…I want to write my own material for the book?

We always encourage authors to write original material, and we provide copyediting services to ensure your writing is flawless. Many authors choose to write a preface, introduction (for the book or each chapter), discussion questions, glossaries, and essays.

…I want to have colleagues contribute original chapters they’ve written exclusively for my book?

That’s great! Just be sure to add their work to your Readings and Excerpts Log. Insert their chapter title in Column B, their name and email address (for students, please include a permanent email address that isn’t affiliated with an institution) in Column E, and the anticipated number of pages of their work in Column F. This will provide our licensing team the information needed to provide them with necessary contributor release agreements.

…I would like to remove the original images or figures from a reading I have selected?

We are required to republish the original images or figures contained within a reading along with the text.

…I just want to use a short quote or excerpt from a third-party source?

If the quote/excerpt is short—350 words or less—we should be able to use it without incurring permissions fees. As a general guideline, if your quote is longer than a paragraph, include the source information in your reading list so we can verify if permissions are required.

…I want to include a bibliography? Do I need to include these references in the reading list, too?

No, you do not need to include standard bibliographic citations in the reading list. The reading list is only for previously published material that will be directly reprinted in the book, not for those that will only be referenced as research sources.

…I want flexibility in switching out readings between my preliminary and first edition?

If you want that level of flexibility, we’d suggest selecting all third-party material from our Cognella Digital Library or through our dedicated publisher partners. If you use readings from sources other than our digital library, we expect those readings to remain in the book for approximately three years (a full edition cycle) before any type of modification occurs. We will typically re-evaluate the contents of your book when planning the next edition, and there may be opportunity to switch out content, but it is never guaranteed.

…I would like to include material I previously wrote and published?

Great! As with any other previously published material, include it in your Readings and Excerpts Log for review and cite it within your actual manuscript. If the content is altered in any way, we may need to seek permission from the original publisher to use it in your Cognella text.

…I’ve found some open source content I’d like to use in my book? Like materials within the public domain, will these materials be free to use in my text?

Not necessarily. Open source content is defined as content that is readily available for public viewing. This content, despite its availability, may still require licensing considerations. If you’d like to include open source content in your book, you’ll still need to include it in your log, and it will be subject to a full licensing review.

Public domain works differ in that they are not subject to copyright protection and are free to use in published works. However, it’s still important to include public domain works in your Readings and Excerpts Log so our licensing team is aware of the version you’re using and can fully verify that it meets all the requirements for widespread publication.