formatting manuscript when submitting to press for evaluation?

[rabbitandfox23]

I'm hoping to submit my first manuscript to an academic press later this year, and was wondering how it should be formatted for submission.  Can my manuscript be a simple word file, or PDF? Or should I get a program that makes the manuscript resemble a typeset document?  Thank you!

[mamselle]

What do the publication guidelines require?

M.

[Morden]

I think most presses specify this information on the "How to submit" section of their websites. The ones I've worked with have just wanted WORD documents.

[Parasaurolophus]

Yeah, they should specify in their guidelines.

[Ruralguy]

Yeah, for my book, I just had a running formatted Word document. If you are like me, you may have to read up on how to put in Tables of Contents, Bibliographies, etc, though its all fairly easy once you read up online. There were one or two things along the way that were tricky, so I  just asked one of the editorial assistants, and they told me how to do it in an email.

As for precise elements of style, you'll have to go to the "For Authors" section of your publisher's website.

[Hegemony]

Use the press's guidelines, as spelled out on their website, in a Word document. Do not send it in as a PDF or typeset.

[jerseyjay]

Everything I sent to my press was in MS Word.

What do you mean "for submission"? There are several stages of submission--although I think a good rule of thumb is turn in as near perfect copy you can at every stage, in order to avoid any errors or problems later on.

My proposal comprised several different files (cover letter, CV, proposal, several chapters).

They sent it out for peer review. After that, they offered me a contract with a specified date to turn in the first draft of the m.s.

I submitted the first draft in Word, as one big file. It was not very elegant (the footnotes ran continuously throughout the m.s.) but it was largely so they could send it out for peer review and determine if they were going to actually publish it.

After that, based on the reader reports, I turned in a final manuscript. This was the entire m.s. as close to final as I could make it, including following the Chicago style for everything. Each chapter was a different file; the footnotes restarted with each chapter but the page numbering was continuous. The press had very specific requirements, including font, spacing, indentations, hyphenations, etc. They don't care about fancy layouts or pseudo-typesetting. They have actual layout people for that. They want the m.s. in a standard format so it can easily be converted and laid out. My editor was able to answer any silly question I had about how to format the m.s.--that is, after all, his or her job.

They sent this to the copy editor and then it came back to me with formatting and editing marks and various queries.

I answered the queries, made any final changes, and submitted it as MS Word documents again. This is what they are going to use to create proofs.

[rabbitandfox23]

Everything I sent to my press was in MS Word.

What do you mean "for submission"? There are several stages of submission--although I think a good rule of thumb is turn in as near perfect copy you can at every stage, in order to avoid any errors or problems later on.

My proposal comprised several different files (cover letter, CV, proposal, several chapters).

They sent it out for peer review. After that, they offered me a contract with a specified date to turn in the first draft of the m.s.

I submitted the first draft in Word, as one big file. It was not very elegant (the footnotes ran continuously throughout the m.s.) but it was largely so they could send it out for peer review and determine if they were going to actually publish it.

After that, based on the reader reports, I turned in a final manuscript. This was the entire m.s. as close to final as I could make it, including following the Chicago style for everything. Each chapter was a different file; the footnotes restarted with each chapter but the page numbering was continuous. The press had very specific requirements, including font, spacing, indentations, hyphenations, etc. They don't care about fancy layouts or pseudo-typesetting. They have actual layout people for that. They want the m.s. in a standard format so it can easily be converted and laid out. My editor was able to answer any silly question I had about how to format the m.s.--that is, after all, his or her job.

They sent this to the copy editor and then it came back to me with formatting and editing marks and various queries.

I answered the queries, made any final changes, and submitted it as MS Word documents again. This is what they are going to use to create proofs.

