NCTE Manuscript Preparation Guidelines

NCTE offers these guidelines to assist you--our book authors and editors--in preparing a final manuscript that is ready to enter production. In following these guidelines, you will ensure that your manuscript moves smoothly and efficiently through copyediting and production. Otherwise, publication may be delayed, or your manuscript may be returned to you for proper formatting. If you have questions, please get in touch with us. The Books Program staff will be happy to assist you.

General Style

NCTE books follow a house style that is essentially based on The Chicago Manual of Style (latest edition). We do, however, include elements that are specific to the needs and policies of our organization. Here are some examples of our publishing policies that you should keep in mind.

Bias-Free and Inclusive Language
Our publications avoid language, examples, or illustrations that stereotype persons, groups, or institutions on the basis of ethnic background, gender, sexual orientation, physical or mental abilities, age, religious affiliation, or economic status. In addition to our own publication, Guidelines for Gender-Fair Use of Language (revised 2002), several other excellent resource books on bias-free usage are available to help authors find appropriate and effective ways to write text; consult your local library or bookstore. Among reference books that we consult are the following:

Frank, Francine Wattman, and Paula A. Treichler. Language, Gender, and Professional Writing: Theoretical Approaches and Guidelines for Nonsexist Usage. 1989. New York: Modern Language Association.

Maggio, Rosalie. 1991. The Dictionary of Bias-Free Usage. Phoenix: Oryx Press.

Schwartz, Marilyn, and the Task Force on Bias-free Language of the Association of American University Presses. 1995. Guidelines for Bias-Free Writing. Bloomington: Indiana University Press.

Additionally, there are many other sources on the Web and in hard copy that you can consult for even more recent information on the subject.

Citations
For references and bibliographic citations, you may use either MLA (Modern Language Association) or APA (American Psychological Association) style depending on your area of specialization. When you are editing a collection, please be sure to select one of these styles, and ask all your contributors to use the same style.  Whichever style you select, make sure it is used both for in-text citations and the Works Cited lists throughout. 

Like all publishers, we ask that you take responsibility for the accuracy of the references and Works Cited lists. We urge you to verify each citation and to double-check that all references listed in text also appear in the Works Cited. The absence of complete and accurate citations may delay publication, and bibliographic verification (when the book is in production) could be charged against royalties.

Permissions and Consent to Publish

Permissions
According to NCTE's standard contract, authors obtain all permissions and pay for reprinting previously published material. Permissions matters are to be taken care of before you submit the final manuscript. Materials for which permissions are required include--but are not limited to--artwork, tables, photographs, reprinted chapters, poetry or song lyrics, or prose extracts. Please submit with your final manuscript for our files the original, fully signed contract or letter from the copyright holder granting permission to reprint and providing the appropriate credit line.

Because many publishers routinely take 12 weeks to process permissions requests, we urge you to apply as early as possible. The Chicago Manual of Style offers a useful discussion of fair use of copyrighted material and how to apply for necessary permissions.

Incomplete permissions can cause a serious delay in book publication. If you have doubts about whether or not a piece requires permission, please call any member of the books team.

Consents
As an association dedicated to serving teachers and students of English and the language arts, we have become increasingly sensitive to the rights of students and those participating in human-subject research. The issues involved are complex, both legally and ethically.

Consents from Students and Participants in Human-Subject Research

1. If you use a student's work--including but not limited to artwork, photographs, poems, more than 10 percent of a student's prose text, or any portion of student-prepared text that is of a very personal nature--we request that you submit a consent form signed by the student or the student's guardian (if the student is younger than 18), expressly granting permission to publish the selected piece. We will provide you with the necessary consent forms.
   
2. If you are reporting the results of a study in which a student participated, we request that you submit the form by which the student (or student's guardian, if student is younger than 18) consented to participate in a study whose results may be published. We can provide model consent forms for this purpose.
   
3. Similarly, if you are doing ethnographic research, observing a particular teacher, classroom, or school system, you will still need to submit proof of consent.

You may use pseudonyms, if this is noted in the text. However, using pseudonyms without consent is not enough: we still need the signed consent forms on file.

Consents from Contributors
In a book with multiple contributors (e.g., collections of essays), the volume editor must obtain completed consent-to-publish forms from each author and submit these with the final manuscript. We will supply the necessary forms.

How to Format
PLEASE FORMAT YOUR MANUSCRIPT ACCORDING TO THE DIRECTIONS BELOW. The computer is a seductive tool that can tempt us all into wanting to create visually appealing documents. But don't forget that what you give us is manuscript copy; it's our job to pour this copy into professionally created designs (NCTE standard design or customized). Either way, your typeset book will look very different from the copy you give us. The simpler the formatting in your original manuscript, the easier and quicker it is for the copyeditor and the compositor to convert your manuscript into typeset copy. When an author submits a heavily formatted manuscript with a complex page layout, much time is lost in removing and replacing all the codes and visual effects. Undoing the coding is costly and time-consuming.

