How do you make a book?

We have a cover! And a pub date!

There is…a lot happening politically right now. In my small academic niche, the group chats have been abuzz with recent happenings at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the National Science Foundation (NSF), two MAJOR sources of grant funding for social science research that were effectively locked down earlier this week following an executive order (and then un-locked down? sort of?).

While we are long on speculation and short on actual intel, I’m channeling my nervous energy into work that feels more within my control: proofreading my book! Since I turned in the manuscript over the summer, a lot has been happening behind the scenes to transform it from MS Word Document to physical object with that delicious new-book smell.¹

I’m nearing the end of the “production” phase—i.e., the pre-publication process wherein the text and design get finalized before the book is sent to the printer—so now feels like a good moment to reflect on what “production” entails from an author’s perspective. (Hint: more than I realized…)

You may have zero authorial ambitions yourself. That’s cool! My hope is that learning about the work involved in creating cultural products like this one will nevertheless enhance your readerly enjoyment.

First, though, cue the imaginary drumroll: What’s on Her Mind: The Mental Workload of Family Life will be out in the world on September 9^th (and for my UK friends, November 4th). It’s got a stunning cover, thanks to the brilliant designers at Princeton University Press. It’s not out for preorder yet, but you can sign up here to be notified (or simply rest assured that I will notify you right here).

So surreal! Find out more here.

Here’s a little teaser from the jacket copy:

Mothers and fathers use their time differently, with women spending roughly twice as many hours on family labor as men. But what about the gendered differences in the ways women and men think? What’s on Her Mind provides an illuminating look at the cognitive labor that families depend on and reveals why this essential aspect of family life is disproportionately handled by women—even in couples that aspire to practice equality.

Now on to the production deep dive, plus my hot take on the delicate art of cover design. Let’s just say I had very strong feelings about what I wanted – or rather, what I really didn’t – in a cover.

If you’re interested in behind-the-scenes posts like this one (or just feeling motivated to support my work), consider upgrading!