Publishers get anywhere from several hundred to several thousand proposals for books very year, and most publish only a small fraction of what is submitted. In addition, peer review costs the publisher money, and all publishers have limited time and resources to spend on manuscripts that don't make sense for their particular list. Consequently, submissions outside of a press's area of expertise rarely merit an in-house reading and will likely be rejected. Blanket submissions to a large number of presses are therefore not to your advantage as a potential author.
On the other hand, it is to your distinct advantage to seek out publishers who have lists in relevant subject areas. Not only do you vastly increase your chances of landing a contract, but you also increase the potential for your book's success after it has been published. Books are more easily and efficiently marketed within an established list than as a single project, and you will consequently get broader exposure in the marketplace by publishing with an appropriate publisher (whether large or small).
Therefore, one of the most important things you can do is to research publishers. There are a number of ways to do so, including scouring publishers catalogs, visiting publishers on-line, checking out what publishers are doing both at scholarly conferences and in ads placed in the journals for your field. Who is publishing the sort of work that you're doing? More importantly, find out what houses are publishing those things at the current time. You should definitely look at the presses that have published seminal texts in your field, but make sure to get a current catalog as well and make sure they are still doing work in that field.
The best advice I can give you is to find the most appropriate publishers, and limit your submissions to those houses. Even if some seem like long shots, you will have a better chance at a prestigious press with a relevant publishing program.
At the end of this packet is a list of resources, both in print and on-line, for conducting this research on publishers. I've also included a list of all the web addresses I could find for the university press community.
Typically, larger publishing houses have more financial resources, more marketing clout, a more established reputation, and often lots of big name authors, so why publish with a small press if you have the option to go with a larger one? Because large presses are often over-committed, you may find yourself aggravated by a very long decision making process (it may be a year or more before you are offered a contract). Once the decision is finally made, it may take an even longer time before your book finally sees print.
Smaller presses will give you more personal attention, generally bring your project to market much faster, and your book could become the lead title instead of a project that is buried on page 25 of a large catalog. One disadvantage of dealing with a smaller publisher is that they often can't come up with the five-figure royalty advance you've been dreaming about, nor are they likely to send you on an expense-paid national author tour. There are pros and cons either way, but one should never rule out a smaller press that has a strong list ideally suited to your project.
Working with a commercial press does offer some distinct advantages, especially in terms of marketing, sales and royalty advances (depending upon the sort of commercial press we're talking about). They have the ability to sell books in large quantities. The biggest disadvantage is that they don't necessarily keep most of their books in print for very long, depending upon the nature of the project. Shelf life can be as short as a year.
University presses are peer reviewed (always nice for tenure situations), and they tend to keep books in print for quite a bit longer, generally 3-5 years at the very least. In addition, commercial scholarly presses tend to charge a little bit more for their books than university presses, which in some cases actually gives the commercial edge to university presses.
Frequently authors will submit manuscripts to publishers while they are still in the process of writing the book. University presses rarely offer contracts on incomplete projects, unless of course the press happens to be commissioning the work at their own initiative. What's more, as a general rule, a contract prior to completion will be an advance contract, which generally binds the author to the publisher while committing the publisher to nothing. So why approach a publisher prior to completion?
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You have a tenure case coming up and a contract, whether advance or standard, would significantly help your case. In this situation, you really must plan in advance--few publishers will care that the contract may make or break your tenure, so don't submit at the last minute and hope to get a swift answer. |
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Financial constraints may impede the completion of the project and you are hoping to get a cash advance against royalties from the publisher along with a contract. It should be noted that such advances are fairly rare in cases where the author is approaching the publisher, but if the project is a good fit for the publisher it may be a possibility. |
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A contract would give you the necessary motivation or psychological boost to move forward with and/or complete the project. |
The best time to approach a publisher is when you have a completed manuscript that can be sent out for peer review. Once the peer review process is successfully completed, the publisher will offer you a regular or standard publication contract. As these contracts are far more binding upon the publisher to move forward with publication, it is to your advantage to receive a standard contract, as long as you aren't in one of the two situations outlined above.
Generally speaking, the entire process of finding a publisher and securing a contract will be both smoother and faster if you are submitting a complete manuscript rather than a proposal for a manuscript that hasn't yet been written.
The short answer is yes. The longer answer is simply to say that anything you can do to make sure the peer review process goes smoothly will help you secure a publishing contract. Because publishers pay for peer reviews, if they get two reviews that say a project has potential but still needs work, they may exercise the option of rejecting it out of hand rather than wasting more time and effort on the project. If you can give them something that is likely to need only minimal work, that will help your case.
The answer to this question is that absolutely you can and you should. There is no rule that says an author can only submit to one publisher at a time. It is to your advantage as an author to do so, for a variety of reasons, the most basic of them being that if one publisher drags their feet making a decision, perhaps the other will offer you a contract.
