Shelley joined SAS Press in early February. We asked her to share a few thoughts about her new role as an acquisitions editor.

What is your role in SAS Publishing?
I am responsible for recruiting authors. We've worked with some terrific authors over the years and I'm here to help find more people interested in writing books. It can be someone new to the authoring world, or one of our existing authors with a new story to tell.

Are there particular areas that you're focusing your recruiting efforts on?
SAS is especially interested in industry-related books. We see a need for books specific to the retail, financial services, health care, manufacturing, communications, insurance, and pharmaceutical industries. But, of course, we're open to any industry as long as there's a need for the content. And we can't forget the analytics and programming books; these continue to be in great demand by SAS users. It's a long list; I could go on and on. Let's just say I'm open to talking about any topic!

What should people do if they're interested in writing a book?
Our Web site has a lot of good information on it. That's a good place to start. It gives a nice overview of the authoring program and how SAS Press helps guide authors through the entire process. If prospective authors will be attending any of the SAS or users group conferences this year, they can stop by the Publishing booth and speak to a representative. And they're always welcome to e-mail me directly. I love hearing from the people who know and use our software. So, start sending me those ideas.

You'll find Shelley at SAS Global Forum in San Antonio, PharmaSUG in Atlanta, and M2008 and The Premiere Business Leadership Series in Las Vegas