Guidelines for Submitting a Book Proposal
Thank you for considering J. Ross Publishing. We are pleased that you have chosen to submit a book proposal for our review. The following guidelines are designed to expedite the proposal process so that we can respond quickly.
There are two phases in submitting a book proposal. The first phase is simply an opportunity to get to know you and the proposed project. We ask that you use the online submission form to provide basic information about yourself, a brief abstract of the book, and a general idea of the market. This information allows us to promptly get back to you regarding our interest. The second phase is a more in-depth analysis of the project in which we ask you to provide more detailed information as outlined below.
PHASE ONE: SUBMITTING A BOOK PROPOSAL ONLINE
To help expedite the process, we ask that you use the online submission form to provide basic information about yourself, a brief abstract of the book, and a general idea of the market. Our staff will review the abstract and if it meets our publishing criteria, we will ask you to provide more detailed information as described in phase two of the book proposal process below.
Click here to submit a book proposal online
PHASE TWO: SUBMITTING A DETAILED BOOK PROPOSAL
After we have received your online proposal and established interest in the project, the next phase is to request a more in-depth analysis of the proposed book. We ask that you provide answers to the questions outlined in the Seven Steps to Submitting a Detailed Book Proposal below. If the book meets our editorial, sales, and marketing criteria, we will contact you soon after regarding our interest in publishing the book.
SEVEN STEPS TO SUBMITTING A DETAILED BOOK PROPOSAL
Please answer the following questions as thoroughly and in as much detail as possible. The more information you provide, the better we can make an informed decision and the sooner we can get back to you. An incomplete submission may significantly delay the process. When completed, e-mail the document to the editorial contact listed below in Step 7.
Step 1: Tell Us About Yourself
- Provide detailed contact information, including name, address, phone numbers, e-mail address, and any other additional information that might be helpful.
- Provide a description of your background, including your educational background, academic degrees, professional experience, current affiliation, area of involvement, awards and honors, professional accomplishments, professional affiliations, writing experience, consulting or speaking experience, and other relevant information about yourself. If available, please attach a copy of your vitae or resume.
- Are you currently involved in a writing project other than this one or do you have future plans for other book projects?
- Provide a brief explanation of why you choose to write this book and the personal and professional goals you hope to achieve from this project.
Step 2: Tell Us About the Book
- Provide a detailed summary (approximately 200 to 300 words) describing the book and its intended purpose.
- List the key features of the book and how it will benefit the reader. Tell us why someone would want to buy it.
- List three real-world problems that the book will solve.
- List any supplemental material you plan to provide, such as cases, solutions manual, software, etc.
- List three possible titles for the book.
- Provide a proposed table of contents or outline that includes chapter headings and subheads with a brief description of each.
- Indicate whether the book would be a revision or new edition of an existing or out-of-print title. If it is a revision, describe what is new and improved over the previous edition and why you feel a revision is needed. Indicate how well the previous edition sold. Provide a percentage estimate of expected revisions and updates.
- If available, provide one sample chapter that illustrates the strongest and most distinctive aspects of the book.
- Specify whether the book has academic textbook potential. If it does, list the graduate or undergraduate course titles. Estimate the number of colleges or universities that might use the book and, if possible, provide examples of these institutions. Indicate whether you would provide an instructor’s guide or solutions manual.
- Estimate the length of the book (please describe it in terms of 8.5-by-11-inch, double-spaced, Times New Roman MS Word pages), including the projected number of illustrations, photographs, equations, tables, and figures.
- Describe the current status of the manuscript.
- Provide an estimated schedule of completion.
Step 3: Tell Us About the Competition and How It Compares
- List the titles of five other books or products you see as the primary competition. Include the author name(s), price, page count, publication date, and publisher.
- Describe how each competing book compares to or differs from your book. List unique features that make your book superior to what is already out there.
- Indicate whether you are aware of any competing projects currently in progress that have not yet been published.
Step 4: Tell Us About Current Industry Trends
- Describe current industry trends as they relate to the topic of the book. Comment on the future outlook and provide back-up research to support your thoughts (e.g., trade journal surveys, market research from industry groups, etc.).
- Given these trends, explain why the book is relevant and essential.
Step 5: Tell Us About the Market
- Describe the primary and secondary market for which the book is intended. List all potential end users by professional title (e.g., manufacturing engineers, plant managers, marketing directors, etc.).
- Give reasons why these professionals would want or need the book.
- Describe how this book will solve real-world problems for these professionals.
- List all highly relevant industry associations, organizations, institutes, agencies, councils, committees, and clubs with which these professionals may be affiliated.
- List all meetings, trade shows, or conventions these professionals are likely to attend.
- List journals, magazines, newsletters, and other subscription products these professionals are likely to read.
- List websites these professionals may frequent.
Step 6: Help Us Sell the Book
- List all potential volume purchasers of the book (e.g., associations, consulting or training companies, college bookstores, catalogers, online bookstores, corporations, etc.).
- Indicate whether you or your company or affiliated organization plans to purchase volume quantities of the book for distribution.
Step 7: Send the Proposal to Us
E-mail this information to editorial@jrosspub.com.