Book Proposal Guidelines
Background
Proposals must contain vital information about the book, establish a clear rationale or purpose for publication, and describe how the author will accomplish that purpose. The proposal must demonstrate that the author has sufficient expertise in the subject and enough comprehensive, valid material to justify a book, rather than a journal article. Features that make the book unique should be described.
The information should be succinct, yet comprehensive enough for a thorough review. Even if the author submits a full manuscript, they also should submit a book proposal that describes the book’s purpose, the potential audience for the book, and the author’s qualifications to write the book. If these guidelines are not followed, the author will be asked to revise and resubmit.
Proposal Elements
The proposal itself should be no longer than six pages, addressing the following:
- List the names and affiliations of authors and editors, if a collective work.
- Description of the work, including its type (textbook, practice manual, edited collected work, curriculum, etc.), subject, target audience, rationale or purpose of the work and its benefit to the field, estimated length of the manuscript, estimated timetable for completion, and description of any anticipated artwork, tables, or figures to be included in the work.
- Description of the author's or editor's expertise in the subject matter, evidence that they have enough comprehensive, valid material to justify a book (rather than a journal article), and any features that make the book unique.
- Assessment of the market for the work, including an estimate of the size of the target audience, the current competing works for this audience on the proposed subject, and a description of how the proposed book will be superior or different.
- An outline or draft table of contents for the work that is sufficient to convey the proposed flow and major points to be covered in the work. If the book is intended to be a collective work, provide the names and chapters of the prospective authors.
The following additional materials (not included in the six-page limit above) should be provided:
- An introductory chapter or sample of the author's recent work to evaluate their writing style and the skill with which the subject is likely to be developed.
- Curriculum vitae or resumes of authors or editors.
Submission
Submit the proposal and additional materials by email to books@aaidd.org with “Book Proposal” in the subject line. Proposals must be in 12-point type, double-spaced, and in Microsoft Word.