Am semnat contract cu Routledge sa  public o carte (doctoratul modificat). titlul: EU Foreign Policy and Post-Soviet Conflicts: Stealth Intervention. As fi preferat ceva mai flashy, dar merge si asa. Cum functioneaza industria tipografica in Vest. Iata parcursul meu: cautam o editura care ar publica cartea relativ rapid. Candidati – ME Sharpe si Routledge, Ashgate si Palgrave. Pana la urma Routledge mi-a oferit un contract.

O dilema aparte e daca merita publicata cu coperta moale sau tare. Care e diferenta – cu coperta moale sunt publicate, de obicei, cartile academice la care se asteapta vanzari ceva mai mari (si atunci costa 20-30 euro) – miza este ca editura va face profit din contul vanzarilor mai mari. Cartile – cu o piata de distributie mai mica – de cele mai multe ori sunt publicate cu coperta tare costa mai mult. Miza e ca acestea vor fi cumparate predominant de biblioteci, si editura va face  profit din vanzarea a mai putine copii. Preferintele autorului nici nu sunt luate in calcul. Un reviewer s sugerat sa fie publicata cu coperta tare (inclusiv din cauza crizei economice care a dus la scaderea vanzarilor), si editura a decis sa produca cartea mea cu coperta tare.

Problema principala ramane finalizarea cartii pana pe 1 mai.

Iata si cateva paragrafe despre continutul cartii:

The European Union is still emerging as a fully fledged foreign policy actor. The vagaries of this process are clearly visible, yet insufficiently explained in the EU policies towards the post-Soviet space.

This book examines EU intervention and non-intervention in conflict resolution, with a specific focus on the EU’s role in the post-soviet conflicts of Moldova, Abkhazia and South Ossetia in Georgia and Azerbaijan. Based on extensive field research, the author argues that the reluctant EU intervention in post-Soviet conflicts results from a dichotomous relationship between EU institutions and some EU member states and demonstrates that EU institutions use policies of ‘stealth intervention’ where they seek to play a greater role in the post-Soviet space, but they do so through relatively low-profile, uncontroversial and depoliticised actions in order to avoid visible Russian opposition.

Exploring an array of questions related to the EU as a foreign policy actor, relations between the EU institutions and the foreign policy priorities of EU member states, the nature of the EU-Russia partnership, and the European neighbourhood policy, this book will be of interest to students and scholars of European politics, conflict resolution, foreign policy and Post-Soviet politics.