By Daniela Carl is Deputy Chief Executive Officer at the Regional Studies Association.
The RSA Regions and Cities Book Series has published regional research since 1997, with several new books published yearly. The series currently has over 150 books published with Routledge.
The Book Series brings together international and interdisciplinary research on the resurgence of regions and cities. It is interdisciplinary and international in focus and aims at geographers, economists, sociologists, political scientists, cultural scholars, and policymakers involved in regional and urban development.
As marketing support for books, in general, seems limited (compared to the marketing of journal articles), the RSA has developed a programme of dissemination support to widen the reach of books and authors publishing in the series. As part of this work, we highlight and promote new books, run book launch webinars, publish book reviews, and promote these to global audiences. All of those have increased awareness of the books.
We have asked authors why they published in the Regions and Cities Book Series:
“I would like to thank the RSA for supporting the dissemination and marketing of our open-access book titled “The Covid-19 Pandemic and the Future of Working Spaces” published in the Regions and Cities Book series. This support is free, and the authors really need it to disseminate their work. The RSA has promoted the book via a news item on the RSA website, social media promotion, publishing a book review in the Regions magazine, and organising a webinar to present the book. All of these actions have promoted the book’s visibility.”
Ilaria Mariotti, Associate Professor of Urban and Regional Economics, DAStU-Politecnico di Milano, Italy. For the recording of the book launch and more details on the book, go to Open Access book: The COVID-19 Pandemic and the Future of Working Spaces.
“As the premier organization in the area of urban and regional studies, the RSA provides invaluable service to scholars and other researchers throughout the world. Its reviews of published books in its several scholarly journals, and the articles it publishes, enrich and sustain the research ability of all of us who value high quality research, and who endeavour to contribute to this body of work ourselves.”
Peter Karl Kresl, Charles P. Vaughan Professor of Economics Emeritus, Bucknell University, USA. Peter’s recent book in the series Urban Competitiveness in Developing Economies (2020 & PB 2022) won the RSA’s Best Book Award in 2023. The book review of this book has been published in Regions e-zine as Urban Competitiveness and Developing Economies (book review).
If you would like to discuss a potential new book for the RSA Book Series, please get in touch with the Series Editor-in-Chief Joan Fitzgerald at email Joan Fitzgerald or the Routledge Commissioning Editor Kristina Abbotts at email Kristina Abbotts.
The Regions and Cities Book Series welcomes Open Access projects. Please contact Kristina Abbotts or visit Routledge Open Access for more details.
If you are thinking of publishing a book in general, you might also find the recent Professional Development Webinar on ‘Publishing a book: From idea to contract to print’ useful. RSA members can access the recording via the RSA Lounge.