Thanks so much for this detailed and helpful response! May I ask why you decided to submit a first draft rather than a final manuscript in its entirety, i.e., completely written and edited/formatted?  Is the idea that you are able to get a contract in hand before the book is actually completed?  I suspect that the reader comments would be useful as you complete the monograph. And probably helps to have contract for tenure/promotion.  But isn't there a risk in submitting a first draft and getting it rejected outright (as opposed to waiting until the final stages of writing and submitting a more polished piece)?  Thanks, again.

[jerseyjay]

I am not sure I entirely understand the question.

There are in general two schools of thought. There are some who like to have a completed m.s. and shop it around. Then there are those who like to have a partially written m.s. and then shop it around for an advance contract and then finish the m.s. after receiving a contract.

There are various reasons for either one. Personally, as somebody on the tenure track, I wanted to be able to show that I had a contract several years in advance of my tenure decision (which is this fall). Of course, I will need to have a book in hand when tenure time comes around. Next time, when I already have tenure (hopefully) I might in fact prefer to write the entire m.s. before shopping it around.

Of course I sent the press the chapter(s) that I thought were the best, and I made sure that they were relatively polished before sending them in. I wrote them with the idea that they would in effect be promotional materials to help me get a contract.

It is possible that a press will reject a project. I have heard stories of presses doing it at all stages. They could of course pass on the proposal (of the five presses I sent the proposal to, at least two never responded at all). Even if they offer you a contract, a press could reject the final m.s. (this is in fact spelt out in the contract). Personally, I would rather be rejected earlier in the process rather than later in the process, since that would leave me more time to shop it around again.

But in either case, the first thing one submits to the publisher is not the final m.s. Even if you think it is completely done, the chances are that the peer reviewers will have bigger or smaller changes. And even when you submit a m.s. that takes into account the peer reviewers' comments, and satisfy your acquisition editor, there will be various changes required by the copy editor.

[Hegemony]

I'm guessing that what is meant by "first draft" is "the finished manuscript, keeping in mind that changes will be requested."

It is certainly useful to format the manuscript according to the publisher's guidelines at an early a stage as possible. It's reassuring to the publisher when they read it — a manuscript in half a dozen different styles gives the editor a sinking feeling — and it saves you a lot of trouble down the line.

[Morden]

I've worked with two different presses. Neither wanted a complete manuscript right away. It's quite a big investment (in time and good will) for a press to send out a monograph for review. One press was quite clear that they only wanted to look at a prospectus and two chapters before deciding whether they were interested enough in the project to continue; they didn't generate a contract until after they sent the entire manuscript for peer review and received revisions. The other signed a contract on the basis of a prospectus; however, there are all sorts of reasons they can back out, including delays. You really need to check the specific press submission requirements.

[hungry_ghost]

I'm hoping to submit my first manuscript to an academic press later this year, and was wondering how it should be formatted for submission.  Can my manuscript be a simple word file, or PDF? Or should I get a program that makes the manuscript resemble a typeset document?  Thank you!

As others have suggested, most presses do not want to be sent the full manuscript and request to review a proposal first. When your proposal is accepted and the press agrees to send your ms out for review, the acquisitions editor will give you instructions on how to submit your full ms. There may also be instructions on the publisher's website.
For submitting a proposal, again, follow the "for authors" directions for submitting a manuscript on the publisher's website.

I submitted my second book ms as a PDF (it is in review right now), but after clearing this with the editor. For a number of reasons, this is appropriate in my case (basically, to make sure certain elements of the ms render properly--diacritics, unusual characters, etc.). The PDF was just a Word file converted to a PDF.
If the ms is accepted for publication, the press will want a Word file. Typesetting is the publisher's bailiwick, not yours.

Finally, do focus on the content of your proposal and how to structure it. This is far more important than file type, layout, or any cosmetic issues at this point.

[Sun_Worshiper]

Use the press's guidelines, as spelled out on their website, in a Word document. Do not send it in as a PDF or typeset.

I agree with this.

I actually reviewed a manuscript not long ago that was in the (top) journal's typeset. It was actually a nice touch, although the piece was rejected.