In the same spirit as my "Hispanic Studies Journals" blog (http://hispanicstudies journals.blogspot.com/), this venue affords Hispanists the opportunity to share with colleagues their experiences with the review and publication processes of various academic presses. My motive is not to encourage irrational venting sessions for rejected authors, but to prompt an intelligent and useful exchange that might assist scholars with choosing academic presses that exemplify professionalim and integrity; entities that conduct the entire review process expeditiously and provide authors with useful feedback for improving their book-length manuscripts. Discouraging stories have often been shared at academic conferences and within language and literature departments across the country, and these should indeed be posted here to help each other avoid similar experiences. Besides assisting our fellow scholars, if this blog also succeeds at ultimately improving the management of certain academic presses, then many in the profession will benefit.
Yes, it is considered a "vanity press." If I were a young scholar starting my career and hoping to get tenure, I would not send my book manuscript to Peter Lang. However, if I were desperate and needed to have it published at all because of the tenure clock, then I would.
Do keep in mind, however, that, at least in my experience teaching at "research one" universities, Peter Lang is looked down upon and may not get you tenure.
It's not a vanity press, but a publisher of last resort or dissertation outlet. There's a bit of a difference. I would say try the Edwin Mellon Press or Ashgate before you head for Peter Lang. Mellon and Ashgate are a step or so above Peter Lang, though they are also seen as not quite the equivalents of university presses (because they do not review the whole book manuscript, but rather send out one chapter to a referee).
PL has a tiered system. They are respected in Europe for some very good works by respected scholars - I know colleagues who wrote well-reviewed books with Lang. While, yes, they also publish revised dissertations. So, no, they aren't Cambridge or Chicago but that hardly implies the whole-to-parts fallacy that every book from them is mediocre. I've also read plenty of junk from Ox and Cambridge.
A mí hay varias personas que me han dicho que hay que pagar para publicar. Otra cosa es que la editorial tenga una buena distribución y aparezca reseñada con frecuencia. Para profesores buscando "tenure", convendría hacer más investigación antes de enviar el manuscrito para evitar posibles sorpresas desagradables...
Yes, you do have to pay to publish here; the figure varies from 1500 to 3000 euros. My impression of Peter Lang is that they publish anything. It would be perhaps suitable for an edited volume, but not anything significant.
Moreover, for early career scholars, it is career poison. It just does not impress on a resumé. You would be far better advised to even divide your work into journal articles than publish here.
Anonymous, any personal issues with Peter Lang? Incredibly good books, fresh research is published by them. They are open to new insights, true to their contracts and with a very good reputation for Humanities...No, I did not publish with them, but with Palgrave Macmillan. I wish I had done my homework before, since it took ages for my book to come out, the editing process tedious, and they really took their time to answer my queries. Colleagues of mine who published with PL made a much better choice...
A publication with Peter Lang would not work at most R1 institutions if you want to get tenured or promoted. At my institution, a book published with Peter Lang would be considered the same as not having a book at all. I'd consider Ashgate or Palgrave McMillan if you can't place your book with a UP or a respectable (peer-reviewed) monograph series.
I am wondering why is the case that presses like Peter Lang don't seem to have the same level of prestige as other commercial academic presses. Is there some objective reason, like the review process, other titles published there, or does it have to do more with perceptions over time?
Isn't this considered to be a vanity press?
ReplyDeleteYes, it is considered a "vanity press." If I were a young scholar starting my career and hoping to get tenure, I would not send my book manuscript to Peter Lang. However, if I were desperate and needed to have it published at all because of the tenure clock, then I would.
DeleteDo keep in mind, however, that, at least in my experience teaching at "research one" universities, Peter Lang is looked down upon and may not get you tenure.
I've just seen that there books are getting reviewed by some pretty good journals, so I retract my previous uninformed comment.
ReplyDeleteIt's not a vanity press, but a publisher of last resort or dissertation outlet. There's a bit of a difference. I would say try the Edwin Mellon Press or Ashgate before you head for Peter Lang. Mellon and Ashgate are a step or so above Peter Lang, though they are also seen as not quite the equivalents of university presses (because they do not review the whole book manuscript, but rather send out one chapter to a referee).
DeletePL has a tiered system. They are respected in Europe for some very good works by respected scholars - I know colleagues who wrote well-reviewed books with Lang. While, yes, they also publish revised dissertations. So, no, they aren't Cambridge or Chicago but that hardly implies the whole-to-parts fallacy that every book from them is mediocre. I've also read plenty of junk from Ox and Cambridge.
DeleteA mí hay varias personas que me han dicho que hay que pagar para publicar. Otra cosa es que la editorial tenga una buena distribución y aparezca reseñada con frecuencia. Para profesores buscando "tenure", convendría hacer más investigación antes de enviar el manuscrito para evitar posibles sorpresas desagradables...
ReplyDeleteYes, you do have to pay to publish here; the figure varies from 1500 to 3000 euros. My impression of Peter Lang is that they publish anything. It would be perhaps suitable for an edited volume, but not anything significant.
ReplyDeleteMoreover, for early career scholars, it is career poison. It just does not impress on a resumé. You would be far better advised to even divide your work into journal articles than publish here.
Anonymous, any personal issues with Peter Lang? Incredibly good books, fresh research is published by them. They are open to new insights, true to their contracts and with a very good reputation for Humanities...No, I did not publish with them, but with Palgrave Macmillan. I wish I had done my homework before, since it took ages for my book to come out, the editing process tedious, and they really took their time to answer my queries. Colleagues of mine who published with PL made a much better choice...
ReplyDeleteA publication with Peter Lang would not work at most R1 institutions if you want to get tenured or promoted. At my institution, a book published with Peter Lang would be considered the same as not having a book at all. I'd consider Ashgate or Palgrave McMillan if you can't place your book with a UP or a respectable (peer-reviewed) monograph series.
DeleteI am wondering why is the case that presses like Peter Lang don't seem to have the same level of prestige as other commercial academic presses. Is there some objective reason, like the review process, other titles published there, or does it have to do more with perceptions over time?
ReplyDelete