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MANUSCRIPT PROPOSALS | ||||
| The purpose of a proposal is to provide the editor and the reviewers with a complete and well ordered overview of your project. It is important that you be aware of the context in which the book will flourish (the market) as well as aspects of the pedagogical strategy which will make your book successful for us and for the student and instructors who are the end users. Overview Briefly describe your book. Overall what is its primary strategy. What are the courses called for which this book will be appropriate. · Example: The book, First Year Latin, is designed for the first two semesters of the freshman college course in Latin taken by students who have had no experience in Latin or other languages. It uses the traditional grammatical approach, with an aim of having the student able to read extended excerpts in original Latin by such authors as Caesar. Market A good proposal should include an overview of the market and then describe any segments in that market, if any, and elaborate particularly on that for which the proposed book is targeted. · Example: Latin as it is currently taught consists of three different approaches. The first is the traditional grammatical approach in which…. Another growing segment is designed to get students into the reading of Latin prose as quickly as possible…. Third, intensive Latin is …. This book is designed to compete particularly with the first market segment. Course and Level If it is appropriate, describe the course. Are there any prerequisites for students. Is it offered in any particular type of college or school. Are there courses for which this book is not appropriate or for which it would most likely not compete. · Example: First Year Latin is designed first and foremost to be a college text. There are many high school courses but this text would not…. There are a number of courses in Latin offered in seminaries and other institutions. Because of the emphasis on ecclesiastical sources in the second half of this book, First Year Latin should compete….. Strengths and Shortcomings Given the course and your text, what are the strengths and shortcomings of the book which you envision. Please be specific. It is always good to avoid generalities, like "reads better," or "more examples" and give instead the specific features that would most likely attract those to whom this approach is fitting. It is very good to include the benefits of these features. · Example: 1. Readings in this text reflect the diversity of the modern American classroom better than other books that are available. By providing readings beyond the traditional Caesar and Cicero and including cultural aspects of homemaking, female goddesses, etc., First Year Latin will appeal to that large segment (over 50%) of the classroom which are female. Competing texts Referring to the course and market above and to the strengths of your text, what are the standard books in use for this course? What are their strengths and weaknesses? What have made them the best sellers, and how do the features above for your text compare? Be honest in assessing the books and the markets and the reasons the market is as it is. Your text Order of Presentation What is the pedagogical strategy for your text. That is, why does one chapter lead to the next? How does this differ, if it does, from the typical book, and why. · Example: First Year Latin follows the general flow of grammar based books on the market, beginning with the basics of words, with the following exceptions: verbs are presented before nouns in chapters 1, 2; and the subjunctive is deferred until…. Doing this allows…. Table of Contents A proposed table of contents should accompany your text. If you are proposing more than one text (two volumes, workbooks, etc.) you should include a TOC for each. The more detail you can include for your text, the more information a reviewer has in assessing the potential for your book. Chapter level pedagogy Chapters typically follow a similar pedagogical strategy, and you should outline it something like what follows and discuss it— chapter opening key terms You should also discuss what kinds of art you propose, where you plan to get texts, permissions, etc. Length What do you estimate to be the length in textbook pages? If you need to get an estimate, look at the competition and estimate if your book will be longer or shorter (and why). Ancillary material Do books of this nature and for this market require ancillary materials: additional exercise books, software, teacher's manuals, workbooks, etc. If so, you should include in your proposal the potential source of such materials. Schedule When do you estimate you will finish the manuscript? You You should include authors and contributors as you would have them on the book, including name, academic position, and address. A brief (two or three sentence) biography would be useful. Random Thoughts on Your Book Title In general a title should reflect first the course for which you are writing and only secondarily your slant or twist on the topic. There is nothing wrong with calling your book "An Introduction to Sociology". Preface and Introduction It is generally good for a book to have both a preface and an introduction. Timing The ideal time for a book to be introduced to the market is generally in January. This enables adopters to have the book, review it and consider it for the following fall. To achieve this publication date, complete and final manuscripts should be to the publisher six to twelve months before that date. Later manuscripts not only lose sales, but subtract from the impact of your book. |
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