So you want to write a book and have it published by ASP Press. Oustanding. Now what?
ASP Press usually considers books from two sources:
Well known experts in the security field are solicited for books and we welcome any such person who has the notion that they want to write a book and have it published by ASP Press to email or otherwise contact us.
Lesser known authors who are outstanding in their field and who write well are also welcomed to submit proposals. To do so, they also have to email or otherwise contact us.
Once we are in contact with an author, or potential author, we have discussions with the author, look at examples of their previous writing, talk about a book or books that they want to write, discuss terms and conditions, and form a contract to publish and market their book or books.
Unlike many other publishers, we do not have authors create book proposals for us right off and we don't judge our authors by their covers. We want to actually know the people we work with and make sure that they have realistic expectations for their books and for our publications of thier books.
Once we come to reaonsable terms, we will form a contract with the author. This is a legal document that gives ASP Press publicaiton rights to the author's book, sets out the responsibilities of each party with respect to the books, assigns monetary values to things, and basically finalizes the deal. Until it is signed, we go no further. Most of it is not negotiable but some things are - depending on the author and the circumstances.
Once we form a contract, it's your turn. You need to write the book. Once you have a draft, you will send it to us in electronic form. We will have it reviewed, and assuming it goes well, which it usually does, we will let you know that we are pretty much good to go and have a copy editor go over the book with a fine toothed comb. They will return us a copy edited book that you will then have to read and fix when the copy editor screws up - which they always do here and there just like the rest of us. Then, once we have a finalized copy edited book, we make a cover, run it past you, get the book properly set, and it's off to the presses. You will get a proof copy to review. Until you approve, we wait. You get to make added changes if they are really needed, and we get another proof and get it to you. We wait again. When you finally approve the book, we go to work and put it out there.
We send you checks. You never send us checks. We aren't a vanity press, we are a publisher. Typically, you get some amount of money for each book we sell. Typically, we set the prices, we pay for the printing, we pay for everything else, you do the writing part of the work, we send you checks when books sell. We usually send out checks quarterly for hot books and less often over the longer run. We love sending checks to authors, almost as much as they love getting them. There is one thing we don't do, and that is advances or guaranteed fees. We make and sell books into the market, and you get paid when we get paid.
One of the best ways to get more checks and get them more often is to help us make sure that the world knows about your book. To do this we work with the author to do public relations and other related publicity for the books. We pay for the basic stuff like sending out publicity, going to book shows, tryijhg to set up interviews and book reviews and so forth. But you have to be an active participant to make a book really go. When you go to a conference, we want to know so we can set up the conference bookseller with copies of your book and arrange for book signings. When you are at home for a while, we want to set up press interviews and get reviewrs to contact you for quotes. The more you help, the more we sell, and the bigger the checks you get.
We can't contact you, so you will have to email or otherwise contact us.