Some publishers will ask you, upon submission, for an "exclusive" or a "right of first refusal." Basically, they are asking you on your honor to withdraw the manuscript from consideration at all other publishers until they have made a decision. Should you do so? If publication with that particular publisher is important to you, than the answer is that you should certainly consider it. If you don't grant them an exclusive, they may turn you down flat. On the other hand, bear in mind that this publisher can take as long as a year or more to exercise their right of first refusal. Then, if they turn you down, you've wasted a year of your time as an author waiting for them to give you an answer, and you're still back at the drawing board. Obviously, going through this process with one publisher after another could take some time, and years could go by without a contract offer.
If you decide to grant an exclusive to a publisher that you are really excited to publish with, then I highly recommend that you make them commit in writing to a specific timeline for making a decision. If you don't, then you are stuck waiting indefinitely. A reasonable timeline would be no longer than 6 months.
At the same time that I recommend submitting to multiple publishers, I also urge you not to over-submit. You should research publishers, and you should submit the manuscript to a reasonable number, such as 5-10, that publish books in a field related to your project. Otherwise, you're simply wasting time and increasing the number of rejection letters you are likely to get. Plus you'll find that you may not have the time to tailor the submissions carefully to those publishers who are the most likely to be interested, and that is where you should be spending your energy.
Unfortunately, there isn't a great level of consistency for the specific submission requirements at different presses. However, generally speaking it is a good idea to query first with a letter and/or a prospectus, simply to save yourself the time and expense of photocopying or printing a manuscript that might not get read. Also, whenever possible you should try to submit to a particular individual, whether that be the specific editor for your subject area or the editor-in-chief. A phone call to the acquisitions department will usually clear up any confusion about the identity of the appropriate editor. You might want to talk to this editor on the phone, but be prepared for very limited verbal commitments. Editors deal with the printed word, they generally want to see it in writing before they'll tell you how interested they really are in your project.
While some presses will accept submissions via email and email attachments, I highly recommend using the old U.S. Post Office. Why? Because the editor is inevitably going to print out the material on the other end of the exchange, and that means that you are asking this editor to do extra work that you could have done for them. Not a big thing, but generally it is to your advantage to not make the editor do too much extra work in order to read your prospectus. That just decreases your chances of success.
Scholars proposing manuscripts for publication should submit whatever materials they feel are necessary for the acquisitions department at the University Press of Colorado to make an informed decision about the project.
A typical book prospectus might include the following:
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a clear and concise description of your book and its notable features |
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a table of contents, including a brief precis for each chapter |
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an estimated word count of the project |
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an estimate of the number of illustrations, tables, appendices, etc. |
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an analysis of the expected audience for the book |
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a round-up of competing books (if any exist), and a brief explanation of the uniqueness of the proposed book |
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an appropriate date when the manuscript would be completed |
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a current resume or curriculum vitae |
Unsolicited materials will not be returned unless accompanied by an SASE. Please address your query to:
Acquisitions Department
University Press of Colorado
5589 Arapahoe Ave. #206C
Boulder, CO 80303
Occasionally, the University Press of Colorado issues a book contract on the basis of a prospectus, but more generally the practice is to write a contract based on the finished manuscript. Once submitted, manuscripts are reviewed by the press editor or by an appropriate series editor. Manuscripts recommended by the press editor or series editor are then considered for publication. The press requires two professional evaluations of manuscripts. Then the project is presented to the press editorial board for approval, and a contract is issued.
The first eyes to see your manuscript will be the relevant acquiring editor. It really shouldn't take this person very long to make a decision about whether or not he or she is interested in pursuing the manuscript, but at some larger houses it might take some time just to get through the enormous pile of submissions. From time to time an editor may send it back to you for revisions prior to sending it out for peer review. If the requested revisions are within reason, you should consider them. Acquiring editors know the process well, and they know what will fly during peer review and what won't.
Almost all university presses and many commercial scholarly publishers send projects out for two or more peer reviews. The process shouldn't take more than six months, but it will almost certainly take at least 6-8 weeks. Some presses send out for consecutive review (one after another), while others send out for simultaneous review (all necessary reviews, whether two or more, at once). Even consecutive review shouldn't take more than six months, unless the editor is asking for changes between reviews.
The peer review process really eats up the most time, but it is also what adds value to publishing with a university press. If a university press or peer reviewed commercial press offers a contract, you can feel confident that your project really passed muster. Furthermore, your colleagues and tenure committees will recognize this as well. The peer review process can be agonizing, and a press may ask you to revise, send it out for review, ask you to revise yet again, send it out for review again, etc. However, in most cases the result is a better book, so in the end it is worth it for both author and publisher.
