In an interactive anthology, the readings are the picture, and the original interstitial content is the frame. Frame your reading selections with original writing that presents your ideas to the reader and helps to reinforce the topics in any third-party content.
Original Features May Include
- book preface and introduction
- topical introductions (by unit or chapter)
- introductions to the readings
- learning objectives
- post-reading questions for comprehension and critical thinking
An introduction to the sections or readings should tell readers
- how and why these readings were selected;
- what the main point of each reading is; and
- how the readings function as a body of work (if you are organizing readings into groups by topic or theme).
Questions should
- help readers assess how well they have understood the readings (comprehension); AND/OR …
- help readers think critically about what they have read.
A conclusion should
- clearly explain what you want readers to take away from the reading experience;
- briefly describe where the line of inquiry/field/discipline is headed; and
- end with some expression of good will towards readers.
Next, consider selecting additional images.
Images can spark interest, create context, and enhance the overall appeal of a book. Previously published readings will automatically include the figures and images they originally contained; we cannot remove or replace them. We can, however, insert new images in the unit introduction pages and alongside any original material you have created for the anthology. Your image selections can also be repurposed for skill-building exercises.
If you would like to include images in your book, Cognella project editors can help you find and select cost effective images that are also easy to license.
Please see Cognella’s Quick Guide: Selecting Images for more information on choosing images, available here.