Department Spotlight: Keeping the Press Moving

Department: Duke University Press 

History: Trinity College Press opened in 1921 and changed its name to Duke University Press in 1926. One of most notable publications in its early history was its American Literature journal, which has been edited at Duke since it began printing in 1929 and is still released four times a year. Each journal issue contains articles examining the works of authors across American history as well as an extensive book review section.

“When American Literature started it was a radical idea,” said Steve Cohn, director of the Press. “People would say, ‘Everybody knows American literature is not important. You should be studying British or continental literature.’ It’s now one of our flagship journals, because lots of people are now studying American literature.” 

“That’s an example of what we still do now. We see fields of scholarly interest that are ready to grow," Cohn said. "We foster them and help attract attention to them. A recent example would be TSQ: Transgender Studies Quarterly, which we launched five years ago.”

Cohn described Duke University Press as a “fairly sleepy southern publisher” from the 1930s to late 1970s. In 1980, the Press published about a dozen books and seven journals annually. Little to no acquisitions effort was made to increase the number of publications. 

In the early 1980s, the Press’s office on East Campus moved from the Bishop’s House to the newly renovated Crowell Building, and the Press received an infusion of new resources. Under the leadership of new director, Richard Rowson, the Press began acquiring more publications, steadily adding to its journals list and publishing about 60 books a year by the early 1990s. 

In 1993, the year Cohn became the Press’s director — with Stanley Fish, then a Duke professor of English and law, serving as executive director from 1994 until 1998 — Duke University Press moved to Brightleaf Square, as one of the very first Duke units to move downtown. The Press at that point started to grow steadily in size and reputation. 

Number of Employees: 120, plus about 50 student positions

What the office does: Duke University Press publishes 120 new books and 60 journals a year. 

The Press has a very international list — the most international among all the American university presses — both in its books and in its journals. It publishes primarily in the humanities and interpretive social sciences, but also in mathematics

Book topics include history, anthropology, gender and sexuality, cultural studies and more. Journals edited continuously at Duke include the Duke Mathematical Journal, History of Political Economy and Journal of Medieval & Early Modern Studies. 

The Press also publishes such journals as the Kyoto Journal of Mathematics, differences: A Journal of Feminist Cultural Studies and World Policy Journal, edited at a wide variety of institutions around the country and around the world.  The Press publishes actively in African studies, Asian studies, Latin American studies and American studies.

In most university presses, the majority of revenue comes from books rather than journals. Duke University Press is unique among American university presses in that about 60 percent of its revenue comes from print and digital journals, and the rest comes from books. 

“The financial strength of our journals program enables us to have a very scholarly book program,” Cohn said. “It’s nearly impossible for a serious scholarly book publishing program to support itself through book sales alone.”

The Press is organized into about six work groups ranging from Editing, Design & Production to Marketing & Sales to Books Acquisitions to Journals Publishing & Partnerships. 

How a Book Gets Published: The Books Acquisitions group is in charge of turning ideas into books. 

The process begins with a proposal, in which an editor will review the author’s argument, story arc and audience. Each Duke University Press editor receives 20 to 30 proposals monthly from authors across fields and continents.  Proposals are a mix of returning writers and first-time authors. 

Editors decide on whether or not to pursue a project based on the author’s background, uniqueness of the topic, quality of the proposal and if they see the book as pushing thinking forward in an important way that both academics and students can learn from.

If the proposal is approved, a Duke University Press editor works with the author on making revisions such as speaking with greater authority, simplifying language and creating a narrative. 

“We spend a lot of our time on email fielding queries,” said Elizabeth Ault, editor. “Everything that comes in we read and take seriously. As editors, a major part of our job is having discernment to understand if the book is one that will make a real difference in people’s understanding of its topic.”

Once a book makes it through initial revisions, it is sent to about two peer reviewers who are typically experts on the book topic. 

“If it’s a book about infrastructure in Mumbai, we might send it to someone who is in an ethnographer of infrastructure and someone else who knows all about Mumbai in particular,” Ault said.

After reviews, it’s up to the author to write a response to the feedback and outline a plan of revision and completion, which requires anywhere from three months to three years or more. Then the book is generally sent back for other rounds of peer review until it is deemed ready for approval.

Finally, the book and its review process go to the Duke University Press Editorial Advisory Board, composed of a dozen Duke faculty members, for approval before it can be published. 

The same review and approval process applies to every new journal proposal and every proposal for a new book series.

“I love this job because I get to learn so much,” Ault said. “I get to witness and be part of some incredible dialogue.” 

What the department can do for you: Books and journals published by Duke University Press are available for purchase in print and online, either individually or in packages by subject matter.  

Significant achievement: Almost all covers for books and journals are designed in-house by four full-time Duke University Press designers. Amy Ruth Buchanan, books design manager, said the design process begins with asking the author, editor and Press marketing team how the cover should convey the book’s topic. 

“We start by sketching out various cover designs, trying to satisfy the author's desires, marketing's needs and our own understanding of the book,” Buchanan said. “Early input from the author is crucial because we use it to guide the design process.”

Designers will share work in progress of their work with other members of their team , acquiring editors and the marketing team. If everyone approves, the designer will then share the proposed cover with the author. 

“We’re famous for having beautiful books, inside and out,” Cohn said. “We see the beauty of our books as a magnet for authors wanting to bring their proposals to us, along with the quality of our publishing work and the strength of our reputation.”

Fun Fact: Duke University Press will release a reissue of the only children’s book written by James Baldwin, author of books like “The Fire Next Time” and “Giovanni’s Room.” The book will be published in August 2018. 

Baldwin’s book “Little Man, Little Man,” which was originally published in 1976, explores the life of 4-year-old TJ growing up in Harlem. It will be the first children’s book Duke University Press publishes. 

“The book is one that appeals way beyond an academic audience to readers of all sorts and all ages,” Cohn said. 

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