Almost all university presses have an editorial board made up of faculty members from the member institutions (the University Press of Colorado has 17 faculty on our editorial board). Ideally, this Board provides the final stamp of approval. Typically they meet monthly or quarterly, and their approval is a necessary step in securing a contract. Most presses cannot write a contract with an author without the prior approval of the editorial board.
Once peer review and the editorial board has decreed your project worthy, a contract should be forthcoming. At this point, you have succeeded in placing your book with a publisher, and, if you've found a good home for your book, hopefully you'll be pleased with the results. After any final revisions that the publisher may ask for--as well as any adjustments you as author might want to make--you can turn your manuscript over to the publisher and let them work their magic. Soon, you'll be holding a printed book in your hand.
A smaller book is a better book, and the fewer illustrations the better. This is very important, and bears repeating. A smaller book is a better book, and the fewer illustrations the better. Why? Because both length and the number of illustrations drastically impact the cost of the book, and they directly affect the publisher's ability to price and discount the book appropriately for the available market. There are always exceptions, of course, but generally speaking you should keep your project under 150,000 words, and ideally less than 100,000-110,000 words. Illustrations should ideally be kept under 25 total, and color (unless you are publishing art history) is not recommended. Publishers look very carefully at length and the number and kind of illustrations, so if you submit a project over 150,000 words in length with 75 color illustrations, be prepared for a large number of rejection letters. This is simply a reality of the business.
Make sure you know the market and the competition for your project well. Publishers, of course, should be the experts on markets and competition, but remember that you are probably more current with recent publications in the field than the publisher. They will know quite a bit you may not, but you also know things in turn that they don't know that might help you secure a contract. Be prepared to help them fill in the gaps.
You shouldn't hesitate to follow up with a publisher if you haven't heard from them. Generally, if you've mailed a prospectus and more than a month has passed without a response, you should feel justified in calling to check on the status of your project. If a project is out for peer review for more than six months, a call is also justified. At the same time, be reasonable. Nobody likes to be harassed with daily phone calls pushing them toward a decision, and in such a situation a publisher will gravitate toward a "no" more often than a "yes."
Publishers are always looking for good projects for their established lists, and many go through conference programs looking for papers that might be the starting point of a good book or edited collection. It never hurts, in other words, to present at relevant conferences. In addition, if you can have your research interests and current projects listed on the faculty page of your department web site, do so. You'd be surprised how many editors have looked at those pages for project ideas. The more you market yourself and your research, the more likely you are to be approached.
| Literary Market Place |
| The Association of American University Presses Directory. For copies, call 212-989-1010, or you can try the local bookstore or library (ISBN 0-945103-14-X). |
| Books in Print |
| AAUP http://www.aaupnet.org |
| AAP http://www.publishers.org/home/index.htm |
| Literary Market Place http://www.literarymarketplace.com |
| Publishers Weekly http://www.publishersweekly.com |
| R.R. Bowker http://www.bowker.com |
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The University of Akron Press http://www.uakron.edu/uapress |
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The University of Alabama Press http://www.uapress.ua.edu |
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The University of Alaska Press http://www.uaf.edu/uapress |
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The University of Alberta Press http://www.ualberta.ca/~uap |
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American Psychiatric Association http://www.psyciatryonline.org |
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The American University in Cairo http://www.aucpress.com |
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Amsterdam University Press http://www.aup.nl |
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The University of Arizona Press http://www.uapress.arizona.edu |
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The University of Arkansas Press http://www.uark.edu/~uaprinfo |
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Beacon Press http://www.beacon.org/Beacon |
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University of British Columbia http://www.ubcpress.ubc.ca |
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Brookings Institution Press http://www.brookings.edu |
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University of California Press http://www.ucpress.edu |
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Cambridge University Press http://www.cup.org |
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The Catholic University of America Press http://cuapress.cua.edu |
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The University of Chicago Press http://www.press.uchicago.edu |
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The Chinese University Press http://www.cuhk.edu.hk/cupress/w1.htm |
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University Press of Colorado http://www.upcolorado.com |
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Columbia University Press http://www.cc.columbia.edu/cu/cup |
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Copenhagen Business School Press http://www.cbspress.dk |
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Cornell University Press http://www.cornell.press.cornell.edu |
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Duke University Press http://www.dukepress.edu |
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Dusquesne University Press http://www.dupress.duq.edu |
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University Press of Florida http://www.upf.com |
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Galludet University Press http://gupress.gallaudet.edu |
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Georgetown University Press http://www.georgetown.edu/publications/gup |
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University of Georgia Press http://www.ugapress.uga.edu |
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J. Paul Getty Trust Publications http://www.getty.edu/publications |
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Harvard University Press http://www.hup.harvard.edu |
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University of Hawai'i Press http://www.uhpress.hawaii.edu |
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Howard University Press http://www.founders.howard.edu/HUpress |
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University of Idaho Press http://www.uidaho.edu/~uipress |
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University of Illinois Press http://www.press.uillinois.edu |
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Indiana University Press http://iupress.indiana.edu |
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University of Iowa Press http://www.uiowa.edu/~uipress |
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Island Press http://www.islandpress.org |
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The Jewish Publication Society http://www.jewishpub.org |
