Update on Black Confederates Manuscript: Reader Reports

Many of you have emailed over the past few months asking for an update about this manuscript. Earlier today I received the reader reports from the University of North Carolina Press for Searching For Black Confederates: The Civil War’s Most Persistent Myth. Both reports recommended that the manuscript should be published with some necessary revisions. Needless to say, I am extremely pleased with their assessment of the book. I can’t thank the outside reviewers enough for taking the time to critique my manuscript. It’s always helpful to have independent readers with different perspectives on the past point out places in the narrative/argument that are unclear or offer their own understanding of the relevant evidence.

The next step involves writing up a formal response to their suggestions and carrying through with the changes. Having quickly perused the reports it looks like I will accept most of their suggestions. My hope is to have the revisions completed over the next few weeks.

With this we are one giant step closer to publication.

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14 comments… add one
  • Douglas Egerton Mar 17, 2018 @ 10:27

    Terrific news, Kevin. I look forward to seeing this very important book in print.

    • Kevin Levin Mar 17, 2018 @ 13:00

      Thanks, Doug.

  • Julie Holcomb Mar 15, 2018 @ 3:52

    Congratulations, Kevin! I am looking forward to reading your book.

  • James F. Epperson Mar 15, 2018 @ 3:37

    Well done, Kevin! Can’t wait to read it!

  • Paul Taylor Mar 14, 2018 @ 14:53

    Hi Kevin, My heartiest congratulations! In each of the 3 books I have had published by university presses, the critiques and suggestions made by the outside scholars always resulted in a much better final product than what I had initially submitted. I’m sure you’ll agree. All the best. Can’t wait to read your new work!

    • Kevin Levin Mar 14, 2018 @ 14:58

      Hi Paul. I don’t work in the academic world. I don’t present at academic conferences or focus on publishing in academic journals. This is one of the few opportunities where I get to benefit from a very close critique of my work. I am always grateful for the time that outside readers take to review what I write. The final product is always better.

  • Msb Mar 14, 2018 @ 13:49

    Great news. Always good to have other eyes check a manuscript. Looking forward to reading this!

  • Scott Ledridge Mar 14, 2018 @ 8:45

    As someone that’s naive to the process of published work involving history, your updates have been eye-opening. It also makes me curious as to the process other dubious “historians” (that shall not be named) went through to get their works published.

    • Kevin Levin Mar 14, 2018 @ 9:25

      Hi Scott,

      Glad to hear it. I think it’s important for the reading public to understand how publishing with an academic press works.

    • Andy Hall Mar 14, 2018 @ 18:02

      There are lots of commercial publishers that will put out the other stuff, and there’s always self-publishing, which gets easier all the time. Going to an established, university press is in some ways more challenging, but it (quite rightly) carries with it much more scholarly heft. It’s a much higher bar.

      Well done, Kevin!

  • Waymon hinson Mar 14, 2018 @ 7:01

    Congratulations!

    • Kevin Levin Mar 14, 2018 @ 9:25

      Thanks, Waymon.

  • Robert Colton Mar 14, 2018 @ 6:54

    Great news. Looking forward to this book.

    • Kevin Levin Mar 14, 2018 @ 9:25

      Glad to hear it. Thanks.

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