■ What do we look for in a book proposal? The short list below outlines the information most helpful to us in determining the suitability of a book for the LRP publishing program. (But you should always feel free to contact us with questions or for a preliminary response to your project.)
1. Proposed book title.
2. Outline. Chapter titles as well as a briefly annotated table of contents addressing the focus of each chapter. A 2-to-3 page summary of the book's themes, arguments, and significance, plus an overview of the contribution of the material, will also be appreciated. In crafting your chapter titles, remember that they should not be abstracts (!), but rather should succinctly reflect the content and logical flow of the book.
3. Information about the author(s). An up-to-date c.v. should be included for each author or editor. (An important caveat here: if you are proposing an edited book, keep in mind that these are typically the most difficult projects to “get right”; that’s why we, like most scholarly publishers, accept relatively few edited collections.)
4. Target audience. Is your book a monograph reporting the results of research? a synthetic analysis? a textbook (if so, for what courses and at what level? competition?)? or . . . ?
5. Estimated length of the entire work in characters, words, or double-spaced manuscript pages (if the latter, indicate the number of lines and characters per line on a typical page, or include a sample page), as well as the anticipated number of figures, tables, photographs, etc.
We are frequently asked, “What is the right length for a book?” It is true that the longer the book, the higher its price will be—and high prices can be a problem. Ultimately, though, the “right” length depends on the specific project.
6. Expected manuscript completion date and an indication of what material is available now for review.
■ The six items above focus on what we, as the publisher, need to know. Now, turning to information that is important to you, the author:
The books that we publish have been peer reviewed. As is the case with many scholarly publishers, we will proceed with the external review process only if your manuscript is with us on an exclusive basis—that is, only if it is not being considered by another publisher. But remember, if we are having your manuscript reviewed, we have already committed to the concept of the project; that means that, if the results of the review process are positive, we will be proceeding with publication.
■ Submitting your proposal. If you already have a contact at LRP, you will want to send your proposal to that person. Otherwise,
- In Europe, contact Elisabetta Linton (via Configliachi 2, 35123 Padova, Italy; tel/fax: +39-049-830-0684).
Elsewhere:
- For books in the areas of US politics and public policy, contact Leanne Anderson.
- For books in the areas of criminology, criminal justice, and sociology, contact Andrew Berzanskis.
- For books on Asia, Latin America, or Europe (including Russia and Eastern Europe) contact Jessica Gribble.
For books on international relations, Africa, or the Middle East—or if you are not sure which is the appropriate editor—contact Lynne Rienner.
We prefer that you send your proposals via post or fax, as opposed to email.
1800 30th Street, Suite 314
Boulder, Colorado 80301
Tel 303.444.6684