The Role of A Publisher

Image by Drew Coffman. Retrieved from Flickr. Used under Creative Commons licensing.
Image by Drew Coffman. Retrieved from Flickr. Used under Creative Commons licensing.

Before “it” is in print or available online, many writers seek assistance from a publisher. So, what role can a publisher play in the process?

This October, the Scholarly Kitchen circulated a list of 73 Things Publishers Do (2013 Edition.) This post is a broader, continuation of tasks originally identified in 60 Things Journal Publishers Do (2012.)  The author, Kent Anderson, is the CEO/Publisher of the Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery, Inc.  Anderson includes a quick reference to the potential expense(s) for each of the 73 tasks listed ($-$$$$.) He also identifies the difficulty of navigating each undertaking using a metaphoric scheme describing the terrain.