This week I got to see my new textbook in real life! It’s fantastically satisfying to hold the book in my hands and leaf through it, admiring the design that has brought the text to life. And I don't think I'm the only one who loves the smell of new books - or old ones for that matter!
There was certainly a sense of accomplishment when I completed a first draft, sent the final version to the editor or ticked off the last copyediting query. But it was only when the book itself arrived that I felt I’d actually produced something. And that feeling reminded me of the concept of task identity. One of the key contributors to job satisfaction is the extent to which we get to complete a whole task in our jobs.
In our increasingly collaborative and interconnected world, the final product of our work can sometimes feel very far removed from our own efforts. Holding this book in my hands really brought home to me how much book writing is a team effort. Having knowledgeable and engaged editors helps elevate the content beyond what I could manage on my own, while proof-readers and indexers are able to pick up all the little details that I miss. And the colourful design and photos, in the book itself and the companion website, make the book much more attractive than the dull word documents I was producing!
In fact, seeing all of our creative efforts come together into a single piece of work seems to me to be a perfect example of task identity in a creative, collaborative world.