Conference Agenda

Writing and publishing a book with an academic publisher is not a mysterious process, although it usually feels that way for first-time authors. This panel features a number of recent or soon-to-be authors that will walk participants through some of the necessary steps in how to move from dissertation to academic book. Lauron Kehrer, author of Queer Voices in Hip Hop: Cultures, Communities, and Contemporary Performance (University of Michigan Press, 2022) will address how to cultivate relationships with editors and prepare a proposal. Darren Mueller, author of At the Vanguard of Vinyl: A Cultural History of the Long-Playing Record in Jazz (Duke University Press, 2024) will discuss a few different approaches to preparing a manuscript for peer review, including the logistics of self-record keeping. Kimberly Hannon Teal, author of Jazz Places: How Performance Spaces Shape Jazz History (University of California Press 2021) will discuss understanding and responding to reader reports by seeking out mentors and taking advantage of institutional resources like campus offices for scholarly communication. Kelsey Klotz, author of Dave Brubeck and the Performance of Whiteness (Oxford University Press 2023), will explore the various waiting periods that occur in the process of writing the book (waiting for reviews, copyright clearances, copyedits, etc.), focusing particularly on approaches to mental health during these periods of loss and powerlessness. Kira Thurman, author of Singing like Germans: Black Musicians in the Land of Bach, Beethoven, and Brahms (Cornell University Press, 2021) will discuss the mistakes that many first-time authors make when first submitting their book. Our session will be conversational in nature. Each presenter will offer perspective on a specific aspect of the process, sharing their experience and taking questions from the audience.