What makes for a high-quality publisher?

The recent lawsuit brought by publisher Edwin Mellen Press (EMP) against a librarian for professionally assessing the quality of the Press' books has brought to the forefront not only issues of academic freedom for librarians, but also the characteristics that make for a high-quality publisher. What should academic authors look for when evaluating a potential publisher? Some interesting considerations emerge from the conversation:

• Does the publisher provide any copy or substantive editing of the work once submitted? Even seasoned writers benefit from editorial expertise
• What is the physical quality of the published book? (either online or in print)
• Does publication require peer-review, and if so, what are the academic qualifications of the reviewers?
• Are the books priced too high for purchase and, thus, adequate distribution?
• Do the books go out of print too quickly, making it difficult or impossible for future readers to acquire a copy?
• Is the scope of the publishers' books' subject matter usually suitable for a book-sized publication?
• How are authors treated by the publisher? Ideally, authors should retain copyright of their own work. Also, is there any compensation provided to the author?
• Does the academic publisher produce books by those the author would consider his or her peers (e.g., similar academic qualifications)?
• Should the critical reception of a book ultimately determine the quality of a publisher? And if so, what proportion of the publisher's output should be favourably reviewed?

Web pages for authors at SFU that may be of interest:

Scholarly Publishing Guide

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