Between the Lines Publisher Ponders Future of Environment Books For the latest installment of Between the Lines, an author Q


& A, SEJournal book editor Tom Henry digressed from the writer’s point of view and sought out advice from a publishing company that specializes in energy and environment books. Founded in 1984, Is- land Press is a nonprofit that has published books by E.O. Wilson, Paul Ehrlich, Sylvia Earle and many other well-known writers. David Miller, Island Press senior vice president and publisher, gave us his thoughts. SEJournal: Island Press obviously has a focus on books about


nature, energy and the environment. But in what other ways does it distinguish itself from other publishing firms?


David Miller: Island Press often gets thought of as being somewhat narrower in scope than we in fact are. Today, envi- ronmental issues touch pretty much every aspect of our social and personal lives — not just the natural world. They affect our cities, health, economics [and] politics; that is, nearly every aspect of our lives. For example, issues around social justice and equality have become critical factors in the way we look to build a more sus- tainable society and repair the environ- mental damage we’ve already done. Island Press looks to be equally broad in the way we develop our role as a publisher in an increasingly digital world. We see an opportunity to think differently, as we are doing with innovative efforts like our Urban Resilience Project, which works with authors (and many thought leaders who aren’t our authors) to develop articles and opinion pieces that promote a broader vision for what a resilient city should be. Our partnership marketing ef- forts promote our authors and their books


proposals should begin with an overview that describes not the book you want to write, but the ideas that inform your book and why they are important, distinctive or newsworthy. Focus on what- ever will make your book stand out in the world of ideas. Next, you need a descriptive table of contents, the length of which can vary. Narrative books, for example, often have more comprehensive chapter descriptions to show off narrative skills. Most of all, you want the table of contents that demonstrates how you’re going to take the ideas in the overview and develop them in a book.


David Miller, senior vice president & publisher of Island Press Photo courtesy of Island Press


through a network of nearly 100 regional and national environmen- tal organizations.


Of course, publishing books remains at the core of what we do and thoughtful editing and imaginative marketing and selling are still vitally important. Our size and focus allows us to do both while forming much closer relationships with our authors than larger pub- lishers often do. We understand the issues that matter to our market, and we share our authors’ commitment to making a difference. We believe that an effective partnership with authors is the best way to do so.


SEJournal: Let’s say you’re an SEJ member who wants to put together his or her first book proposal. How long should it be, how much specific detail about each chapter should be included, etc.? In other words, what are the elements of a winning book proposal? Miller: I’ve seen great proposals that are seven pages long and I’ve seen great proposals that are 70 pages long. As a general rule,


Finally, you need to tell us about your- self, why you’re the right person to write this book, what you can do to promote your ideas and your thoughts on how the book fits into the market. In this respect, it’s often as important to present compa- rable books as competitive books, since that is a great way to indicate just who is likely to want to read your book. As much as possible, especially in nar- rative nonfiction, your proposal should take us directly into the book, as though we’re reading it. I recommend getting a copy of “Thinking Like Your Editor: How to Write Great Serious Nonfiction and Get It Published” by Susan Rabiner and Al- fred Fortunato (W.W. Norton & Co., Inc.). It is the best guide I’ve seen on thinking about the book you want to write and how to write an effective proposal for it. SEJournal: Gaze into your crystal ball. Where do you see the market for environ- mental-energy books headed? Miller:We no longer need to convince many people that renewable sources of energy are both here and they represent the future even in a time of cheap fossil


fuels. Increasingly, readers will be looking for books that describe how our existing energy infrastructure needs to adapt to best take advantage of these new technologies, the models that the energy industry needs to adopt, and the economic and regulatory policies that will enable it all. And there will always be a need for books that tell the stories of those who are innovating successfully in the field.


SEJournal: What should writers know about the publishing industry today as opposed to five years ago and what should they expect in the next five years, from publisher preferences to mar- keting strategy? Miller: Publishing, like all other media industries, has been greatly challenged by the transition to an increasingly digital world. Despite what you sometimes read, it is adapting and it’s weathering the storm reasonably well. Today, an author is likely to see Amazon Continued on page 25


20 SEJournal Spring 2016


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