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The Johns Hopkins University Press http://www.press.jhu.edu/press/index.htm |
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The University Press of Kansas http://www.kansaspress.ku.edu |
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The Kent State University Press http://bookmasters.com/ksu-press |
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The University Press of Kentucky http://www.kentuckypress.com |
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Louisiana State University Press http://www.lsu.edu/lsupress |
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McGill-Queen's University Press http://www.mcgill.ca/mqupress |
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Marquette University Press http://marquette.edu/mupress |
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The University of Massachusetts Press http://www.umass.edu/umpress |
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The MIT Press http://mitpress.mit.edu |
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The Metropolitan Museum of Art http://www.metmuseum.org |
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The University of Michigan Press http://www.press.umich.edu |
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Michigan State University Press http://web.msu.edu/unit/msupress |
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University of Minnesota Press http://www.upress.umn.edu |
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University Press of Mississippi http://www.upress.state.ms.us |
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The Missouri Historical Society Press http://www.mohistory.org |
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University of Missouri Press http://www.system.missouri.edu/upress |
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National Gallery of Art http://www.nga.gov |
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Naval Institute Press http://www.usni.org |
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University of Nebraska Press http://nebraskapress.unl.edu |
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University of Nevada Press http://www.nevada.edu/press |
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University Press of New England http://www.upne.com |
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University of New Mexico Press http://www.unmpress.com |
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The New York Botanical Garden Press http://www.nybg.org |
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New York University Press http://www.nyupress.nyu.edu |
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The University of North Carolina Press http://www.uncpress.unc.edu |
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Northeastern University Press http://ww.neu.edu/nupress |
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Northern Illinois University Press http://www.niu.edu/univ_press |
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Northwestern University Press http://nupress.nwu.edu |
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University of Notre Dame Press http://www.nd.edu/~undpress |
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Ohio University Press http://www.ohiou.edu/oupress |
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Ohio State University Press http://www.ohiostatepress.org |
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University of Oklahoma Press http://www.ou.edu/oupress |
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Oregon State University Press http://osu.orst.edu/dept/press |
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Oxford University Press http://www.oup-usa.org |
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University of Pennsylvania Press http://www.upenn.edu/pennpress |
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The Pennsylvania State University Press http://www.psu.edu/psupress |
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University of Pittsburgh Press http://www.pitt.edu/~press |
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Princeton University Press http://www.pupress.princeton.edu |
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Purdue University Press http://www.thepress.purdue.edu |
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Resources for the Future/RFF Press http://www.rff.org |
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The Rockefeller University Press http://www.rockefeller.edu/rupress |
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Russell Sage Foundation http://www.russellsage.org |
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Rutgers University Press http://rutgerspress.rutgers.edu |
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Scandinavian University Press http://www.scup.no |
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Smithsonian Institution Press http://www.si.edu/sipress |
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University of South Carolina Press http://www.sc.edu/uscpress |
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Southern Illinois University Press http://www.siu.edu/~siupress |
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Stanford University Press http://www.sup.org |
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State University of New York Press http://www.sunypress.edu |
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Syracuse University Press http://sum_web.syr.edu/su_press |
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Teachers College Press http://www.teacherscollegepress.com |
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Temple University Press http://www.temple.edu/tempress |
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The University of Tennessee Press http://sunsite.utk.edu/utpress |
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University of Texas Press http://www.utexas.edu/utpress |
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Texas A&M University Press http://www.tamu.edu/upress |
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Texas Tech University Press http://www.ttup.ttu.edu |
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Texas Western Press http://www.utep.edu/~twpress |
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United Nations University Press http://www.unu.edu |
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United States Institute of Peace Press http://www.usip.org |
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W. E. Upjohn Inst. Employment Research http://www.upjohninst.org |
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University of Utah Press http://www.upress.utah.edu |
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Utah State University Press http://www.usu.edu/usupress |
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Vanderbilt University Press http://www.vanderbilt.edu/vupress |
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The University Press of Virginia http://www.virginia.edu/~press |
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University of Washington Press http://www.washington.edu/uwpress |
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Washington State University Press http://www.wsu.edu/wsupress |
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Wayne State University Press http://wsupress.wayne.edu |
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Wilfrid Laurier University Press http://www.wlu.ca/~wwwpress |
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University of Wisconsin Press http://www.wisc.edu/wisconsinpress |
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The Woodrow Wilson Center Press http://wwics.si.edu |
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Yale University Press http://www.yale.edu/yup |