Request for Authors
TouchSmart Publishing, LLC, welcomes inquiries from aspiring and seasoned authors. Whether you have a concept or a manuscript, we will consider it.
We work with publishers of supplements and textbooks targeted primarily to K-12 students, including those with special needs, in all subject areas. Through a partnership between the author and the publisher, as well as a partnership between the publisher and the distribution and sales channels, we can place an author's work directly into the marketplace. Figure 1 shows this relationship.
Figure 1: Author, TouchSmart, and Distributing Publisher Relationship.
Our books are unique because our touch user interface (TUI) technology enables students to press pictures or words on the printed page, using only a finger or a pointer, and retrieve digital content.
For example, a student reading about an Egyptian pyramid can press the picture of the pyramid and view a 5-minute video clip of an archaeologist leading a tour through that pyramid. The reader can also press the paragraph and have the paragraph read aloud.
The text can be Braille for those with visual impairments. The touch-sensitivity allows those with physical impairments to access the content by using a pointer. For those with hearing impairments, the digital content can be ASL or sub-captioned.
If you are interested in authoring a book that we can present to a publisher, we need a 1- to 2-page brief describing your idea, a resume or curriculum vita, and a Prospectus.
Prospectus
A Prospectus describes your proposed work. It summarizes the purpose, goals, vision, and strategy for executing and creating the final product. Usually the person who prepares and submits a Prospectus is the sole author. However, we deliver more than simply a paper-based book. Our books are comprised of both paper (front-end) and digital (back-end) pieces. When the student presses a picture/word (TUI) in the book (front-end) s/he is propelled to a website, video clip, animation, etc. (back-end). We recognize that developing the back-end content is usually outside the realm of a single author’s expertise. Therefore, assuming you are proposing to create the front-end content, be advised that upon acceptance of the Prospectus we will locate a co-author to develop/provide the back-end content.
Although the format of the Prospectus is up to you, there is specific information it needs to provide. Tell us why the field of education needs your work. Tell us why you want to develop this learning material. And be certain the Prospectus addresses all of the following items thoroughly and clearly.
1. What are the proposed goals of your textbook, supplement, or book?
2. What is the subject and learning level of the proposed project?
3. What skills and knowledge must end-users (teachers and students) have in order to use and learn from the finished material?
4. How will your material be different from other materials already available in the market?
5. What students (e.g., ones with special needs) will be able to use your material?
6. What content piece (front-end and/or back-end) do you propose to provide?
- • If your proposal is for front-end (paper) content, provide examples of how the page will be laid out and the TUIs applied (see Figure 2 and this sample page). Provide examples illustrating how the front-end can be augmented by interactivity (back-end) to change the way a specific concept or topic is delivered.
- • If your proposal is for back-end (digital) content, provide samples or a portfolio of your digital content productions. Specify the type of technology platform (DVD/TV and/or PC/Mac) that you propose to have interact with the book (see Figure 3 for the system architecture).
Additional required information:
1. Table of contents (outline). Include subheadings that indicate and help describe the depth and scope (range) of the learning material. The table of contents is critical for both end-users (teachers and students) and reviewers.
2. Suggested list of reviewers. These individuals must be knowledgeable about the content area in which you propose to develop the learning material.
3. Sample proposed materials. The more you provide the better we will understand your vision and intended scope of work.
4. Summary timeline. This must have a starting and ending date, as well as interim benchmarks or points indicating completion of major tasks.
Figure 2: Touch User Interfaces (TUIs) that Reside on the Paper (front-end).
Figure 3: Learning Material System Architecture
PDF version of this information is availabe here.