Information for Authors
Routledge was founded in 1836, and since the early years of the twentieth century it has focused on book and journal publishing in the Humanities and Social Sciences. The result is an exceptional list that has published many of the greatest thinkers and scholars of the last hundred years, including Adorno, Einstein, Russell, Popper, Wittgenstein, Jung, Bohm, Hayek, McLuhan, Marcuse and Sartre. We take pride in the range and strength of our backlist which we continue to promote in a wide range of formats. Our current publishing programme encompasses the liveliest texts, and the best in research.
Publish with us, and you join this prestigious family of books.
The Publishing Team – what we can offer:
- Dedicated and experienced subject editors who will review and provide feedback on your initial proposal
- Global distribution and marketing. Our sales are evenly split between the US, the UK and the rest of the world. We have a strong presence in all these markets. Our editorial and marketing teams in the US and UK work very closely to ensure your book gets the right exposure
- A dedicated international sales team, with offices in Europe, Singapore, India and China
- Dedicated and knowledgeable sales teams in the US and UK, selling to bookshops, wholesalers, online bookshops, library suppliers and specialist accounts
- Quality design and production values. Using the latest technology, our books are produced efficiently, quickly and attractively
- eBooks. We know how important it is to provide content in a format that customers want. Routledge has an extensive ebooks programme, with new titles being added daily
- Textbook development expertise for our major texts
- A global marketing plan, including direct mail, electronic and web marketing, advertising, review mailing, conference representation and adoption marketing for textbooks
- Translation rights. Our rights team will manage translation rights on your behalf dealing with publishers from around the globe.
Submitting a Book Proposal
The proposal you submit will be the basis on which we judge the book's suitability for publication. Therefore it needs to be organised in a way that provides the right information to us and to referees.
The following notes should help you prepare your proposal, and your co-operation in following our recommendations will ease the task of evaluation.
We would suggest a proposal between 3-4 pages in length, although this should be supplemented by sample chapters, or a draft manuscript, and curriculum vitae.
Four main areas need to be addressed:
1. A statement of aims including 3-4 paragraphs outlining the rationale behind the book
- Quite simply, what is your book about?
- What are its main themes and objectives?
- What are you doing differently, or in a more innovative way, or better than existing books?
2. A detailed synopsis and chapter headings with an indication of length and schedule
- Please list working chapter headings and provide a paragraph of explanation on what you intend to cover in each chapter. This may be all that the reviewer has to go on, so a list of chapter headings alone is not enough.
- If sample chapters, or a draft manuscript are available, please send them or let us know when they will be available.
- How many tables, diagrams or illustrations will there be (roughly)?
- Roughly how many thousand words in length will your book be? Does this include references and footnotes? Most of our books are 80,000 - 100,000 words long.
- When will you be able to deliver the completed typescript? Please be as realistic as possible.
3. A description of the target market
- Who is your book primarily aimed at? Who will buy it? Who will read it?
- Is it aimed at an undergraduate or postgraduate student audience?
- What courses would the book be used on?
- Is it a research monograph that will sell primarily to academic libraries?
- Is the subject area of the proposal widely taught, or researched?
- Would this subject have international appeal outside your home country? If so, where?
4. A list of the main competing books
We would like some indication that you are familiar with competition to your proposed book. What are their strengths & weaknesses? What makes your book better then the existing competition?
It will also be necessary to include:
- one or two sample chapters, or a draft manuscript, if available
- a curriculum vitae of all authors, and notes on any other contributors.
Additional Questions for Edited Collections
- Is the book of a consistent academic quality?
- Should some of the weaker chapters be excised?
- Are the chapters structured logically and integrated around a coherent central theme?
- Will you be providing a detailed introductory chapter and a conclusion?
- Is there a balance between theoretical/methodological & empirical chapters?
- Will the case studies (if appropriate) appeal to an international audience?
How We Evaluate Your Proposal, Or Manuscript
- Evaluation by commissioning editor(s)
The proposal will be considered carefully by the most suitable editor. The editor will ask several questions: Is the content of this book of a high academic standard? Is there a market for a high quality book on this subject? What evidence is there for this market? If there is a gap in the market, is this the right book to fill it? Will the book sell internationally? If the editor is satisfied at this stage, then the proposal will then be evaluated by academic experts. - Evaluation by independent referees
We ask respected academic specialists in the field to give us independent advice on the content, quality and potential market for a finished book based on your proposal or manuscript. We normally solicit 2 or 3 reports from academics. This process should take 6-8 weeks but can take longer as it is sometimes difficult to find suitable reviewers, and reviewers sometimes interpret deadlines rather loosely. - Editorial Board Meeting
If the reviews have been positive, then the editor puts together a written proposal including your proposal, the referees’ reports, and projected production costs and revenues. These are circulated to all members of the editorial board in advance of a regular meeting, where each proposal is discussed and either approved, rejected, or provisionally passed, subject to certain revisions. The editorial board consists of editors, a publisher (who manages a team of editors), marketing and sales managers. - Contract, Desk editorial and Publication
If your proposal is passed then we will issue a draft contract. Once we have agreed on terms you sign and return the contract with an agreed date for the delivery of the manuscript. Once the book has been written and delivered, you will liase with a desk-editor over the copy-editing and production process. We will then publish, market and sell the book.
If you would like to submit a proposal, or have any queries, or concerns, please contact:
For UK and Rest of World Based Authors:
The Relevant Editor (please insert subject area or name of relevant editor),
ROUTLEDGE BOOKS,
2 Park Square
Milton Park
Abingdon
Oxford OX14 4RN
Tel: +44 (0) 20 7017 6000
Fax: +44 (0) 20 7017 6699
For U.S. Based Authors:
The Relevant Editor (please insert subject area or name of relevant editor),
Routledge Books
270 Madison Avenue
New York, NY 10016
USA
Tel: 212-216-4000
Fax: 212-643-1430
Download Proposal Guidelines (PDF)
Author Order Form
Style Guidelines
The following files are formatted as PDFs. You will require Adobe Acrobat reader to view them. If you do not already have Adobe Acrobat Reader, download it free by clicking here. If you are using Internet Explorer as your Web browser, please click on Bookmarks within the Acrobat Reader to jump to each chapter.
- Introduction
- Presentation & Organisation
- Preparing Text on Disk
- Editorial Guidelines
- Illustrations
- Tables
- Permissions
- Libel
- Contributed Books
- Delivery Requirements & Checklist
- Proof correction
- Preparing an Index
- Acceptable File Formats
- The International System (SI) of Units
Attending a Conference?
Let us know...
if you plan to attend a conference, or if you know of any important, relevant conferences that you cannot attend. This will help us promote your book effectively.
- If we are attending, we will ensure that your book is displayed.
- If another department is attending, we will arrange for your book to be displayed, if at all possible.
- If we cannot attend, we can prepare flyers for you to distribute yourself, or we can investigate sending flyers for separate display, or having an unmanned display for your book.
It is important that we have as much advance notice as possible of conferences. One month is the absolute minimum notice we require for conferences in the UK. More notice is needed for conferences elsewhere. Conferences where we intend to have a stand are usually planned the preceding year.
Email us to let us know about conferences. Please ensure you include the full conference name and dates, as well as the conference web address and/or contact name, telephone number and email address.
Author Flyers
If you would like flyers to distribute at conferences or other occasions, do let us know. We usually need 3 weeks notice for this. When you email us, don't forget to include your name, address, telephone number, how many flyers you will need, and the deadline for the flyers to reach you.
Click here to request flyers.
