Publishing in Historiography and Historical Theory: A Roundtable for Early Career Researchers

For aspiring researchers, navigating the world of publishing can feel like venturing into the unknown. Although reading published work is central to historical education, contributing to the diverse landscape of periodicals and books is not typically part of the curriculum. Therefore, this hybrid panel aims to share insights from publishers and give students and early-career researchers a glimpse into the publishing process. The panel brings together publishers from the fields of historiography, theory, and the philosophy of history, which have fewer specialized publication outlets than many other subfields of history. The four panelists include two senior editors at major academic presses and academics with editorial experience in leading journals that cover these subfields. Eve Setch is a publisher at Routledge, a major trade publisher of academic books in this area. Lucy Rhymer is a publisher at Cambridge University Press, where she has brought many books and book series to fruition. They both bring valuable knowledge of publishing books and editorials to the panel. Contributing to the discussion from the perspective of periodicals are Kalle Pihlainen, Editor-in-Chief of the premier journal Rethinking History, and David Gary Shaw, a longtime Associate Editor of the oldest established academic periodical focused on historical theory, History and Theory. Daniel Woolf, editor of the Cambridge University Press series Elements in Historical Theory and Practice, will chair the panel in collaboration with Marnie Hughes-Warrington, author of numerous books and articles on historiography and the philosophy of history.

Throughout the discussion, the speakers will address various aspects of the publishing process. They will start by explaining how to submit an article or book proposal, as well as what editors and publishers look for in academic work. Drawing from their professional experience, the speakers will outline the processes of peer review, revision, production, and proofreading. Participants will also learn about common mistakes made by prospective authors and gain insight into the challenges of publishing. Finally, they will address other issues, such as Open Access, and answer questions from the online and in-person audience. The event will be conducted in an open-access, hybrid format to permit the greatest possible participation from students and early career researchers present in Leipzig or online.

This special event will give the audience a valuable glimpse into the world of publishing and provide them with the confidence and insights they need to publish their work.