Authors and New books

Proposals are welcome

We are always pleased to discuss ideas for new books at any stage.

What follows is a brief, generalized description of what the editors in the Medical Department of Oxford University Press need to see in order to consider a proposal for a new book, and how they will evaluate it for publication. These notes are not exhaustive, since many projects will be presented and evaluated in rather different ways and possibly at different stages. Please discuss any queries you may have with your editor, who will always be pleased to hear from you.

Please feel free to approach the appropriate editor by email or telephone, for an initial discussion about whether your proposal is likely to fit in with our publishing programme.

The outline proposal

In order to consider a new book proposal, we need to see an outline proposal for your new book. This should include the following:

1. Draft preface

This should be about 500 words long and summarize your aims, scope, general approach, and intended audience.

Aims: Why is a new book needed? Why do you wish to write/edit it? What do you think the readers will gain from it?

Scope: What is included? What is left out, and why?

General approach: What is the underlying theme or themes of the book? How would you summarize your approach to the subject? For an edited book: what are your aims as editor? What brief will you give contributors?

Intended readership: What is the primary market? (for example, `undergraduate medical students',`specialist nephrologists'). What are the secondary markets? (for example, `the intelligent layperson', `basic research workers in kidney disease'). In which markets outside the UK would you expect your book to sell well? For a textbook, for which courses will your book be appropriate? What prior knowledge will it assume?

2. Outline of contents

Please provide a list of chapters including the main subheadings of each, with an estimate of the number of words or printed pages in each chapter. For an edited volume, this should include the name and affiliation of the suggested author(s) for each chapter, and a note of whether they have agreed to contribute. If illustrations are a major feature of your proposal please specify the types (photographs/diagrams) and number in each chapter. Please also give your estimate of the total number of words/printed pages, and the total number and type of illustrations.

3. Curriculum Vitae

It is helpful if you send a brief version of your CV and list of relevant publications.

4. Information on `competing books'

If applicable, please give a list of books (with as much information on length, date of publication, publisher, price, etc. as possible) that might be considered as `competing' with your proposed book, with details of how your book will differ from and improve on each.

Evaluating the proposal

If your proposal fits in with our publishing plans, the OUP editor will invite the comments of a small number of academic advisers on your outline. Referees will remain anonymous, unless they wish otherwise.

This process will usually take from three to six weeks. Your editor will write to you summarizing the referees' comments as soon as they are complete. You will be asked for your reaction to these comments and whether you wish to amend your outline in response to them.

It is also possible that, at this stage, you will be informed that OUP cannot publish your book.

Putting the proposal to the Delegates of the Press

If, based on advisers’ reports, your editor feels that the proposal is likely to make a successful OUP publication, it will be submitted to the Delegates of the Press for consideration at their next meeting. (The Delegates meet every two weeks during University term time. If a decision is needed outside term time a `vacation decision' can sometimes be arranged.) Your editor will let you know the Delegates' decision about your proposal as soon as possible after their meeting.

The contract

If the Delegates encourage publication, your editor will send you a draft contract. You should check that all the details of the contract (for example, details of authors, addresses, delivery date, division of royalties, payment for contributors) are correct and discuss any queries with your editor if necessary before returning it to OUP so a final version can be drawn up for your signature. At this stage, your editor will discuss the preparation of the typescript and illustrations and the writing schedule with you.