Politics at Continuum

How to Write a Grant Proposal

Series: Reader's Guides

Our Reader's Guides series offers clear and accessible introductions to key texts. In each volume, you will find:

• the political, cultural, and philosophical context in which the work was written
• an overview of the themes discussed in the text
• a section on reading the text --the core of the book-- including discussion points and questions
• a discussion of the reception and influence of the work
• a detailed bibliography and further reading selection
• an index

For sample titles in the series, please visit our website at http://www.continuumbooks.com

If you are interested in contributing a volume, please contact me at mantoine@continuum-books.com.

Looking forward to it!

Marie-Claire Antoine
Acquisitions Editor, Politics & International Relations

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

Writing and Delivering Your Manuscript

Your editor will be happy to assist you as you complete your manuscript. For general guidelines about writing and submitting your manuscript Download Mss checklist and guidelines.

If you have questions, never hesitate to contact your editor.

Looking forward to receiving and publishing your work!

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

Using Amazon

All our titles appear on Amazon.

We strongly recommend that authors encourage colleagues to post reviews --especially favorable ones!-- of their books on Amazon. Customer Reviews are helpful to potential readers, especially when they give a good idea of the contents and scope of the book.

You can also make changes to an Amazon record. This might sound surprising and even scary, but yes, anyone can suggest a change. If you scroll all the way down the bottom of the book record you're looking at, you will see a box titled "Feedback." Click on the option "update product info" and follow the steps. Amazon will send you an email to see whether they can accept the change. So, they don't just input anything and everything --one can imagine the authors and publishers' ensuing nightmares!

If you have any tips, please feel free to share!

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

Manuscript Check List

As you write your manuscript, keep in mind all the elements that will make up the final delivery. The following may help you:

REQUIRED IN FINISHED MANUSCRIPT

1) Total number of words in manuscript (including endnotes and bibliography) does not exceed contracted limit of xx,xxx words.

2) All material complete and submitted electronically (including maps, diagrams, illustrations, photographs, etc.)

3) Manuscript includes, as applicable:

- table of contents    
- preface   
- foreword   
- appendices   
- list of abbreviations   
- list of illustrations   
- bibliographic references   
- any additional material

4) Main body of text (from Introduction onwards) is numbered consecutively with Arabic numerals from 1.

5). All permissions cleared and acknowledged within the text for text and illustrations. Work cannot begin on the manuscript until ALL permissions have been cleared. This must be accomplished before submitting the manuscript.

   

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

Turning your Dissertation into a Book

Revising your PhD dissertation for book publication involves adapting both content and style. Following are some quick tips about what to keep in mind:

- The aim of the book. Now you are making a contribution to the scholarship. The book should be more succinct and focused than your dissertation.

- The audience. Your monograph will address an academic audience, but don't forget that your topic may have a broader appeal --keep jargon in check.

- Title of the book and titles of chapters should be clear and succinct. Think of key words for a Google search, e.g.

- The chapters should be organized logically and show the progression of the research and argument. They should be somewhat even in length.

- Frame the book with a brief introduction and conclusion (no need to explain the state of the discipline, e.g.)

- Keep the bibliography manageable by removing references that are not strictly necessary.

- Remove any material that will identity the book as a PhD thesis, such as chapters on methodology and literature review.

- Keep notes in check. Remove unnecessary footnotes and integrate as many as you can within the text.

- Avoid lengthy quotations --they may entail permission issues and break the narrative.

For more detailed guidelines, please read Download Author Guidelines_Revising your PhD

If you have any questions, or would like to submit a proposal or discuss a project, please contact

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

What Makes a Good Proposal?

The proposal is a key document. This is what will catch an editor's attention and make him or her decide whether to pursue to project. In short, the proposal is the sales rep of your book! So what are the key elements?

• A short summary of what the book is about. What is the key message of the work?
• The rationale of the book: why this book, why publish on the topic now?
• Contents: a table of contents as detailed as can be.
• Audience: who are you addressing? If students, what level?
• Market: to which fields does your book pertain? Which courses would it support? (give title, level)
• Competition: how does it compare to existing books? Cite specific works, with  a line or two explaining how they differ.
• Special features: will it contains maps, illustrations, index, appendices, bibliography, etc.
• Biographical information: your affiliation, research, previous publications, key achievements.
• Expected length and delivery date --be realistic!
• Why we should publish:  wrap up with a paragraph summarizing why we should publish the work.

You can always ask an editor for guidelines, or visit the website, or Download Book proposal guidelines Continuum here.

If you have any questions, please do contact me at mantoine@continuum-books.com

Looking forward to reading your proposal!

Marie-Claire Antoine
Acquisitions Editor, Politics & IR

Copyright laws and Permissions

When to ask for permission to reproduce text? What constitutes fair use?

Generally, text under 500 words can be considered fair use. But the rule of thumb is "when in doubt, best to request permission."

How to request permission?
We can send you a form to submit to publishers. 

A publisher's website will often provide a contact information for such requests.

What if I want to quote my own work?
Even if the copyright is in your name, you still may have to request permission. Best in such cases would be to rewrite your text. It is understood that the information is the same (Obama is the new US president), it is how you provide it that is different (Obama was sworn in on January 20, 2009).

Where can I get detailed information?
You will find useful information and FAQs on the US copyright office's website at http://www.copyright.gov/

And, of course, you can always contact us if you have any questions. When it comes to permission, better be safe than sorry!

Marie-Claire Antoine
Acquisitions Editor, Politics and International Relations
mantoine@continuum-books.com  

How to Submit a Proposal

To download our proposal writing guidelines, please click here:

Download book_proposal_guidelines_continuum.doc

Will my manuscript be edited?

Will my manuscript be copyedited? Will it be proofread? --There are two questions authors often, and legitimately, ask.

The answer to both is Yes!

Once you deliver your manuscript to Continuum, I will transmit to production. The production manager will then send it to a professional copy editor, who will take care of all style and grammar points, while querying you as needed on specific issues. Once copyediting is completed, the manuscript will be read by a proofreader, who will check for typos and like errors. You will review the pages as well.

Here at Continuum, we strive to publish high-quality, scholarly work. If you have any questions or concerns about the process or your manuscript, never hesitate to contact me at mantoine@continuum-books.com.

Cheers!

Marie-Claire Antoine
Acquisitions Editor
Politics & IR