Your publication journey: what to expect

“I felt very supported by the team and the valuable feedback I received at every stage of the publishing process made a very positive impact on the publication.”

Editing a manuscript © Springer 2020 A book communicates your ideas and findings to fellow researchers and students around the world. Authoring or editing a book brings together years of research into a single, comprehensive work that will contribute to the collective scientific knowledge, advance your career and establish you as an expert in your field.

Your Publishing Editor will guide you through the process, with templates, instructions and publication tools to make it as simple and enjoyable as possible.

Writing a book is a rewarding experience

Build © Springer Nature 2020 The most important consideration in deciding whether to write a book is whether there is a need – a market – for the book. As an expert working in a field, you are in an excellent position to judge whether a book is needed on a particular topic. For example, have you looked for a text that will bring your students up to speed on a cutting-edge research field, but been unable to find one? Or, do other researchers often contact you to ask for details about a method you developed? If you can answer “yes” to either of these questions, then you have probably already identified a market.

Contributing a book chapter has similar benefits to writing your own book. If you are well-known in your field you may be directly invited to write a chapter for a planned book. Publishers may also issue calls for chapter proposals for books in progress. Presenting your research at conferences is a great way to highlight your presence to publishers. You may be surprised to learn that your research or methodology can be of interest to readers in a field seemingly quite different from your own. Regardless of whether you are a junior researcher or a senior faculty member, authoring a book chapter is an excellent way of drawing attention to your research findings

Another consideration is whether you are well-qualified to write a book on the topic you have chosen. There are many different types of books, including some (such as PhD theses) that are written by early-career scientists. You need to consider which format and what subject match your expertise.

Types of books

Some scientific books are written by one author or a small group of co-authors, while others have many authors who each contribute a single chapter. These books are often edited by one or more experts in the field, and can focus on diverse aspects of a broad topic or similar aspects of a very narrow topic.

Monograph: A book intended to be a complete treatment of a single subject, written by one or few co-authors.
Contributed Work: A book intended to be a complete treatment of a single subject written by multiple contributors led by a volume editor.
Textbook: A book intended for use in education, usually providing an overview of a subject.
SpringerBriefs: Concise summaries of cutting-edge research and practical applications across a wide spectrum of fields.
Reference: Books such as encyclopedias and dictionaries that are not intended to be read front to back, but to provide specific facts when needed.
Proceedings: A book covering (a selection of) presentations given at a conference or workshop.
Thesis: A book detailing an author's research, written to fulfill the requirements for attaining a degree.
Lecture Notes: These books report, quickly and informally, new developments in research and teaching. They aim to summarize and communicate current knowledge in an accessible way. For Lecture Notes, the timeliness of a manuscript is sometimes more important than its form which may be preliminary or tentative.

Stages of publication

It all starts with a conversation with a Publishing Editor in your field.

Book Proposal

Every great book starts with an idea. Our experienced publishing editors can help to craft an idea into something book-worthy. Once your idea has been refined, we ask authors to submit a formal proposal. This may include your working title, who the book is intended for, who will be involved in writing the book, and a timeline around when you would like to have it finished.

Prepare your Manuscript

We will guide you through the process, with templates and instructions to make the process as simple as possible. We also offer free, multi-language resources to help you write, submit & publish your manuscript in English.

Publish your Book

Our team of knowledgeable professionals will guide your project from manuscript submission to publication. Once your draft manuscript is complete, our teams will guide your project through formatting & type setting to turn your words into a book, which is then available in 3 formats: eBook, Print Book & MyCopy. You can also keep track of where your book is in the publication process in real-time by signing up for automated notifications through our online tracker.

Share your Book

To reach the greatest number and widest range of readers, we apply an effective mix of marketing and promotion for your book. Upon publication, your book automatically gets a promotional homepage. Authors are also supported on how to communicate your published book to peers and the broader community. Interested in the impact of your book? The Book Performance Data, available on Springer Nature Link shows the book’s usage, citations and Altmetric scores.