Preparing the Manuscript for Review

The Publications Program needs two hard copies and one electronic version of the manuscript, which should include all elements in the book except the dedication, acknowledgments, and index. The former would best be submitted as single-sided sheets secured with rubber bands; the latter should come as a single Word or PDF file. Please adhere to the following guidelines when preparing a manuscript:

• Use a large size of type (11 or 12 points)
• Leave one-inch margins on all sides
• Double space the text proper. Set-off block quotations and footnotes can be single spaced
• Include page numbers. Consecutive numbering of the pages throughout the manuscript is best; if each chapter is paginated separately, the running heads should indicate the chapter as well as the page number
• At the review stage, footnotes are preferable to endnotes and are more likely to be read

The Peer Review Process

The Publications Program generally commissions two reports on each manuscript considered for publication. If the reports are favorable, the author is shown copies (sans information that might identify the reviewer) and asked to respond to the readers’ comments. The reports and the author’s response, together with the book’s introductory chapter, are then sent to the members of the Publications Executive Committee, who will discuss and vote on the project.

Prospective authors should expect the peer review process to take a minimum of three to four months; it may well take longer. Be advised that the Publications Program cannot guarantee that the review process will be quick or that the reports will recommend publication, nor do favorable reports necessarily mean that the Publications Executive Committee will vote to accept the manuscript for publication in its series.