Politics at Continuum

Getting Published: The query letter

How should you query an editor?

Best is via email (be sure to contact the appropriate editor!). The query need not be long, but should give a solid idea of what your project is about. Ideally, it should include the following information:

- A brief summary of the book, describing its scope, thesis, and intent

- A note about the audience. Is this a monograph? A supplemental text? A coursebook? If you're not sure, no need to worry, but it is good to mention the courses the book pertains to (political theory, international relations, e.g.)

- A short biographical note

If the editor is interested in learning more about the project, s/he will ask you --unless you have already provided it-- for additional information, including:

- A complete proposal (see website for guidelines)

- A full vita

- Sample chapter(s) or relevant article

*Tip* Please do not send the entire manuscript in lieu of query or proposal. Editors simply do not have the time to read an entire manuscript to find out what the project is about. 

"Tip* When in doubt, just send an email and ask!

Tips on gettings published: which editor?

How do you approach an editor?

First, check the publisher's list of titles in your discipline to see whether your project would be a good fit. If you are planning an academic monograph, for example, you would be wasting your time querying a house that publishes only for a general audience.

Next, be sure to identify the appropriate editor to contact.

Most publishers have a list of their commissioning editors on their website. Pick the editor who commissions books in the discipline pertaining to the topic of your book.

If your book pertains to several disciplines, such as political theory and philosophy, choose the "dominant" one. If you're a political scientist, for example, you probably should most likely contact the politics editor.

*Tip* Avoid contacting several editors with one email. By doing so, you're actually lowering your chances of a response. 

 

How to Write a Grant Proposal

Chicago Manual of Style

We generally follow the Chicago Manual of Style, 15th edition for well, style, as well as references. If you do not have a copy, you can benefit from a 30-day free online trial by visiting their website at

http://www.chicagomanualofstyle.org/home.html

Acquisition Process

What happens to your proposal and how do we decide whether to publish? Below is the breakdown of the steps that lead up to contract:

• The editor evaluates the proposal and decides, depending on contents and authorship, whether it may be a good fit for her list.
• If so, she will work with you as needed to complete the proposal so that it reflects the scope and breadth of the proposed work adequately.
• Once you agree with your editor that the proposal is ready, she will send it for review to 2-3 scholars who are experts in the field. She may send the introduction or a sample chapter along, as well.
• Once the reviews are in, you will be asked to write a brief response addressing the reviewer's questions and concerns.
• Your editor will then circulate in house an acquisition packet consisting of your proposal, the reviews, your response to the review, a market analysis, and a tentative budget. This packet is read by key staff, such as the Marketing Director, Sales Director, Publishing Director, etc.
• Finally, your editor will meet with the above mentioned staff to discuss the particulars of the project at the editorial meeting. This is when we decide whether to publish the work, and how (hardcover, paperback, e.g.).
• Hopefully, your project will be approved right then and there and you'll be sent a contract!

If you have any questions about a project or the process, please contact me:

Marie-Claire Antoine
mantoine@continuum-books.com
212-953-5858-5858 x114

Peer Reviews

At Continuum, we take scholarship seriously. To ensure that we publish works of quality while meeting our author's needs, we send all our project proposals for review to scholars. Reviewers are chosen because of their expertise in the relevant field.

If you are publishing a monograph and wish to have the entire manuscript reviewed, we can arrange that, too --although make sure to discuss it with your editor so as to build the reviewing time into the schedule!

Proposal Guidelines

Hello!

The proposal is a key element when submitting a project. It should provide a comprehensive picture of contents, thesis, audience, as well as how it compares to existing literature.

For guidelines on how to write a proposal, Download Book proposal guidelines Continuum

If you have any questions about procedures and submitting a proposal, please don't hesitate to contact me at mantoine@continuum-books.com

I look forward to hearing from you!

Marie-Claire Antoine
Acquisitions Editor, Politics & International Relations

TIPS: Writing your Manuscript

Following are a few tips to keep in mind as you read and revise your manuscript:

• Chapter titles: Are they informative?  Do they contain key words (important for online searches)? Do they capture attention? When put together in a table of contents, do they reflect the logical progression and articulation of the work? Do they reflect the contents/scope of the book adequately?
  
• Writing style: best is to avoid extensive use of jargon and aim for clarity. Even if you are writing for your peers, think of the undergraduate student. Simple, clear prose is more effective to drive a point than long, technical sentences. This does not mean you should produce a choppy text with short sentences, but keep an eye for clutter!
  
• References: are they up-to-date? Do they include a mix of seminal, classic works and newer research? The references will indicate the extent of your research.

Any tips you would like to share? Please contact us and we'll post them on the blog!