If you have special instructions or ideas about how parts of the manuscript should look, please discuss your preferences with the acquisitions editor working with you at the time you're preparing your manuscript. Rather than actually creating different visual effects, please insert instructions in your text in angle brackets to indicate what effect you want to create. We will try to accommodate your concerns as far as possible. You can insert copy such as this:

Example:
<this text should appear in a shaded box> OR <place figure here> OR <use a heavy line to set this off>

You may even attach a sample page to capture the effect you want, and we'll take it from there. Be assured that your copyeditor will be in close touch with you during the production process and will do his or her best to honor your wishes.

Front Matter
Include the following:

• title page with title, subtitle, and names and school affiliations of the main author/editor(s)
• contents page, specifying main section divisions, chapter titles and authors, and manuscript page numbers
• text for any other desired front matter: dedication, acknowledgments, foreword, preface, introduction

Chapter Titles and Author Names/Affiliations
Make chapter titles succinct. Because chapter titles are typically typeset very large, long titles look bulky in the final version. List authors and their school affiliations immediately below the chapter title, then begin the chapter text on the same page. Ensure that chapter titles in the manuscript match those listed in the Contents.

Subheads
We suggest the following method for differentiating levels of subheads within chapters. Subheads should be formatted consistently throughout the manuscript.

• A-heads (first-level heads) begin at the left margin and are bold, in capitals and lowercase letters (what The Chicago Manual of Style refers to as "headline style").
• B-heads (second-level heads) begin at the left margin and are italic or underlined, in caps/lowercase.
• C-heads (third-level heads) begin at the left margin and are in regular typeface, caps/lowercase.
• D-heads (fourth-level heads) are italicized or underlined and appear as a separate sentence at the beginning of a paragraph.

Extracts
Double-space all extracts (block quotations, dialogue, numbered or unnumbered lists, etc.) and indent them an additional one inch from the left margin only. Allow one additional blank line above and below the extract. Use the word-processing program's feature that allows "hanging" or "block" indents; please do NOT use hard returns at the end of each line, followed by a tab to indent the subsequent line. Use brackets, not parentheses, for author additions within extracts.

Documentation
Following the documentation style you’ve selected, prepare a Works Cited list with full bibliographic information for each source mentioned in text. If you’re the sole author (or co-author) of your book, place the double-spaced Works Cited as a separate chapter at the end of the manuscript; if you’re the editor of a contributed volume, place the Works Cited at the end of each chapter. Indent the first line of each entry in the Works Cited as you would a paragraph; subsequent lines (“runovers”) should begin at the left margin. (It’s important that manuscripts be formatted in this way, although the Works Cited lists in the printed book will appear in a somewhat different format).

Notes
Use endnotes, not footnotes (exception: you may use a footnote when acknowledging a source or person at the beginning of a chapter). Because citations appear in text as author-date references, we don't use endnotes to cite references. Endnotes are used only for comments that cannot be incorporated into text. Endnotes should appear before the Works Cited. Use arabic numbers to indicate notes. Avoid the automatic footnoting feature to enter the text of the notes, since text created in this fashion is not always accessible to other software. Double-space all notes.

Biographical Statements
Include at the end of the manuscript a brief (100–150 words), double-spaced, professional biography for each contributing author and editor. Submit a crisp, black-and-white glossy photograph (head-and-shoulders pose) for each editor or author named on the contract with NCTE.

Annotation
Include a brief (150-200 word) annotation or abstract that describes the book's content, purpose, and unique features; submit this both on disk and as hard copy. Your annotation will be used to develop promotional descriptions of the book.

Artwork

Please supply original artwork in a form suitable for reproduction, preferably scanned. Artwork includes illustrations (generally, pen-and-ink drawings, hand-written pieces, computer-generated graphics, or graphs), tables, and photographs. When selecting artwork, keep in mind that artwork should be integral to the text, or should offer additional information not easily conveyed in the text. Because NCTE makes the final determination of which pieces of artwork will be included in the books it publishes, we request that you discuss artwork with the acquisitions editor early in the development of your manuscript.

If the artwork has been published previously or is copyrighted by another party or has been created by a student, you must secure the necessary permissions to reprint (see "Permissions" and "Consents" above). If permissions paperwork is not complete, your publication may be delayed.

For computer-generated graphics, tables, graphs, or text-based figures, a separate disk file for each piece should accompany the original output. Name each disk file in relation to the chapter title or author.

Prepare each piece of artwork on a separate page. Clearly indicate placement of each piece of artwork within the text (e.g., "Insert Fig. 1 about here"), but don't insert the artwork itself within the text of the chapter unless it is part of the text file. At the end of each chapter, provide labeled photocopies of any artwork mentioned in the text.

