APPI Books Address Wide Range Of Member Interests

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 [email protected] or John McDuffie at [email protected]. More information about APPI publications is posted at<www.appi.org>.▪