Academic Books with Chunyan Shu

This episode explores the ins and outs of academic book publishing through a conversation with Chunyan Shu. Chunyan received a PhD in Chinese Studies from Leiden University in 2013, and she currently works as an Acquisitions Editor at Brill. Brill was founded in Leiden in 1683, and it has since become a well-known publishing house around the globe, particularly with respect to Asian Studies. The world of academic publishing can often feel daunting for young scholars, especially for those who have not received much guidance in the process of crafting and pitching an academic monograph. As someone with lots of experience as both a scholar and academic editor, Chunyan is an ideal guest to help demystify these processes. In this conversation, we discuss all manner of things related to the current landscape of Asian Studies publishing—from the history of Brill itself to what makes a compelling book proposal, from common misconceptions to the future of academic books.