Session 1675

So, You Want to Write a Textbook?

Donna C.S. Summers

University of Dayton

Abstract

For many of us, the idea of writing a textbook is appealing. But, even as we dream of the
ideas we would like to convey, we aren’t certain about the concrete steps in the process.
Even more mystical is what happens once we turn our manuscript over to the publisher.
Writing a textbook is a rewarding experience and a wonderful outlet for creativity.
Writing a textbook is an opportunity to serve your profession by further disseminating
knowledge in your field. Writing a textbook allows you to enjoy the challenge of
translating ideas into words. Writing a textbook is also a demanding and occasionally
tedious job which requires a lot of attention to detail. Writing a textbook requires
commitment and passion.

What does it take to write a textbook? Attention to detail. The author and publisher must
make many decisions concerning the content and style of the text. The type of material
to be presented and the particular audience for the text will have a significant effect on
the pedagogical details. Several excellent texts exist which describe pedagogy and
learning styles. This paper discusses the traits common to all texts: content, audience and
readability. The paper also provides a flow chart showing the basic steps in the process
of taking a text from prospectus to publication; the process of creating, editing, and
publishing a textbook for the college market from an author’s point of view.

The Makings of a Good Book: Content, Audience and Readability

The overriding purpose of a textbook is to enable learning. Throughout the writing

process, there are three critical components that the author and the publisher must focus
on in order to create a textbook that supports learning: the audience, the content, and the
readability of the text.

The Audience

Essentially, the author has two primary customers to keep in mind: the reader and the
educational professional using the text. The educational professional will have a variety
of reasons for selecting a particular text. These reasons will revolve around a text’s
Page 7.1006.1

Proceedings of the 2002 American Society for Engineering Education Annual Conference and Exposition
Copyright Ó 2002, American Society for Engineering Education
ability to strengthen the presentation of material as planned for in the course. This
individual will be interested in the actual material presented, the organization of the
material, the interrelationship of the topics covered, the pedagogy with which the material
is presented, the ancillary teaching aids available to support the book, the suitability of
the text for the time frame available (semester, quarter, year) and related areas. Since the
text will serve as a source of information for the students in the course, it will need to
cover the appropriate topics in the sequence needed for the course. Market studies,
discussions with colleagues and reviewer comments are sources for information on what
should be covered and the order in which it should be covered.

The reader, or student in the course, will be primarily concerned with the readability of
the text. In other words, how easy is it for them to comprehend and apply the material
presented in the text? They will also be interested in whether or not the text material has
been presented in a creative and innovative format. Simply stated: is the book interesting
to read? When writing a textbook, an author must possess a comprehensive command of
the material he or she wishes to present to the reader. The author must also have an
understanding of how readers absorb and comprehend material presented in a printed
format. Authors can increase the reader’s interest in the text material by adding
appropriate examples and vignettes that discuss and describe the material beyond basic
definitions or formulas.

Content

Determining the content, the actual material selected for the text, is not always a
straightforward decision. In today’s world, in all disciplines, there is an abundance of
potential information and ideas available to cover. A text’s content and its audience are
intricately related. Many content questions are answered when the author identifies the
audience. Content decisions involve determining whether the material is being presented
at the introductory, intermediate or advanced level. Will the text provide an overview of
a wide variety of topics or significant detail on only a few? Will the text be offered at the
associate, bachelor’s or graduate studies degree level? Will the text be inter-disciplinary?
And so on. Authors and publishers must determine at the outset what market need is to
be met, who the text is for, and what content best supports that particular market. Market
research conducted at the beginning of the book creation process, as well as information
provided by reviewers throughout the process will provide the author with direction for
the content of the text.

Readability

Both the educational professional and the reader are interested in what the textbook can
teach them. Readability enhances a text’s ability to covey information. Authors must
keep in mind that enabling learning is more complex than writing down concepts and
ideas. A well-written, readable text will clearly identify the essential ideas while the
Page 7.1006.2

Proceedings of the 2002 American Society for Engineering Education Annual Conference and Exposition
Copyright Ó 2002, American Society for Engineering Education
surrounding material provides support and enhances reader understanding. Attention
must be paid to how sentences are constructed and how ideas are separated into
paragraph form. Key ideas should be stated in clear, concise, succinct and focused
sentences. Readers can easily lose track of key ideas in a maze of confusing or
convoluted sentences. Supporting information which provides details, interpretations and
interrelationships should be presented in an organized and logical manner in order to
enable learning.

Keep the writing succinct. Be ruthless when editing to maintain your focus on the
essential ideas. Good texts simplify the presentation of the material without a loss of
meaning.

