How ELT Publishing Works

How often do writers get the chance to find out what goes on behind the scenes at the publishers? Here we give you a rare chance to do just that. In this module Publishing Director Janet Aitchison draws on her experience of working at a senior level for several ELT publishers, and with many ELT writers, to give a comprehensive account of how ELT publishing works.

What’s the best way to approach a publisher with an idea? What’s the publisher looking for? What happens once you’ve been commissioned and what happens to your manuscript once you’ve handed it in? 

These and many other questions are answered clearly and in detail from the publishers’ perspective. Janet demystifies the lengthy process of gathering information from the markets, producing a brief, commissioning authors and dealing with several drafts of a manuscript. She also describes different payment models you are likely to encounter when negotiating your contract. By the end of the book you will have all the information you will need to feel more confident when approaching a new publishing project.

This book forms part of the ELT Teacher 2 Writer training course. The course is designed to help you write better ELT materials, either for publication, or simply to improve the quality of your self-produced classroom materials.

Read reviews here and here.


Janet Aitchison

Janet Aitchison

Janet started her career in ELT as a teacher at St Giles International in Brighton. After realizing that she could combine her dual interests in teaching and publishing she got a job at Longman ELT as an Editor. Throughout her career she has worked for Oxford University Press and Cambridge University Press in addition to Longman. She has been involved in a wide range of ELT products in both British and American English, from primary to secondary to adult, and she has published for many markets, from Brazil to Europe to the United States. She has held a number of positions over the years, including development editor, editorial manager, publisher, publishing manager and publishing director.

Where To Buy This Book

As Amazon Associates we earn from qualifying purchases made via the Kindle link.

Kindle version

ePub version

Apple Book