We welcome your book proposals! That's why we're in business. But, in order to reasonably evaluate your idea, we need some information from you. Sure, you want to tell us about the book's structure, ideas, intellectual and practical value, but we need to know other things as well. So send us 3 to 5 pages, and tell us the following:
What is your book about? You need to convey to your publisher, who may not an expert in your area, as well as your colleagues who might review this, the main idea of your project, why it's important, and how you plan to execute it. Tell us in just a page or two, and then give us a general outline of the book.
Who is going to buy your book? This is likely to be the hardest part for you, but the most important one for us. In what fields and subfields will we find people interested in your work? In what classes can this be used? Which professional organizations will find this valuable? Also tell us which audience you are writing for: how complex will the ideas and writing be? Are you writing for undergraduates, grad students, practitioners, the educated public, your colleagues? The more detail you can provide on potential purchasers, including specifics of organizations to which they may belong, the easier it is for us to estimate the book's market potential.
What else is already out there? Yes, your book is unique! But to help us gauge the contribution you're making, suggest your closest "competitors," compare them to your book, and show us why yours is an important addition to the literature.
What are your qualifications? Give us a paragraph or two about yourself and enclose a short CV.
When will we get it, and what will it look like? Give us the manuscript length (in words and in pages, double-spaced, standard font); a timetable for completion; number of tables, maps, illustrations, etc.; and other technical issues such as non-standard illustrations or copyright permissions.
Demonstrate your writing abilities. Please show us your ability to communicate through chapter abstracts, a sample chapter, and/or a writing sample designed for the same audience as this book.
Then what? Email or snail mail it to us. We'll get back to you as soon as we've had a chance to evaluate it internally. Don't be shy in contacting us if you haven't heard from us in 3 to 4 weeks.
We also welcome proposals for series, journals, software, and other products.