Proper pace is critical. New material must not flow at the reader in such a rate that there
is no time for reflection or review. Authors need to help readers make connections by
endeavoring to write explanations that draw on what the reader already knows and then
work to join that information with what is new or unfamiliar.

Authors can also enhance readability by keeping the tone of the text friendly and
conversational. Provide concrete, real-world examples that draw on the known
experiences of the readers. Include illustrations, graphs, charts, computer software,
appendices, indexes, headings, summaries, chapter introductions, lists, vignettes,
concluding material, margin notes, objectives and more in the text. Use these to engage
the reader by finding ways to get them fascinated with the material. The elements chosen
will define the style of the textbook. This style must provide the optimal support for the
material. Ancillary materials also enhance learning. These materials may include
instructor’s manuals, test banks, videotapes, study guides, transparency packages, CD-
ROMs, websites, etc.

Authors of textbooks have the difficult job of putting words on paper in a coordinated
manner that not only covers the necessary topical material, but also enhances reader
learning. Funston describes writing a textbook as a creating a system in which all the
individual parts; words, illustrations, topics, examples, thoughts and ideas, must work
together to enable the reader to learn. Clearly, the writing of an effective textbook
involves much more than putting words on paper, essential as this is. This writing
involves making innumerable choices of content, approach, illustration, and emphasis. 3

The Process of Creating a Good Book

Writing a textbook is a large-scale project. Staying organized and practicing good project
management skills are essential for the successful completion of a text. Understanding
the flow of the actual process of physically creating a textbook can be very helpful for
planning purposes. The flow chart that follows describes the major steps, from
prospectus to publication, typically found in the process of creating a textbook.

Proceedings of the 2002 American Society for Engineering Education Annual Conference and Exposition
Page 7.1006.3

Copyright Ó 2002, American Society for Engineering Education

 Author Market Publisher
Approaches Research to Investigates
Publisher and Identify Need Project Potential
Submits
Prospectus

NO
Need? END

YES

Publisher
Commissions
Author

Author Agrees to
Create
Introductory
Material for
Review
Organization
Pedagogy
Content
Author and Writing Style
Publisher Art/Photos
Ancillary
Determine Style Material

Hardcopy
Manuscript
Author and Electronic Files
Publisher References
Define Book Appendices
Parameters Permissions
Photo Files

Author Creates
Sample Chapter
Page 7.1006.4

Proceedings of the 2002 American Society for Engineering Education Annual Conference and Exposition
Copyright Ó 2002, American Society for Engineering Education
Return to
Publisher Sends
Author and
Sample Chapter to
Publisher
Reviewers
Determine
Style

Publisher and
Author Analyze
Reviews

NO

NO
Kill Appropriate
Project? For Market?
NO

YES YES

END Revision
Necessary?
NO ?
YES

Author Makes
Necessary
YES
Revisions

Author Discusses
Project With
Publisher
Page 7.1006.5

Proceedings of the 2002 American Society for Engineering Education Annual Conference and Exposition
Copyright Ó 2002, American Society for Engineering Education
 Author and
Publisher
Formalize
Contract

Publisher and
Author Define
Schedule

Acceptable
to Publisher
NO and Author?

YES

Author Refines
Pedagogy, Style,
and Content

NO Acceptable
to Publisher
and Author?

YES

Author Formalizes
Filing System
(Computer/Hard Copy)
Page 7.1006.6

Proceedings of the 2002 American Society for Engineering Education Annual Conference and Exposition
Copyright Ó 2002, American Society for Engineering Education
 Chapter Contents
-Objectives
- Introduction
- Text Headings
Author Creates - Text
- Margin Notes
Chapter(s) - Cases
- Vignettes
- Summary
- References
- End of Chapter
Material
- Figures/Captions
- Tables

YES Permission
Required?

NO
Author Sends Out
Request
Author and
For Permission
Publisher
Determine
Art Style

Author and
Permission Publisher Create
Granted? Figures and
NO
Graphs

YES
Chapter
Author Sends Complete?
Completed NO
Permissions to
Publisher
YES

Publisher Sends
Chapter to
Reviewers

Proceedings of the 2002 American Society for Engineering Education Annual Conference and Exposition
Page 7.1006.7

Copyright Ó 2002, American Society for Engineering Education

 YES: END

Reviewer NO Kill
Approves? Project?
?
YES NO

Reviewer
Author Discusses
Suggests
Project with
Changes?
NO Publisher

YES

Author Makes
Changes

YES – Return to ‘Create

Chapters’ Repeat Process
Other
Chapters?

NO Title Page
Dedication
Preface
Author Creates Table of
Contents
Support Glossary
Areas Index
Tables
Websites
Appendices

Author Submits
Completed
Manuscript to
Publisher
Page 7.1006.8

Proceedings of the 2002 American Society for Engineering Education Annual Conference and Exposition
Copyright Ó 2002, American Society for Engineering Education
 NO
Ancillary
Material?

