An edited volume or edited collection is a collection of scholarly or scientific chapters written by different authors. The chapters in an edited volume are original works (not republished works). Alternative terms for edited volume are ''contributed volume'', ''edited collection'' and ''multiauthor volume''. All these terms emphasize that the book is a collection of chapters contributed by different authors and harmonized by an editor. Edited volumes are of interest in academic publishing because they present different viewpoints and experiences on a common theme. An edited volume is unlike an

anthology In book publishing, an anthology is a collection of literary works chosen by the compiler; it may be a collection of plays, poems, short stories, songs or excerpts by different authors. In genre fiction, the term ''anthology'' typically categ ...

, which is a collection of republished short literary works by different authors. It is also not a

collected edition The complete works of an artist, writer, musician, group, etc., is a collection of all of their cultural works. For example, ''Complete Works of Shakespeare'' is an edition containing all the plays and poems of William Shakespeare. A ''Complete W ...

, which brings together already-published works by a single author and is edited by a publisher. It is different from a reader, which contains collected texts for learning purposes. Finally, it is different from proceedings, which contain articles written by different authors who present them at a scientific conference.

Role of the editor

The

editor Editing is the process of selecting and preparing written, photographic, visual, audible, or cinematic material used by a person or an entity to convey a message or information. The editing process can involve correction, condensation, orga ...

(or editors, often there are several) of an edited volume is the key figure in conceiving and producing the book. He or she is responsible for determining the book's purpose, structure and style (as laid out in a book proposal); for signing a book contract with an interested publisher; and for selecting the individual contributors who will write the chapters (and possibly the

foreword A foreword is a (usually short) piece of writing, sometimes placed at the beginning of a book or other piece of literature. Typically written by someone other than the primary author of the work, it often tells of some interaction between the ...

). Selecting the contributions may involve an open call for papers or may be conducted privately. The editor is also responsible for keeping the writing process on schedule and serves as the liaison between the publisher and the contributors. However, the task of "chasing contributions" can be substantial. The editor may also be a contributor to the volume, by writing some chapters (often with other authors) and especially by preparing a preface, an introduction or an afterword summarizing the main points. The editor also carries out the linguistic and substantive editing of the chapters before submitting the book manuscript to the publisher, and coordinates authors' review and correction of the proofs (preprints).

Contributors' responsibilities

Authors of individual chapters (contributors) sign ''contributor agreements'' that outline the topic and length of the chapter they are to write, the deadline for delivery, the copyright policy and the compensation (e.g. copies of the printed book). By accepting to contribute to the volume, they agree to prepare their chapters according to the book's style regarding, for example, the use of headings, illustrations, formatting and other text features.

References

{{Authority control Books by type Academic publishing Publishing Edited volumes

Role of the editor

Contributors' responsibilities

See also

References