Letter from Chair

Dear PSP Member,

Once again that time of year is upon us—when publishers from across the country compete for the distinguished R. R. Hawkins Award and other top prizes in more than 35 categories presented by the Professional and Scholarly Publishing (PSP) Division of the Association of American Publishers. As a member of the PSP Executive Council and the new Chairman of the PSP Awards Program, I invite you to submit your outstanding professional, reference, text, or scholarly work for the 2008 Awards.

As the Awards Program enters its 33rd year, the Awards Committee is instituting a number of changes to increase and enhance the visibility, recognition, and prestige of the Awards. The 2008 Awards will relaunch as the American Publishers Awards for Professional and Scholarly Excellence (PROSE), which is just one step in a rebranding effort that will make our program the premier awards for outstanding professional and scholarly publishing in the United States. Increased online presence, expanded eligibility requirements, flexibility in judging prerogative, and overall improvement of the Awards Luncheon, including a multimedia component, will only add to the new and improved Awards.

The new PROSE Awards also offer publishers an increased chance of winning a prize. For 2008, the Awards Committee has set no limit on the number of submissions per publisher in any category, allowed for more freedom in the judging criteria, and expanded the categories to encourage publishers to submit both print and electronic products. The Committee also encourages publishers to provide more information about their submissions by including supplementary materials in the form of published reviews; reader reports; and/or editor, publisher, or writer endorsements.

Further details on judging criteria and eligibility rules, as well as the Awards entry form, can be found in the attached booklet and on the PSP website: www.pspcentral.org. Please contact the PSP Division at 212.255.0200 ext. 226 with any additional questions.

I sincerely hope that you will answer the call by submitting your most exceptional works for consideration for the 2008 PROSE Awards.

Best regards,

John A. Jenkins
President and Publisher, CQ Press
Co-Chairman, PSP Books Committee