We appreciate your interest in becoming an author for American Tech. Our mission
is to publish instructional material that "minimizes barriers
to comprehension." This document is designed to help guide
you in the initial stages of the publishing process. Highlighted
text will allow you to navigate to additional information related
to the topic. Over the years, we have worked with many authors in
developing high-quality instructional material. It is our hope that
you will have success in your writing efforts. Please contact us
if we can be of any assistance.
Jonathan
F. Gosse, Ed.D.
Editor in Chief
At American Tech, authors come from many professional backgrounds
and possess a variety of professional expertise. However, there
is a common bond that links all American Tech authors - a commitment
to sharing knowledge with instructors and learners in the field.
Our authors are usually full-time professionals in addition to being
dedicated writers.
The rewards
of writing are many. The foremost benefit is the personal satisfaction
of helping learners in the field. Other rewards are more tangible,
including recognition in the profession and financial compensation.
These rewards are earned by those who have the commitment and discipline
required in writing.
The material
used to create a book can come from a variety of sources. Experience
in the field, teaching experience, instructional material created
for a specific program, and research activities can often be transformed
into a publication. On a small scale, the material becomes a magazine
article, presentation, or research paper. On a large scale, the
material becomes a book.
Over time, professionals
in the field develop a base of knowledge along with commonly used
reference material. Interaction with other professionals provides
additional opportunities to compile reference material. In an instructional
setting, a library of information begins to form after teaching
a class a few times. This information can be a part of instructional
material such as a course outline, program curriculum, topical handouts,
study guides, or worksheets. Over time, this information often becomes
the basis for high-quality instructional material. Sometimes the
best instructional material and expertise is never shared outside
this environment. Publishing offers the opportunity to share the
benefit of your expertise with others in the field.
There are many
publishers that develop instructional material. Each is unique and
offers particular opportunities to the author. Some publishers specialize
in a specific field. Others have subject area divisions with multiple
titles in a single field. At American Tech, we focus on technical
instructional material. This has not changed for over 100 years.
An author works closely with a publisher in a long-term relationship,
and the selection of a publisher should be based on careful consideration
of staff qualifications, reputation, and development and promotion
capabilities.
Staff Qualifications
The American
Tech editorial staff possesses a wealth of instructional material
development experience. Each staff member has unique qualities that
add to the collective capabilities of the Editorial Department.
Our technical editors have first-hand experience in industry and
instructional programs. Copy editors, illustrators, and support
staff have broad publishing and educational experience, which ensures
the quality and technical accuracy expected in the field. Our mission
in all of our products is to develop instructional materials that
"minimize barriers to comprehension." The editorial staff
is committed to this mission.
Reputation
American Technical
Publishers, Inc. has been helping people learn since 1898. The company
continues this tradition with a rich heritage and dedicated employee-owners.
It was founded in Boston, Massachusetts, in 1898 by R.T. Miller,
Jr. as the American Technical Society. The American Technical Society
was established to publish learning materials for use with the correspondence
courses offered by the American School of Correspondence. This material
evolved into numerous publications that addressed the instructional
needs of the country through early industrial growth, two world
wars, and the technological revolution. In 1980, the employees of
the American Technical Society purchased the company and reorganized
it as American Technical Publishers, Inc., an employee owned company.
American Technical Publishers, Inc., American Tech as we are known
in the industry today, continues to provide quality technical instructional
material.
Development
and Promotion Capabilities
At American
Tech, products are developed and promoted through close interaction
between the authors, content experts, and the American Tech staff.
The product starts with quality information, and our authors and
editorial staff work together to transform this information into
a lasting instructional reference. While the product is developed,
promotion efforts are planned and implemented by the marketing staff.
Like the editorial staff, the marketing staff is comprised of knowledgeable
persons with extensive industry and instructional experience. When
you work with American Tech, you are part of a large team of professionals.
Now that we
have presented some of the considerations of selecting a particular
publisher, let's consider something that is common to all publishers:
the publishing process. The publishing process can be broadly grouped
into tasks of the author and tasks of the publisher. The principal
tasks of the author include the following:
- Identifying the product
- Preparing the proposal
- Authoring the manuscript
The principal
tasks of the publisher include the following:
- Editing the manuscript
- Producing the product
- Marketing the product
Identification
of the product often occurs as the result of an unmet need. For
example, an instructor teaching a class may not be able to locate
any reference texts with the content needed for a specific course.