For non-electronic art, use a soft pencil to lightly but clearly label each piece of artwork (on the back or bottom of the page) with chapter number, figure or table number, a brief descriptive caption, and name of original source. Don't use staples or paper clips on the artwork. Make sure that the artwork is free of blemishes or creases. Submit all of the original artwork and any related permissions in a separate, protective envelope with the final manuscript.

Illustrations
Wherever possible, provide scans of the illustrations. If this is not possible, provide clear, crisp artwork, preferably done in black ink on white paper. Graphs should include a legend. Remember, photocopied artwork will reproduce poorly.

Tables and Other Text-Based Figures
Tables may be incorporated into text files. Each column and row should be clearly labeled. Align numbers on the decimal point or comma.

Photographs
Wherever possible, provide scanned photographs. If this is not possible, provide black-and-white glossy prints; color transparencies are also acceptable. Use the clearest, crispest, highest contrast photo available.

Preliminary Submission of Manuscript

Once a manuscript is complete it will be sent out to the field for peer review to ensure that the promise of the encouraged prospectus was fulfilled. At this point only submit a hard copy of the manuscript, as reviewers may have suggestions for revision.

The Hard Copy
Prepare hard copy with minimal coding. Use only the following as necessary: bold, italic, underline, page numbering, and indented blocks of texts. Please don't try to make the manuscript look like a printed book. We will have to undo all your hard work to make the manuscript usable for the typesetter. Undoing the coding is costly and time-consuming.

• Print single-sided on 8.5" x 11" white paper. Only original printouts, not photocopies, will be accepted.
• Our preferred font is 12-point Times New Roman.
• Avoid the use of "justified text" options, and don't divide words at the ends of lines.
• Allow a minimum 1-inch margin on all sides.
• Double-space hard copy throughout, even block quotations and footnotes.
• Number pages consecutively throughout the book, not chapter by chapter. Please follow this guideline for a collection with multiple contributors as well.

Final Submission of Manuscript

Once a manuscript has been encouraged by the field and approved by the acquisitions editor, necessary revisions are made and the final manuscript is submitted.

The Hard Copy
Follow the bulleted list above for hard copy submission.

The Disks

• Use 3.5" high-density disks or a CD.
• Create a separate file for each chapter.
• Use a disk label and clearly mark each disk with author/editor name, date, book title, word-processing program name and version number, IBM or Macintosh; also include a printed directory (showing each file name) for each disk.
• Ensure that disk files and printed manuscript match exactly. No alterations should be made to the disk files after the hard copy is prepared.
• Use only one word-processing program per book.
• For a manuscript with multiple contributors who have used different programs, please convert to one program before you submit. Most copy shops will convert disks to any system you select.

The Backups

• Keep a duplicate copy of the disks as submitted.
• Keep a photocopy of the hard copy as submitted.
• Send each contributor a copy of his or her chapter as submitted to NCTE in the final manuscript.

The Checklist

Please fill out the following checklist and send it in with your manuscript and disks. As soon as a production editor is assigned to your project, he or she will be in touch to work out a schedule and to find out when you'll be available to answer queries, review the editing, and read page proofs.

A few gentle reminders

• The contract: Be sure to read your contract one more time. Check deadlines and terms, and feel free to discuss your concerns with your acquisitions editor.
• The title and cover: We welcome your ideas about the title and the cover, but like all publishers, we reserve the right to make the final decisions. Of course, we’ll be in touch with you and will respect your wishes as far as we are able to. Our selection of final titles and covers is governed by publishing concerns and marketability: Is the title clear enough to engage the reader? Does the title sound too much like another book we’re carrying in our list? What does the budget allow for the cover? Will the cover meet with NCTE’s standards for representation?

All of this sounds forbidding, but it isn’t. We pride ourselves on a staff that works closely with authors, and we have many happy authors who have enjoyed the NCTE experience. Give us a try!

And now to that checklist . . .

Checklist

To Be Submitted with Final Manuscript and Disk Copy

Author:                                                                                                                     

Tentative title of book:                                                                                

Number of MS pages:                                                                                 

Computer platform (Mac or PC):                                                                  

Word-processing software:                                                                          

_____ Hard copy of enclosed manuscript is complete.

_____ Disks (1) are labeled; (2) match hard copy; (3) contain separate files for each chapter.

_____Front matter is complete and includes table of contents.

____ Citations checked for accuracy.

_____ Permissions from published sources completed and included. If not, how many are missing or to come?

_____ Consent to publish obtained from (circle one): contributors YES / NO; human subjects YES/NO; students whose work is being reproduced YES/NO.

_____ Artwork prepared per specifications and included as (1) hard copy; (2) disks.

_____ Bibliographic style used (circle one): MLA APA Other (please specify).

_____ Book synopsis enclosed.

_____ Author bio enclosed.

_____ Contributor bios enclosed.

_____ Author photo enclosed.

February 2005