Turning Your Social Work Research into a Best-Seller: (Almost) Everything You Need to Know about Agents, Publishers, Speakers Bureaus and Being Newsworthy

Workshop Description With 17 books published, Dr. Michael Ungar has written best-sellers for caregivers, employers and mental health professionals that build on the results of more than 25 years of well-funded Social Work research. Building on that success, and as an example of how to democratize knowledge, this workshop will provide strategies to turn good quality Social Work research into publications that can reach a wider audience and share results for maximum impact. The topics that will be covered include: (1) how to extract a great idea from your thesis or other published research and the ethics of writing about your study; (2) how to create engaging books, whether for a general audience or for practicing social workers; (3) how to look for an agent (when one is necessary); (4) how to find a publisher (and the many different types); (5) what to expect when working with an editor; (5) the many issues related to page proofs, layout, cover art and language; (6) navigating the many ways to get a book noticed, from developing a marketing plan to promoting your own social media, book launches, conference sales, and creating a website; (7) getting in the news and being noticed by bloggers and social media influencers, television and radio shows, and featured in magazines; (8) what you can expect to earn financially; (9) how to make this work relevant to your academic career and acceptable to a promotion and tenure committee; and (10) the joy of writing and sharing Social Work scholarship. Dr. Ungar has worked with agents and publishers across Canada and the US and is recognized both as a world-renowned speaker and author. In 2022, he was ranked the number one Social Work scholar in the world (h-index 77) and is in the top .5% of all scientists. In part, that success has been driven by his efforts to make his research relevant beyond the university. His most popular press books include Change Your World: The Science of Resilience and the True Path to Success (Sutherland House, 2019) and Too Safe for Their Own Good (McClelland & Stewart/Random House, 2007). He has also published a number of best-selling books for professionals, including Working with Children and Youth with Complex Needs, now in its second edition. Dr. Ungar's blog, Nurturing Resilience, can be read on Psychology Today's website and has received over 1.6M reads. Drawing on all this experience, and building on his role as the founder and Director of the Resilience Research Centre at Dalhousie University, as well as being a Professor of Social Work, Dr. Ungar has become among the very best-known Social Work scholars in the world, with him continuing to present annually at events on six continents.on 4-7-2023-->