Author Guidelines

If you are an author of a scholarly book or work of reference, then we may be able to consider it for publication. However, you should read the following before getting in touch with us.

An Outline of Our Policy
Sending Your Typescript
The Market for Your Book
And Lastly

An Outline of Our Policy

We publish about a dozen books a year, but for each one that we publish we are offered a great many that we cannot take on. We only consider scholarly works of non-fiction, mainly in the humanities, and in particular in theology, history or related areas, or works of reference.

It costs time and money to consider books for publication whether we eventually accept them or not. We generally expect to take on books that offer some original scholarship, or alternatively present a well-argued and authoritative case for a reinterpretation.

Sending Your Typescript

Rather than sending your complete typescript in the first instance, it is usually better to post us a synopsis of the book, with a detailed contents list and a sample chapter or two. Please also write a letter explaining why the book merits publication, and what the readership for it is likely to be.

We will only be able to return typescript material to you if you send us adequate postage (a cheque in sterling, dollar, or euros, British postal stamps or international reply paid coupons) to do so. We can in any case take no liability for lost typescripts or material, so please do not send us valuable photos or original artwork.

Submissions should include a curriculum vitae or a description of the author's special qualifications for writing the book. It is also helpful if you have a written report on or recommendation of the book from a recognised academic authority on the subject.

If your university or department or an academic foundation is prepared to offer a subvention towards the publishing costs, please send details of the amount and also any special conditions.

We often have to reject books that might otherwise be suitable because they are presented in a form that makes reading them too difficult. If you are in any doubt about how to present a typescript you should look in an author's guide for suggestions on how to do so. We cannot, for example, consider handwritten books, books presented on disk without a print-out, or books printed out on continuous stationery. And furthermore, please DO NOT submit typescripts by e-mail, although we are happy to consider e-mail enquiries.

The Market for Your Book

We are a commercial publishing house and we have to make a profit from the books that we publish. However good your book is we will be unable to publish it unless we can see how we will be able to sell it, so it is important that we should be able to see what the potential market for the book will be, and how it may be reached. The more that you can tell us about this, the easier it will be for us to consider your book favourably. The most successful publishing is the result of close co-operation between author and publisher.

And Lastly ...

We will only publish a book after we have agreed terms with you and have signed a contract.

You may also like to check the Author's Guidelines for our sister imprint The Lutterworth Press.