College textbook publishers are in business, so first and foremost, they want to make profits. If they don’t make profits, they will go out of business. Publishers typically make profits by selling high-quality textbooks and other instructional materials that are in demand by professors.
As a writer of college textbook ancillaries and supplements, you must always keep in mind the bottom line when working in this industry. Some key points:
- If the publisher is doing well financially, there is a greater likelihood of more money for ancillaries/supplements and their authors.
- If the publisher is doing poorly, ancillary/supplement budgets may be decreased, which will mean less money to pay you and perhaps fewer supplements overall.
- You help the publisher make money by creating the best ancillaries and supplements possible, which increases the likelihood of textbook adoption and retention, and thus higher textbook sales.
(This entry is based on an excerpt from Chapter 2, “Students, Instructors, Editors, Publishers,” from John Soares’ e-book Writing College Textbook Supplements: The Definitive Guide to Winning High-Paying Assignments in the College Textbook Publishing Market. You can download the Detailed Table of Contents and first two chapters for free.)
