceled APSA for political scientists, AMS for musicologists, AHA for historians, MLA for lit studies, etc. etc.

Chaucer Doth Tweet@levostregc.bsky.social · 2w ago

Important petition re CCCC "If you are currently a CCCC member, we ask that you commit to cancelling your NCTE membership should these changes be made." Petition: "Join us in calling on the NCTE to halt any actions leading to the dissolution of the CCCC member group." www.change.org/p/halt-disso...

NCTE: We look forward to continuing to involve the composition, rhetoric, and writing communities as we move forward. The Entire CCCC Membership: new Cs who dis

Sea(n) Otter 🦦@seemtoggle.bsky.social · 2w ago

There it is. #CCCC #NCTE

And! Peer reviews can move from press to press. If your reviews are encouraging but you get a reject, most of the time the editor is more than happy to share the non-anonymized reviews with another press to help you out. Policies vary but it might even save the new press a step. Just ask!

Rebecca Colesworthy@rcolesworthy.bsky.social · 2w ago

Sometimes Mss. are rejected by one press & are later published by another press. It happens & it's worth acknowledging--openly and loudly. The process can be long and that duration needs to be accounted for. But press processes, editors, and assessments vary. It's not a straightforward Q of "merit."

jump scare (this entire manuscript is in 14pt font)

If you haven't had a chance to write the NCTE EC members, it's not too late. They are meeting today, and the more they hear from us about how important CCCC is to us, the better! These emails are all publicly available. Be focused and respectful.

Officially sent my letter to NCTE re #CCCC. Other Cs publishers/exhibitors: there's still time to send a similar note if you haven't already! @wwnorton.com @upittpress.bsky.social @broadviewpress.bsky.social @cupress.bsky.social @parlorpress.bsky.social

Someone get me in a room with MacKenzie Scott’s folks and I’ll deliver my impassioned / well-constructed argument that it’s a moral imperative that she give $20 million to a new distributor specifically for nonprofit and small presses in order to offset her ex’s dismantling of the book industry.

This #CCCC "culture" thing has me in a tizzy. I'm just one academic editor but regardless of all that's going on re. various scholarly associations, depts & grants, I'll just say that I'll not be backing down on publishing well-researched DEIJ-related content. I got your back.

The University Press of Colorado / Utah State University Press wholeheartedly supports #CCCC and our #writingstudies and #teamrhetoric scholars in their endeavor to maintain this important association for the field.

Dan Libertz@dlib24.bsky.social · 2w ago

From Kathleen Blake Yancey with clearest info about possible actions: docs.google.com/document/d/1...

Apparently there's still time to contact the NCTE executive committee before they have the final vote on #CCCC! Antero Garcia antero.garcia@stanford.edu Detra Price price.151@osu.edu Jamal A. Cooks jcooks@chabotcollege.edu Tonya B. Perry tperry@miles.edu Jonathan Bush jonathan.bush@wmich.edu

CCCC Kathleen Blake yancey

About CCCC. ****Please share widely.**** It is my understanding that the full NCTE Executive Committee has NOT voted to dissolve CCCC. It is my understanding that the NCTE Executive Committee is meet...

docs.google.com

Michelle Chen@michellechn.bsky.social · 2w ago

Guys. This SUCKS. I'm relatively new to #CCCC but it very quickly became one of my favorite conferences. Whatever happens though, I know you #teamrhetoric scholars will keep up the important advocacy and social justice work in the field. nolite te bastardes carborundorum

From Kathleen Blake Yancey with clearest info about possible actions: docs.google.com/document/d/1...

CCCC Kathleen Blake yancey

About CCCC. ****Please share widely.**** It is my understanding that the full NCTE Executive Committee has NOT voted to dissolve CCCC. It is my understanding that the NCTE Executive Committee is meet...

docs.google.com

Dan Libertz@dlib24.bsky.social · 2w ago

I still can’t totally understand this. They can just…eliminate us in the middle of summer without any deliberation? This reeks of cowardice. They acted fast bc they feel threatened

Guys. This SUCKS. I'm relatively new to #CCCC but it very quickly became one of my favorite conferences. Whatever happens though, I know you #teamrhetoric scholars will keep up the important advocacy and social justice work in the field. nolite te bastardes carborundorum

Donnie Johnson Sackey@donniejsackey.bsky.social · 2w ago

A couple hours ago, I woke up to messages about CCCC being dissolved and absorbed into NCTE's College Section. I don't know what this means for the 2027 conference, but I do know it'll be different, if it's held at all.

Just got the cover design for an edited collection I have coming out this fall w/ @upcolorado.bsky.social! If you’re interested in how space and place shape university campuses and communities (esp w/r/t rhetoric & writing programs), hope you’ll check in out! And not *just* bc of the cool cover.

I joke, but I actually love explaining permissions to my authors. That said, for the love of god, cut some of your epigraphs people! #amediting

Citations are the backbone of academic discourse. Us university presses take #citation practices very seriously, so next time you are deciding what to read, you know where to find us! #ReadUP #bibliography #nonfiction #peerreview

This. Hand selling books is an actual professional skill developed by (many times) years of experience. It's hard (I worked at a bookstore and never got very good at it tbh). What you're getting at a bookstore is actual human expertise in lieu of an Amazon algorithm. Respect that labor.

Mo Daviau@modaviau.bsky.social · 2w ago

I don't know who needs to hear this in 2026, (okay, I do) but if a bookseller provides you with MANY RECOMMENDATIONS and you say to that bookseller, "I'll just order it on Amazon," you are STEALING LABOR in addition to being rude. You should have told me beforehand so I could blow you off.

Hey. Does your publisher have a no-AI in peer review policy? Because we do (and they should):

Speaking from a small press, this settlement could be a huge windfall for us, driving home the point that a *relatively* modest sum of money can make a massive difference to your local university press. So if there are any Mackenzie Scotts out there reading this, hi, UPs accept donations.

Courtney Milan@courtneymilan.com · 2w ago

Hey, the court just gave final approval to the settlement in Bartz v. Anthropic. I'm reading through the order right now. www.courtlistener.com/docket/69058...

You've finished the manuscript. Now what? Join our AHA Online webinar on July 28 at 12 p.m. ET exploring the nuts and bolts of book publishing, from acquisitions and contracts to marketing. With Mike Baccam, Levi Stahl, and Elizabeth Townsend Gard. Register now.

Book Publishing 101: Acquisitions, Contracts, and Promotion for Historians – AHA

Book Publishing 101: Acquisitions, Contracts, and Promotion for Historians AHAOnline Tuesday, July 28, 12–1 p.m. ET You’ve written a dissertation or drafted a new manuscript and are in talks to publis...

historians.org