YES
Instructor’s
Manual
Author Creates Test Bank
Ancillary Videos
Material Study Guides
Transparency
CD-ROM’s
Websites
Author Submits
Manuscript, Art,
Permissions, Non-Saleable
Ancillaries,
Saleable Ancillaries

Publisher Sends Publisher Designs

Publisher Creates Manuscript to Cover
Art Production

Publisher Sends
Manuscript
to Copy Editor
Go To
Galleys

Copy Editor Edits

NO
Manuscript Author
Approves?

Publisher Sends YES

Manuscript to
Author Who
Reviews Editing Publisher Creates
Cover
Page 7.1006.9

Proceedings of the 2002 American Society for Engineering Education Annual Conference and Exposition
Copyright Ó 2002, American Society for Engineering Education
Return to
Copy Editor
Edits
Manuscript YES Changes?

NO

YES

Author Provides Missing

Missing Pieces Manuscript
Pieces?
NO

NO

Art Inserted Publisher Creates

Galleys

Publisher Creates
Page
Proofs

Author/ Publisher
NO
Approve Sample
Pages?
YES

YES
Page 7.1006.10

Proceedings of the 2002 American Society for Engineering Education Annual Conference and Exposition
Copyright Ó 2002, American Society for Engineering Education
 Publisher Produces
Book

Index Created by
Either Publisher or
Author

From:
Publisher
Publisher Binds Creates Cover
Book

END

Final Thoughts on Writing a Good Book

Writing a textbook requires significant interaction between the author and the publisher.
As can be seen by this flow chart, both the author and the publisher have much to do.
The focus for the author will be on the creative presentation of information in order to
enhance learning. For the publisher, the focus will be on managing the process of
physically producing a text that meets the needs of the chosen market. Communication
between the publisher and the author is vital in order to achieve both enhanced learning
and marketability.

Each text will reflect its author’s own particular presentation and writing styles, but every
text must meet the goals of determining their appropriate audience, selecting content
compatible with their target audience and presenting the material in a readable fashion.
Once the target audience has been determined, it is essential to maintain a focus on them

Proceedings of the 2002 American Society for Engineering Education Annual Conference and Exposition
Page 7.1006.11

Copyright Ó 2002, American Society for Engineering Education

throughout the process. Similarly, authors should decide on format and presentation style
early and then be consistent throughout the text. Authors should remember to listen to
their reviewers, even though at times it is difficult to accept criticism about a project that
has consumed so much time and effort. The editors and reviewers are there to help, their
understanding of the market is invaluable.

By following good project management principles the text can be completed in a timely
manner. Authors should endeavor to get organized and stay that way. Decisions on
organization and filing practices early in the process can prevent heartbreak later.
Backup copies are essential. The more practical and flexible the organization system is,
the more likely you will be to use it.

Writing a textbook is a labor of love. To see a large project such as this from conception
to completion takes serious commitment. Without the passion to commit to a project of
this magnitude many texts remain in outline form. And, in the midst of all the hard work
that needs to be done, be sure to keep your sense of humor.

Bibliography

1. “An Author’s Guide to Developing a Manuscript”, Pearson Education, Inc. Prentice Hall, Career and
Technology, Upper Saddle River, NJ, 2001.
2. “Author’s Guidelines, A Guide to Success in Publishing”, Prentice Hall, Upper Saddle River, NJ, 2000.
3. Funston, J. H. “What Makes a Good Introductory Textbook? What is Good Textbook Writing?”
Amesbury, MA, 1988.
4. Michaelson, H.B. How to Write and Publish Engineering Papers and Reports, ISI Press, Philadelphia,
PA, 1982.
5. Pfeiffer, W.S. Pocket Guide to Technical Writing, Prentice Hall, Upper Saddle River, NJ, 1998.
6. Pfeiffer, W.S. Proposal Writing, Prentice Hall, Upper Saddle River, NJ, 1989.

DONNA C.S. SUMMERS

Donna C.S. Summers, Ph.D. is the author of the text, Quality, currently in its third edition. Dr. Summers is
currently working on a sequel to Quality entitled Quality Management. She has also published PAWS,
Letters of Love, Laughter and Loyalty, an amusing non-fiction book of letters. Dr. Summers is a Professor
of Engineering Technology at the University of Dayton. She holds a B.S. degree in Mechanical
Engineering and a Master’s Degree and Ph.D. in Industrial Engineering.
Page 7.1006.12

Proceedings of the 2002 American Society for Engineering Education Annual Conference and Exposition
Copyright Ó 2002, American Society for Engineering Education