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Why publish an SDG book?

Dr Keith Moser shares his experience of publishing an SDG-focused book with ¹ú²úÂÒÂ×. Throughout this blog, Keith takes us through his experience of writing the book, why he chose ¹ú²úÂÒÂ× as his publisher of choice, and the advice he would give to any authors considering embarking on their publishing journey.

How did you go about publishing an SDG-related book?

Given that was such an interdisciplinary project, I realized that I needed to find a publisher that does not expect researchers to adhere to traditional approaches within the confines of one particular field.  For a researcher like myself that incessantly transgresses disciplinary boundaries, or even acts like these demarcations do not exist at all, Palgrave Macmillan/¹ú²úÂÒÂ× is an ideal publisher.  When I learned about the SDG series, I immediately noticed that my project closely aligned with Sustainable Development Goal 13.1 related to anthropogenic climate change.

What is your book about? 

This book project explores how the global COVID-19 pandemic implores us to reexamine our scientific and philosophical understandings of the biosphere and our place in it.  Adopting a biosemiotic approach, Contemporary French Environmental Thought in the Post-COVID-19 Era demonstrates what we can learn from a public health crisis that has exposed the shaky edifice of dominant anthropocentric thought paradigms.  As the title unequivocally implies, this study also highlights the richness, diversity, and utility of the ecological theories developed by the French philosophers Michel Serres, Edgar Morin, Jacques Derrida, Dominique Lestel, and 

Michel Onfray in addition to how they engage with biosemiotic principles.  Specifically, the interdiscipline of Biosemiotics that has united scientists and humanists alike in a common effort to understand the complexity of the meaningful and purposeful communication (i.e., semiosis) that occurs all throughout the universe from the most ¡°primitive¡± cell all the way up to Homo sapiens represents an invaluable theoretical framework for investigating the profound implications of COVID-19.

Why did you choose to publish an SDG-related book?

As I previously mentioned, my book project from its very inception was really a perfect fit for the SDG series.  It was an honor to contribute to this academic and humanistic initiative.  This series provides an invaluable platform for engaging in dialogue about the ecological crisis and proposing potential solutions.

What was your experience writing this book about the SDGs? 

To be honest, it was a very smooth experience since my research interests and my theoretical approaches in general line up perfectly with the SDG series.  As someone who has devoted my career to exploring a wide range of issues linked to social and ecological justice that transcend the porous borders of one specific discipline, it is almost second nature for me to write in this kind of fashion.  I really did not have to change anything at all!  It was just a matter of conducting research in the Humanities, the social sciences, and the hard sciences before connecting all of the dots in a meaningful way.

What was your publishing experience?

It was a pleasure to work with the entire PM/¹ú²úÂÒÂ× team.  Everyone with whom I collaborated was both friendly and professional throughout the entire process.  Moreover, there is an excellent system in place that guides the author and ensures that the final product is something of which everyone can be proud.  I would strongly encourage anyone to consider publishing with PM/¹ú²úÂÒÂ× because of the excellent team in place during all phases of the process.

What made you choose us?

As I suggested earlier, I consider PM/¹ú²úÂÒÂ× to be the premier publisher of cutting-edge, interdisciplinary research.  Compared to many other presses that are not open to radical interdisciplinarity that does not fit in a tiny little box (e.g., Literature series, Philosophy series, Linguistics series), PM/¹ú²úÂÒÂ× values and promotes innovation and originality.

What advice would you give to prospective authors? What should they be considering?

My advice to colleagues would be to not be afraid to transgress disciplinary boundaries in an effort to understand complex issues more fully.  Compared to the reaction of an acquisitions editor for another publisher who once told me that he would give his left kidney to publish one of my books but that his editorial board would never approve a project that weaves connections between numerous fields of study, PM/¹ú²úÂÒÂ× places a high value on innovation.  All joking aside, this interdisciplinary ethos is why PM/¹ú²úÂÒÂ× publishes such high-quality and original research.

What do the SDGs mean to you personally?

As I indicated earlier, it was truly an honor to publish in this special series.  As someone who is haunted by manifestations of social and ecological injustice around the globe, the humanistic aspects of this series appealed to me greatly.

What impact have you seen since or do you expect to see by having your book published?

As soon as my book was published, I was congratulated by colleagues from around the world.  It did not take long at all for my book to make a real impact within numerous fields.  Owing to the success of my book, I am having to be very selective about the invitations that I accept for contributing to peer-reviewed journals or edited volumes.  Moreover, my book has already been reviewed favorably and cited numerous times in academic publications.  In simple terms, Contemporary French Environmental Thought in the Post-COVID-19 Era took my career to a different level.

About the author

Keith Moser is Professor of French and Francophone Studies at Mississippi State University. He has more than 100 major publications including eight books and eighty-two articles.  His latest book is entitled Contemporary French Environmental Thought in the Post-COVID-19 Era. Moser¡¯s research examines many issues linked to social-ecological justice. His research focuses on Environmental Ethics (Environmental Philosophy, Philosophy of Science, Ecocriticism, Ecolinguistics, and Biosemiotics) and postmodern French thought as it relates to literature, Popular Culture, and society in general.