Marie-Claire Antoine
Acquisitions Editor, Politics & IR
mantoine@continuum-books.com

Manuscript Style and Format: Guidelines

Hello! How should you format your manuscript and what is Continuum's house style? You can download our house guidelines by clicking on this link: Download Manuscript_Submission_Guidelines.

Two quick tips:

1. Spelling should conform to the new edition of Webster’s Dictionary.
2. Follow the Chicago Manual of Style, 15^th edition for style and references.

And, of course, never hesitate to contact your editor at Continuum if you have any questions.

Marie-Claire Antoine
Acquisitions Editor
Politcs & IR
mantoine@continuum-books.com

Tips to Promote your Book

Congratulations! Your book is published. Now is time to get the word out. What can you do to help?

• Write a post on listservs you belong to.
  Most listservs will not accept postings from publishers; plus it is always better to hear about a book from a person than from a company.
  
• Which organizations do you belong to or know?
  If an organization has a mailing list, we can send out e-flyers.
  
• Awards!
  Keep your eyes on possible awards and send us the information. Never hurts to win!
  
• Email your colleagues.
  Don't be shy, they probably know you were working on something!
  
• Do you have a relationship with your local bookstore?
  
• Let your local librarian know about the book, too.
  
• Let us know who you think might be interested in reviewing your book in professional journals.
  A personal contact always leads to a better chance of having the book reviewed.

In short, your participation will help a lot, if only because the human selling point works --people like to hear from people they know more than from a company!

If you have a winning tip about how to promote your book, let us know, too. We're always open to new ideas.

contact: Marie-Claire Antoine, Acquisitions Editor, Politics & IR mantoine@continuum-books.com

How to Submit a Proposal

To download our proposal writing guidelines, please click here:

Download book_proposal_guidelines_continuum.doc

Indexing Tips

The index is an important feature. It serves as a road map to readers who are not familiar with the topic, acts as quick points of entry, and provides a snapshot of the entire contents. In fact, book buyers and librarians often use the index to judge a book.

Below are a few quick tips about indexing. To download complete, detailed guidelines, please click here Download indexing_guidelines.pdf or contact your editor.

When should I start indexing?
Although an index cannot be finalized until page proofs, it is best to get started as you work on your manuscript. Indexing is a very time-consuming task, and it is not recommended to begin at the same time you have to read the proofs of your book.

How do I get started?
You can prepare a list of headwords from your manuscript. To do so, you can either:

• highlight headwords in your manuscript and then add page numbers once you have the proofs

• use the indexing function in Word (to learn how, please download Download a_brief_introduction_to_indexing_in_word.doc).

What do I index?
Think about your readers. How would they approach the contents? Which terms are they most likely to look for in the index?
List only major discussions of a topic or a name. It is best not to use a word search to find each and every mention of a term. Not all such mentions are the subject of substantive discussions, and the automated search cannot make such distinction.

What don't I index?
Please, do not index passing mentions that bring no information about terms. Also, please don't index front matter, glossary, names of contributors, etc.

What about main and subentries?
Main entries are key terms, names, concepts. They should always be nouns and be as specific as possible. Subentries help refine searches and make for a more analytical, helpful index.

For example, consider:
China, 
     cultural revolution, 85
     political institutions, 96, 97, 99
     protests and dissent 110, 112

As opposed to:
China, 85, 96, 97, 99, 110, 112

(In both cases, "China" is the main entry.)

To conclude
No one knows your text better than you do, which is why you are asked to compile the index. It is your opportunity to showcase all the good research that you've laid out in a different, yet more detailed manner than the table of contents and body of book.

And, of course, remember that you can always ask your editor if you have any questions.

How acquisition works

The acquisition process refers to the in-house procedures that lead to the acceptance of a project for publication. This process consists of the following steps:

- Peer review
Your proposal will be sent to scholars for review. Their comments will help refine the scope and contents as needed and support our decision to publish the work.

- Acquisition Packet
Your Continuum editor will integrate your proposal and the reviews into a greater proposal that includes competition analysis, market research (courses, e.g.), and budget requirements. This packet is then circulated in-house to the President, Editorial Director, Vice President of Sales and Marketing, and other key staff members.

- Acquisition Meeting
The last step! We all meet to review and discuss the project. Barring any pending questions, the project will be either approved or rejected at this point.

 If you project is approved, then your Continuum editor will share the good news with you, and a draft contract will be sent. Nothing is official until a contract has been signed.

This entire process takes about 2-3 months.

If you have any questions, please contact the politics editor, Marie-Claire Antoine, at mantoine@continuum-books.com.

We look forward to working with you!

Manuscript Style Guidelines

We generally follow the Chicago Manual of Style, 15th edition for text and references. You can also consult our style guidelines on our website at Continuum Guidelines.

And, of course, if you have any questions about submitting a proposal or your manuscript, please email the politics editor, Marie-Claire Antoine at mantoine@continuum-books.com