Putting the Public in Publishing History
March 21, 2025
12:00-1:30pm

The gold standard of having done research in local history used to be to get it published. Is publishing the imprimatur from the history community that it once was? If you want to bring your information to the public, or sell it, might you as well create a website or (gasp!) self-publish? Or does it have advantages to having your or your organization’s book published by an actual publisher? What does it take to get a publisher interested in your work? And what does it get you? What series are out there? What trends? Join us for a conversation with and tips from two seasoned pros from the publishing world: Mary Dougherty from the University of Massachusetts Press and Erin Vosgien from Arcadia Publishing.

Registration is free. REGISTER HERE!

We will do our best to monitor your questions and comments during the conversation. A recording will be publicly available in the Conversations on the Commons Archive. This Conversation will be livestreamed on our YouTube channel. Questions? Email commons@masshistoryalliance.org

About our speakers:

Mary Dougherty (she/her/hers) became the third director of UMass Press in 2014. Before coming to UMass, she worked at both Bedford/St. Martin’s and Houghton Mifflin in Boston. She earned a PhD in American literature from Rutgers. Mary collaborates with all members of the Press staff, and she manages the Press’s financial and strategic planning, university relations, and fundraising. She also manages the Juniper Literary Contest.

Erin Vosgien has been an acquisitions editor with Arcadia Publishing, the nation’s leading publisher of regional and local history, for 22 years. Born and raised in New England, she currently resides in New Hampshire with her family. Her work through Arcadia has allowed her to combine her love of history and writing with the joy of connecting with historians, community groups, and archives across the county to share their passion for their community’s stories.

Conversations on the Commons Where people from Massachusetts history organizations get to vent, empathize, laugh, complain, think, collaborate, brainstorm, plan, and in general be up to no good.