In some cases, changes in technology, government legislation, and/or
workforce requirements drive the need to develop new instructional
material. Sharing your product ideas with a trusted colleague can
provide valuable insights. Answering the following questions can
also help refine your ideas for a product.
What products
are available which are similar in scope and content?
Is the topic common in professional books, magazines, and/or corporate
training material?
What is the intended audience for the product?
Has any publisher expressed interest in a similar product?
If your findings
indicate significant potential, a proposal should be prepared and
submitted to the publisher.
Preparing
the Proposal
A proposal is
information prepared by the author that allows the publisher to
make an informed decision regarding the feasibility of publishing
the work. The proposal includes information about the author and
a representative example of a complete manuscript. Submission of
a complete manuscript is not required in the proposal. If the proposal
is accepted, an agreement is issued and signed. A meeting is then
scheduled to coordinate manuscript development and submission. At
American Tech, close collaboration occurs between the author and
editorial staff throughout the proposal preparation and manuscript
development process. This collaborative approach expedites the production
process by minimizing revisions to the manuscript.
Proposal
Elements
A proposal should
demonstrate the quality of work that can be expected from your efforts.
Although a proposal provides a preliminary overview of a publication,
it contains a sample of selected elements of a complete manuscript
such as the book contents, chapter outline, text, illustrations,
and captions. This may be the first proposal you have ever developed.
The editorial staff can help provide assistance in your proposal
development efforts. Specific proposal development questions can
be directed to:
Mr.
Peter A. Zurlis
Vice President - Production
800-323-3471
Specific proposal
development guidelines are listed in the American Tech Preparing a Proposal. After completion, the proposal should be reviewed by
colleagues in your field. This provides another "set of eyes"
to identify any concerns prior to submission. After making final
revisions, the completed proposal should be sent to:
Editor in Chief
American Technical Publishers, Inc.
10100 Orland Parkway, Suite 200
Orland Park, IL 60467-5756
Proposal
Evaluation
The decision
to publish a manuscript is almost always an economic decision. Rejection
of a proposal is not always an indication of poor quality, but rather
a mismatch of publisher needs and manuscript content. Key factors
determining the acceptance of a proposal include market potential,
product compatibility, existing competing products, author credentials,
and unique content characteristics.
If your proposal
is not accepted, there are several other writing opportunities available
in the field. In particular, magazine editors are always seeking
new articles of topical interest. Your experience in developing
a proposal can be useful when proposing your ideas to a magazine
staff. Other publishing opportunities exist with scholarly journals.
Depending on the specific audience, the content focus may require
modification to best match the needs of the publication.
Helpful Hints
When Writing
Congratulations.
As an author, you are a member of an elite group of professionals.
Very few individuals have the commitment and discipline to write
a book. Writing is very challenging and may be unrewarding during
the initial phase. Writing a book, although a daunting task for
the first-time author, is actually comprised of a series of steps.
To provide motivation, each step in the writing process can be plotted
which allows for a check of overall progress. This tangible evidence
of achievement allows the author to track actual completion and
progress toward the ultimate goal. A list of Helpful Hints When
Developing Instructional Material is included at the end of this
document for your reference.
Writing a book
is like a marathon race rather than a short sprint. Good preparation
and discipline will result in reaching the goal without injuries
and/or failure. At American Tech, we look forward to working with
you in this effort.
At American
Tech, our mission is to publish instructional material that "minimizes
barriers to comprehension." Following this philosophy, these
hints should be addressed when developing instructional material:
- Assume no
prior knowledge when presenting new content - define/explain as
required.
- Include enough
information to allow the reader to master a specific concept.
- Organize
content from most common to least common and from simple to complex.
- Fewer words
are better.
- Review all
competing products for content prior to beginning work.
- Present content
using consistent (industry standard) nomenclature.
- Organize
content to allow readers to compare and contrast.
- Provide transition
from previous information covered and new information presented.
- Reference
any copyrighted information.
- Use parallel
treatment when covering content in a category. For example, when
discussing cars, cover brand, model, and price range for each
manufacturer.
- Eliminate
ambiguity through clear writing.
- Use the appropriate
elements to promote comprehension - text, photographs, line drawings,
and/or video clips.
- Use an engineering
style - avoid pronouns; you, his, her, they (use correct title/term).
- Organize
large writing tasks into smaller, specific tasks. For example,
a chapter text is comprised of sections (heads), which can be
completed in separate writing sessions. Organize other manuscript
elements such as rough art, captions, and supplementary reference
material in the same manner.
