MANUSCRIPT PROPOSAL GUIDELINES FOR REFERENCE TITLES
Thank you for considering Elsevier Canada as a potential publisher for your proposed reference book. The following can serve as a guideline in the preparation of your proposal. To consider a manuscript for publication, we usually require a statement of purpose, a detailed table of contents, and at least one representative chapter. Please also include your most current curriculum vitae.
STATEMENT OF PURPOSE
The Book
- In one or two paragraphs, describe the work, its rationale, and approach. What is the working title of the book?
- List briefly what you consider to be the outstanding, distinctive, or unique features of the work.
- Why is the book being written? Why is it needed? What will it cover? What is special about the style? What is special about the approach? What is outstanding about the experience and abilities of the writers/editors? This section is the heart of the proposal and should be as detailed as possible.
The Market
- Please specify the group for which this book is intended, and add any group for which it may be of interest. We welcome any statistics known to you on the size of the target market.
- If the book is intended for an emerging market, please provide a brief description and overview of this emerging market.
Competition
Please discuss in separate paragraphs each of the major competitors of your work. What are the strengths and weaknesses of each competing book? How will your work be similar to, as well as different from, these texts in terms of approach, topic coverage, level, pedagogical features, etc.?
We do not disclose the identity of authors or reviewers, so please be as frank as possible regarding the competition. Also, if you feel that there are no books that compete with your text, explain why this situation exists.
Status of Work
What portion of the material is now complete, and when do you expect to complete the manuscript? What is the expected length of the completed manuscript in double-spaced, typed pages? How many photographs do you plan to include? How many line drawings (charts, graphs, diagrams, etc.)? Has the material been peer-reviewed? If so, please describe reviewer reactions to it.
Detailed Table of Contents
Please submit a detailed outline of the entire book. This enables the reviewers to get an idea of how the material fits together and how each chapter will be developed. The outline should include major part divisions, chapter titles, chapter headings, and subheadings, with as much detail as possible.
Example:
Part 1: Title
Chapter 2: Title Please also describe the purpose of the chapter
and the key elements that will be included within it.
2.1 Heading
2.1.1 Subheading
2.1.1a Sub-subheading etc.
Author(s) or Editor(s)
Ensure that you include the names and appointments of the author(s) or the editor(s)
and, if known, intended contributor(s), showing who is writing what. We do not normally reveal to our reviewers the identities of potential authors or editors without first asking their permission. It is therefore preferable if the names of authors or editors are not shown on the outline itself.
A brief curriculum vitae of each of the editors, or of the authors if it is not an edited book, together with a bibliography of published work, can be helpful. These details will not be seen by the reviewers.
Note that it is advisable not to approach contributors, unless on a very tentative and informal basis, before we invite you to do so. Until then, we are happy to regard the list of contributors as provisional.
Sample Chapter
Ensure that your sample chapter accurately reflects your project. Remember that the reviewers can only respond to what you have put on paper. They will not have the opportunity to question you about the content you have written.
To Submit Your Proposal
Submit by e-mail to AuthorQuery@elsevier.com.
THANK YOU FOR SUBMITTING YOUR PROPOSAL TO
ELSEVIER CANADA
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