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Dear Fellow Member of PIASA:
Since the inception of our Institute’s book publishing arm, PIASA Books, we have brought out several important Poland-oriented studies from the pen of eminent scholars. Polish Language Learning Framework, by Leonard Polakiewicz, et al., is a reference work on Polish Language acquisition which should be found on every Polonist’s bookshelf. World-renowned Slavist Harold Segel offered us his seminal Political Thought in Renaissance Poland, the first comprehensive anthology of Polish Renaissance political writings, in English, contextualized by the author’s brilliant historical introduction. Richard Hunter’s new work on Polish economy and political science (written in concert with Brother Leo Ryan and Robert Shapiro) takes an unique and well-informed look at Poland since its transformation to a democratic, free market-based society, and is a helpful guide to the understanding of both the present Republic of Poland, and its future in the European Union. Several other projects are currently underway, including an anthology of the writings, in both prose and verse, of one of our founders, the poet Jan Lechon, which Beata Dorosz of the IBL in Warsaw is currently preparing as PIASA’s contribution to the commemoration of the fiftieth anniversary of the poet’s tragic death, in 2006.
PIASA Books is not a commercial publisher. Our editors and typesetters receive no salary for their work, nor do we employ a marketing staff to disseminate our wares. We are not profit-driven, like mainstream publishers. Our one and only goal is to facilitate the publication of worthy titles on Poland and things Polish, which , as you know, are quite difficult to place in the publishing community at large. Although PIASA, as a society of scholars, is committed to the task of publishing books as well as our scholarly journal, The Polish Review, and although our expenses are covered, in part, by the publication budget of the Institute, help from you, our members, would be greatly appreciated in the dissemination of our titles and support of our endeavors. It is for this reason that I am writing to you now. If you would like to keep this worthwhile project functioning for years to come, I encourage you to:
· Ask your library to order our titles. PIASA Members affiliated with institutions of higher learning might request their institutional libraries to order at least one copy of each of our titles, as they appear. We offer libraries a 30% discount on list price.
· When possible, adopt our books for your classes. The same discount rate applies to bookstore orders.
· Submit your queries to our editorial board. Do you have a manuscript in Polish history, literature, art, economics or sociology that you are seeking to publish? We at PIASA Books would be honored to consider it for publication in our series. Of course, although not every submission to the editors is accepted for publication, those that are can be assured of a swift publishing schedule. Titles accepted for publication by PIASA Books are usually in print from six to eight months after the manuscript has been accepted and the Author’s Agreement signed.
Finally, if you would like to purchase a copy of a title published by PIASA Books for your own personal library, as a member of PIASA you are entitled to a 15% discount off list price.
Please consider helping us propagate our publishing arm. Your support will be greatly appreciated.
Charles S. Kraszewski
Senior Editor, PIASA Books |