You have a book idea. You need to figure out where to publish it.

Over the course of 5 days (April 22-26), I will guide you step by step through the process of identifying potential publishers, evaluating them for fit, and narrowing them down to a short-list of dream presses.

I'll share insider knowledge about what publishers are looking for when evaluating projects for fit and tell you what to look for in a publisher in order to meet your personal and professional goals.

You'll finish the challenge knowing which editors to reach out to about your book project and how to make the case that your book will be right at home on their list.

A participant from last year's challenge said: 

Thanks to your expert advice, acquisitions editors at all three of the carefully curated presses I sent my proposal to have requested sample chapters or the full manuscript! I am now working away on the analysis and feeling confident that this book will find the right home, and it will reach the readers I seek.



Who Should Do This Challenge

  • First-time authors feeling lost in the process
  • Previously published authors who want to feel more in control of the process this time around
  • Authors who have no idea where they should publish their book
  • Authors who already have an idea of where they should publish but know they need to be able to make a strong case as to why their book is a good fit
  • Authors who want to meet and share ideas with others who are at the same stage
  • Nerds who like worksheets and checklists

Your Guide

Hi, I'm Laura Portwood-Stacer.



I'm a professional editor and publishing consultant and the author of The Book Proposal Book: A Guide for Scholarly Authors (Princeton University Press, 2021). I've helped hundreds of scholars craft compelling book proposals and learn best practices for pitching them to academic publishers.

I hope you'll leave this challenge with a sense of clarity about the publishers you want to approach and a feeling of greater confidence about making your pitch.

Trying to publish a book can be anxiety-provoking in the best of circumstances—let me take at least some of the guesswork and uncertainty out of this part of the process for you.

How the Challenge Will Work

Once you sign up, you'll get immediate access to some background info and my overview handout on how to identify target presses for your scholarly book.

On Day 1 (April 22), the challenge will be unlocked with some further information and a worksheet for you to start filling out (if you want to). You can use the info and the worksheet to start generating your list of presses.

On Day 2, a new step of the challenge will be unlocked with more tips and resources to help you research your options and refine your list.

Day 3 will show you how to explore publishers and ask the right questions to find the best fit for you.

On Day 4 I'll show you how to you evaluate your list and rank your options using my checklist.

On Day 5 you'll use another one of my worksheets to prepare to approach the editors at your top-ranked presses. I will also hold a live Q&A session via Zoom at 10:00 am PT/1:00 pm ET/6:00 pm GMT on this day (April 26).

When the challenge is over, you'll be set to keep working on your pitch, knowing that you have some great presses waiting for you when you're ready to make your approach. If you're already ready, you can start reaching out to publishers right away.

I'll also let you know about other resources, workshops, and courses I offer to help you craft your pitch, just in case you'd like a little more help.

You will receive a series of emails to walk you through the challenge, so you can participate right from the comfort of your inbox if you like. You’ll also have access to the challenge website, where you’ll be able to ask questions and interact with the other participants along the way. You'll keep access to this site indefinitely.

Enroll in the Challenge

Find the Perfect-Fit Publisher for Your Scholarly Book

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