Advisor pushing me to publish with Springer. I prefer Routledge

[mamselle]

The time necessary to make the revisions for Oxford will be amply rewarded in the increased prestige. If Oxford wants more revisions than Springer or Routledge, it means their standards are higher — which is good.  And 3-6 months' extra time before publication is not going to make any appreciable difference. If it makes your advisor mad, your advisor is ill-informed.  Really, it would be insane to choose Springer or Routledge over Oxford. Get going on those revisions.

+1  Oxford -- if it's understood that after you make their requested revisions they will, indeed, publish.

OK, glad to see these, that's what I was thinking but wasn't certain enough I had things in the proper perspective to say so.

+1 more for Oxford.

M.

[Ancient Fellow]

The way I had always understood things in several disciplines in the humanities was this:

Monograph Proposal: Can send to multiple publishers, using language of "not under review elsewhere."

Complete Manuscript: Send to one publisher only, who gets exclusive right of review while they are paying reviewers to go through it and coming to a decision about a contract.

[Sun_Worshiper]

Not sure about your field, but in my area Oxford is by far the most valuable of these options, followed by Routledge.  If your advisor can't understand why you'd want a more prestigious publisher then they are the problem. 

[darkstarrynight]

Not sure if this is helpful, but I have published with Routledge and it was a frustrating experience. I had to forcefully negotiate the contract so the press would not have first right of refusal on all future books, and I sure am glad I did that. The editors were not helpful, hid a lot of information, and then at the last minute, decided to charge against future royalties for indexing. My book has been out a year, and before the pandemic, the editors were at a major conference in my field, and promised to have my book displayed at the Routledge booth knowing I would be there. Guess what? It "must have been the one book lost in shipment" to the hotel, sure. I have never gotten any royalties statement either, though the contract promised one every quarter. When I inquire, the editors forward my email to someone else. I guess I am still paying the indexer from two years ago. I would avoid Routledge.

[Hegemony]

I've published with Routledge, and I haven't had any of those problems. I always do my indexes myself, though. Nevertheless, I would always take an Oxford contract over a Routledge contact. The books get wider sales, too.

[fourhats]

Also, my understanding is that Oxford books remain in print longer than those published by Routledge.

[darkstarrynight]

I've published with Routledge, and I haven't had any of those problems. I always do my indexes myself, though. Nevertheless, I would always take an Oxford contract over a Routledge contact. The books get wider sales, too.

Fair enough, Hegemony. We were not told we needed to do our own index until we were up against the deadline to submit the entire book (maybe a few days' notice) and the information the editors sent was quite complicated when we were already too busy with finalizing the text. It seemed daunting.

[Golazo]

I'm familiar with political science. I'm not sure the OP is clear about where they are in the publication process. OP-has the book been sent out for peer review, and you have reader reports recommending publication? Or have you only received the editor evaluation? In book fields in the social sciences it generally is ok to shop your proposal (which will very from a 10 page concept document to most of the manuscript, depending on press and topic) to multiple presses. However, you can only sign a contract with one--which will publish contingent on positive peer review. Clearly Oxford >> Routledge > (maybe >>) Springer in most fields of PSCI. Do you mind IDing the sub-field? In some cases Routledge is closer to Oxford than others.

What is your career goal? If you want a job at an R1 or top LAC you need the Oxford book. If you are looking below this than Routledge will be fine

On the other hand, if your manuscript was sent out for peer review by multiple publishers, and they have paid people to review your book, you certainly would be burning bridges if the reviews came back positively (it is ok after getting a maybe if I like the revisions reply to send it somewhere else).

If your adviser is using a lot of his/her influence to get the editor at Springer to consider your book that should have been a conversation at the outset--"I'd like you to send your revised dissertation to Springer--this would help me and the dept."

[dr_codex]

I'm familiar with political science. I'm not sure the OP is clear about where they are in the publication process. OP-has the book been sent out for peer review, and you have reader reports recommending publication? Or have you only received the editor evaluation? In book fields in the social sciences it generally is ok to shop your proposal (which will very from a 10 page concept document to most of the manuscript, depending on press and topic) to multiple presses. However, you can only sign a contract with one--which will publish contingent on positive peer review. Clearly Oxford >> Routledge > (maybe >>) Springer in most fields of PSCI. Do you mind IDing the sub-field? In some cases Routledge is closer to Oxford than others.

What is your career goal? If you want a job at an R1 or top LAC you need the Oxford book. If you are looking below this than Routledge will be fine

On the other hand, if your manuscript was sent out for peer review by multiple publishers, and they have paid people to review your book, you certainly would be burning bridges if the reviews came back positively (it is ok after getting a maybe if I like the revisions reply to send it somewhere else).

If your adviser is using a lot of his/her influence to get the editor at Springer to consider your book that should have been a conversation at the outset--"I'd like you to send your revised dissertation to Springer--this would help me and the dept."

I'm in Literature, and would do a lot of revision if Oxford were interested. Only if I needed something very quickly for tenure would I consider the other two.

Routledge is fine, but as others have noted, very expensive. Palgrave is ok, but very ideosyncratic. They had a sale last year and I bought about two dozen volumes (it was a really good sale!); about half of them are worth keeping.

Yes, editors are often looking for mss., and people with dissertations in hand are likely prospects. But be crystal clear what you are up to in your submissions, so that there's no misunderstanding later.

And congratulations. This is a good problem to have.