In our new “how can we help you?” thread, a reader asks:
I promised a paper of mine to a collection that is supposed to be published by a good (but not tippy-top) press. Well, several years have passed, and the collection still hasn’t appeared, nor have there been any announcements about when it’s expected to be published, as far as I’m aware. The editors have also been largely unresponsive the few times that I’ve asked them for updates. Recently, though, one of the editors told me that it will come out later this year. But as it’s November and none of the contributors has heard anything about it, this prediction seems questionable, too, and I worry that we’re being strung along. At the same time, the editors are still listing the collection on their academic webpages, so it’s not entirely clear what’s going on.
What should I do? Should I withdraw the paper (or make clear that withdrawal is very much on the table unless there’s meaningful movement)? I’m early-career and on the tenure track, and while having this paper published won’t make or break my case for tenure, I’d still prefer that it be published, either in this collection or elsewhere, given how long it’s been since it was first written.
My sense is that this sort of thing seems to be common. I’ve come across people reporting similar things on social media on a number of occasions, and I suspect it is often because those editing the volume have trouble getting everyone to get their chapters in–which can string things out for a long time (especially if authors they need for the volume keep stalling/asking for extensions). Anyway, as to what to do, I guess if it were me I’d stick tight at least to the end of the year and then maybe reasess.
What do readers think? Any helpful tips or experiences to share?
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