‘A Sub-What?’ FAQs on the Mysterious Book Subvention

Editor’s Note: Previously, this series on scholarly publishing has offered advice on approaching an editor, getting a book contract, and writing a “timely” book.

I received a contract for my monograph in 2015, while working full time outside of academe in nonprofit fund raising. Like most first-book authors, I had never seen a book contract, so I sought advice from a grad-school friend whose manuscript was under contract with another university press.

“Just make sure the contract you sign doesn’t require you to pay the publisher a subvention.”