The Text and Academic Authors Association (TAA) is the only nonprofit membership association dedicated solely to assisting textbook and academic authors. TAA's overall mission is to enhance the quality of textbooks and other academic materials, such as journal articles, monographs and scholarly books, in all fields and disciplines, by providing its textbook and academic author members with educational and networking opportunities.
TAA was founded in 1987 by math author Mike Keedy and is now governed by a TAA Council made up of textbook and academic authors. Read about TAA's history.
TAA is the voice for textbook and academic authors.
TAA developed a pamphlet entitled, "Stomp the Comp," that discourages faculty from selling complimentary copies to book resellers, a practice that is harmful to authors and contributes to the rising cost of textbooks. TAA has also written a position statement on the academic value of textbooks, a Code of Ethics for Authors, and a guide for authors in negotiating contracts with publishers.
TAA sponsors the following activities:
Publication Grants
Authors are eligible for grants of up to $750 to subsidize the cost of publishing scholarly journal articles or books, e.g., the preparation of art-work, having the article formatted to the journal's style, the preparation of photographic images, and straightforward publication costs.Academic Authoring Workshops
TAA sponsors workshops on college and university campuses across the country. These workshops are designed to assist academic authors in jump-starting their writing, getting their writing published, finishing their dissertations, and writing effective grant proposals.Annual Conferences
TAA holds annual conferences as a way to educate textbook and academic authors on topics such as authoring scholarly journal articles, and books, finishing a dissertation, working with editors, working with coauthors, indexing, legal issues surrounding copyright, negotiating contracts, textbook authoring, and the preparation of ancillary materials, as well as providing them with plenty of opportunities for networking.Awards
Each year, TAA recognizes the best new textbooks with its Textbook Excellence Awards ("Textys"), and the textbooks that have shown the greatest longevity with its McGuffey Longevity Awards ("McGuffeys")
Why Join?
As a TAA member, you'll receive TAA's monthly print newsletter, The Academic Author, which contains news and information about the textbook and academic authoring industry, how-to information, member and author profiles, and association news. You'll also receive TAA News Alerts, bi-monthly email messages that keep you up-to-date on association and industry news in between issues of The Academic Author.
>> Sample issue of The Academic Author (PDF will download into separate window)
TAA members also gain access to the Members-only Section of the TAA website, which contains:
- Full text of articles featured on the TAA home page
- Special documents such as a model textbook contract, TAA position statements and surveys
- An online mentoring directory
- Archives of The Academic Author (dating back to the association's founding in 1987) and e-mailed TAA News Alerts
- Textbook Authoring and Academic Authoring Listserv archives
- Podcasts of TAA Audio Conferences & Webinars
Other TAA Member Benefits include:
TAA Audio Conferences & Webinars
Members can participate in live, interactive 60-90 minute sessions for an opportunity to ask questions, or download the sessions as podcasts (mp3) and listen at a time that is convenient for them. TAA members can participate in as many audio conferences as they would like, for free.TAA Chapters
A TAA chapter is a great way to incorporate the association's member benefits and resources into your writing group or professional development activities. You can start a TAA chapter with as few as 15 people.Mentor-A-Member Program
TAA's members-only online mentoring directory allows members to match themselves with veteran academic and textbook authors.Legal Assistance
TAA members receive a free legal consultation, referrals to attorneys with experience in publishing, and discounts on legal fees.Discounted Editing Services
TAA members receive discounts of up to 20 percent off editing services from select editors.TAA Listservs
Questions about authoring or publishing posted on TAA's members-only listservs, TAA Textbook Authoring and TAA Academic Authoring, typically generate several helpful responses within a few days.— And the ability to network with other textbook and academic authors!
Dues:
Members can self-designate the level of membership dues that fit their situations.
First-year dues:
$30
$15 Graduate Students/Instructors/Postdoctoral Fellows
2nd year and later:
Academic Authors
$15 Graduate
Students/Instructors/Postdoctoral Fellows
$30 Assistant Professors
$55 Associate Professors
$75 Professors
Textbook Authors
$30
Royalties under $5,000 a year
$75 Royalties above $5,000 a year
All Members
$35 Emeritus
Member
– If you are retired and/or no longer writing or revising
and your royalty income is less than $5,000 annually
$55 Professional Member (Examples: agent, indexer, editor, publisher, etc.)
You are encouraged to voluntarily become a Contributing or Sustaining Member:
$100 Contributing
Member – If your annual royalty income exceeds $10,000
$150 Sustaining Member – If your annual royalty income exceeds
$25,000
Questions? Call (727) 563-0020 or email TextandAcademicAuthors@taaonline.net.
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