FIG1 APA's publishing arm,
American Psychiatric Publishing Inc. (APPI), had another banner year in 2004.
Under the leadership of CEO Ron McMillen and Editor in Chief Robert Hales,
M.D., APPI's success is attributable to producing a wide variety of
high-quality publications to serve the diverse information needs of APA
members and nonmember mental health professionals.
With 750 books in print, seven journals, a new Web portal at<PsychiatryOnline.com>,
and more than 40 new titles each year, APPI's status as the leading publisher
in psychiatry is well known in the publishing and mental health
communities.
APPI's mission is to publish authoritative, up-to-date, and affordable
books for psychiatrists, trainees, policymakers, and mental health and other
health care professionals.
As a niche publisher, APPI focuses its acquisition efforts, manufacturing
expenses, and marketing resources on the relatively small, well-defined
psychiatry market and thus is able to compete effectively with larger
publishers that are required to cover wider fields of interest.
However, within the psychiatry market, APPI focuses on the needs of a
diverse group of academic, research, and clinical psychiatrists with a variety
of interests and information needs.
Books and electronic publications are acquired with two main considerations
in mind: subject area and end-use context.
The subject areas include everything from in-depth discussions of catatonia
to comprehensive coverage of personality disorders, forensic psychiatry, and
psychosomatic medicine. Psychotherapy is the focus of the largest category of
APPI books.
End-use contexts include formats such as textbooks, professional texts,
clinical manuals, concise guides, e-books, and PsychiatryOnline, where APPI
books and journals come together in a powerful online reference. Each new
project is undertaken within the larger context of subject category, end-use
context, and editorial calendar.
At any given time, APPI may have 80 books in development. Such aggressive
acquisition efforts have led to a 2005 list that includes an impressive array
of new books, including a focus on comprehensive textbooks that serve as
primary information references. Textbooks on APPI's 2005 list include
American Psychiatric Publishing Textbook of Psychosomatic Medicine,
American Psychiatric Publishing Textbook of Personality Disorders,
Psychodynamic Psychiatry in Clinical Practice, 4th Edition, American
Psychiatric Publishing Textbook of Psychoanalysis, and American
Psychiatric Publishing Textbook of Mood Disorders.
Other books on the 2005 list include titles on complementary and
alternative medicine; issues relevant to women's mental health; manuals of
geriatric, pediatric, and adult psychopharmacology; books in collaboration
with patient advocacy groups; online self-assessment exams and
board-preparation books; books on practicing in a correctional setting,
community setting, and private practice; books on education, research, and
career development; books for quality improvement in practice; and a popular
new series on core competencies in psychotherapy, edited by Glen Gabbard,
M.D.
Developing new products in the face of changing technologies and increasing
competition led to a new APPI electronic publishing initiative in
March—PsychiatryOnline, which provides access to APPI references for
patient diagnosis, treatment, professional development, and lifelong learning.
The site's integrated full-text resources include DSM-IV-TR, APA's
practice guidelines, American Journal of Psychiatry and four other
psychiatry journals, American Psychiatric Publishing Textbook of Clinical
Psychiatry, and self-assessment tools for board certification,
recertification, and CME.
The site, at<PsychiatryOnline.com>,
features a powerful search engine that allows search refinement by books
versus journals, title, and increasingly specific subtopics, speeding users to
exactly what they're looking for. Related content links and hyperlinked
references allow users to connect quickly from diagnosis and treatment to the
latest research. The Web site's book content is completely portable, allowing
users to select any section they need for instant download to their PDA.
"The vital resources and services of PsychiatryOnline are accessible
from wherever our customers might be—home, office, or hospital,"
said Pam Harley, director of APPI's e-publishing strategy and product
development. "More and more, psychiatrists need trusted answers fast and
on the spot, and APPI is working hard to provide anytime, anywhere access to
information."
The site is available to individuals through subscription and to
institutions through site licenses. APA members receive a substantial discount
on subscription rates.
APPI is always on the lookout for ideas for new books and electronic
products and welcomes new authors. If you have a book idea, contact Dr. Hales
by e-mail at
rehales@ucdavis.edu
or John McDuffie at
jmcduffie@psych.org.
More information about APPI publications is posted at<www.appi.org>.▪