NCTE Book Submission Guidelines -- Appendix B
Revised November 2004
Thank you for your interest in publishing with NCTE. We want you to know that we take your work seriously, and we ask that you use the following guidelines to help us make the most informed decision possible for your project.
What we typically publish
Our mission as the NCTE Books Program is to serve teachers, theorists, researchers, and administrators in English language arts, English education, and English studies through book-length publications. The projects we choose to develop are those that most closely match teachers' needs as identified through our research, as well as the topics identified by the NCTE Executive Committee. Additionally, we give preference to single-authored books over edited collections.
What we typically don’t publish
Typically, we do not publish anthologies or single-authored works of creative writing, personal journals, student writing, pamphlets, or articles more suited in length to journals.
Dissertations
Although unrevised dissertations will not be considered for publication, dissertations revised as books may be encouraged. Many successful book proposals have been based upon dissertation research projects.
Submitting a Prospectus
Please submit a prospectus rather than a full manuscript, consisting of the items listed below. Even if you have a completed manuscript, we still suggest that you follow these guidelines and submit only portions of the book. The acquisitions staff may, upon initial review, request that you send other portions as necessary.
PLEASE DO NOT SEND US THE ONLY MATERIAL IN EXISTENCE—ALWAYS KEEP A COPY FOR YOURSELF.
A Cover Letter
Include a brief letter, about a page long, that tells us something about you as the author behind the manuscript. Since we receive many unsolicited manuscripts, the information you include will help us distinguish your work from that of others.
A Formal Proposal
Much like the preface or introduction to a text, a proposal should offer specific details about your project, including these:
- an abstract or synopsis of the book
- objectives and reasons for writing the book
- comparison of your book to others with similar subject matter
- how the book will stand out among its competition
- anticipated readership and size of market
In short, this is your opportunity to tell us what makes this book valuable and to position it relative to others in the field.
A Tentative Table of Contents and Chapter Summaries
At this stage, treat your table of contents as a summary, listing all chapter titles and important headings, with short (three- to four-sentence) descriptions of what will be included in each.
Status of Manuscript
Consider these questions:
- How long do you anticipate it will take you to complete the project?
- How much is now written and in what draft is the material?
- How many double-spaced pages will make up the manuscript? (Keep in mind that although we are flexible about length, we prefer to keep manuscripts to 200–350 double-spaced pages.)
- How many tables and charts do you think will be included?
- Approximately how many photographs and line drawings do you plan to use?
Permissions and Consents
Check your manuscript for materials that require permissions. There are two kinds of permissions: permission to reproduce published work and permission from anyone who has contributed in any significant way to your book.
- Permission to reproduce published work. For any previously published work—writing, artwork, photography—authors are responsible for any fees charged for reprinting copyrighted material and must obtain written permission. NCTE staff will be happy to advise you.
- Permission from contributors to your book. Research involving human subjects, samples of student writing, artwork, photographs, observations of teachers and their classrooms—all require consent to publish before they can be used in someone's published work.
Since permissions can be costly and time consuming, you may wish to start on obtaining these early.
Sample Chapters
Send your introductory chapter and two or three sample chapters that you think will give us a clear idea of the manuscript's content as a whole. These chapters should be an accurate example of how the book will read and need not be limited to the first two or three in the manuscript. Double-space all material and include samples of line art and photocopies (not originals) of photographs or artwork.
Bibliography
If possible, include a working bibliography. In an edited collection, if you do not plan to have a bibliography, include some samples of Works Cited with individual essays.
Please use a consistent bibliographic style throughout your document. If you’re submitting an edited collection, it’s a good idea to ask your contributors to conform to a specified bibliographic style. We suggest CMS (Chicago), MLA, or APA. Whichever you choose, we request consistency!
Citations
If your proposal includes segments with citations, double-check these, making sure that they are accurate and complete. Reviewers can lose trust in your scholarship if the citations are incorrect.
Resume or Vita
You are welcome to submit a resume or vita if you feel this will help give us more insight into your work. Our decision to publish, however, depends heavily on perceived need, staff assessment, and recommendations from the field. We will consider your work on its merit, so please don’t hesitate to submit a proposal or to discuss a book idea with us even if you have never published before.
Mode of Transmission
In an electronic age, we welcome your initial queries and sample chapters via e-mail but ask that you limit electronically transmitted texts to no more than 50 printed pages. When submitting the final proposal or the complete manuscript, however, we request hard copy. Although we do make exceptions, please communicate with us before sending large amounts of text electronically.
Upon Acceptance
Your prospectus, on acceptance, will be submitted to expert readers actively involved in the profession. The reviewers will provide written responses to your material and so must have as clear an idea as possible about what the finished product will be in order to make helpful, informed decisions for everyone involved. Please keep in mind that it may take several weeks before we are able to receive responses.
Because we have a strict policy of anonymity, we only reveal reviewers' names to authors when reviewers specifically request that we do.
A Note on the Process and Timeline
The life cycle of a book is a complex one, and it frequently gives the appearance of being longer than an author would want. It’s important for you to know that a project is always subject to field review, generally at two stages—as a prospectus and as a full manuscript. These important steps in the process can be time consuming, but this rigorous review process ensures the high quality of our books.
Although we try to keep each book on schedule, inevitably there are some delays as we wait for reviews to come in. The time spent in bringing a book from prospectus to finished book, however, is not much different from that of other publishers. When you submit your project, the acquisitions editor in charge will give you details about the timeline, which will be specific to your project. Your acquisitions editor will also stay in touch with you through review and development.
And in Conclusion . . .
We tell you about our process to assure you of the quality and integrity of the enterprise. Each potential book is carefully evaluated by experts in the field, and all our publications are subject to the strategic oversight of the NCTE Editorial Board.
Ultimately, however, our focus is not on the process but on you, the author, and your contribution to the profession. We take pride in our sense of responsibility to the Books Program and to our authors, and we will work to make sure that you are happy with your NCTE publishing experience.
We encourage you to try us!
Please send material to:
Kurt Austin
Division Director for Publications
NCTE
1111 W. Kenyon Road
Urbana, IL 61801-1096
217-278-3619
Bonnie Graham
Senior Editor for Books
NCTE
1111 W. Kenyon Road
Urbana, IL 61801-1096
217-278-3618
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