Oxford University Press Studies in Language and Gender

Guidelines for proposals and manuscripts

Complete manuscripts are preferred. However, partial manuscripts and manuscript proposals may also be submitted. For complete manuscripts, send two copies plus one copy on CD or as a compressed attachment (Microsoft Word is preferred). For proposals, send one hard copy or an attachment.

The following materials will help in the evaluation of the manuscript or proposal:

1. A current curriculum vitae (for edited collections, send only the editor's CV)
2. A statement of the book's themes, purpose, and contribution to the field, addressing in particular how the book fulfills the goals of the series
3. A chapter-by-chapter synopsis
4. A table of contents
5. The complete manuscript if possible; otherwise submit as much of the manuscript as is available. For proposals, include the introduction and one or two sample chapters if possible.
6. An indication of potential competitors (if any) and how your book differs from them
7. For edited volumes, notes on contributors (name, position, affiliation)
8. For proposals, a tentative timeline of when the book will be completed

Tips for new authors and editors

• It may be helpful for you to think of the prospectus as a shorter version of the introduction. Try to develop the prospectus with this in mind. In general, a more detailed prospectus (5-10 single-spaced pages) will be more useful both to the reviewers and to you.
• For edited books, the proposal should give a clear sense that the chapters are significantly interrelated in some way: thematically, theoretically, methodologically, etc. The final versions of the chapters should reflect this interconnection through cross-references and/or dialogue between the chapters.
• For books based on dissertations, you may need to make significant changes in structure, presentation, and content to convert the dissertation into a book that will have general appeal to scholars and students in the field.
• There are several useful reference works available on the process of publishing an academic book, such as The Handbook for Academic Authors, 3rd edition, by Beth Luey (Cambridge University Press, 1995) and Getting It Published: A Guide for Scholars and Anyone Else Serious about Serious Books, by William Germano (University of Chicago Press, 2001). Both books are of general use in preparing a manuscript for publication as well as working with a publisher.

For further information or to submit a manuscript or proposal to OSLG, contact:

Mary Bucholtz
Department of Linguistics
3607 South Hall
University of California, Santa Barbara
Santa Barbara, CA 93106-3100 USA

bucholtz@linguistics.ucsb.edu
phone: (805) 893-5415
fax: (805) 893-7769

or

Peter Ohlin
Oxford University Press
198 Madison Avenue
New York, NY 10016-4314

ohlinp@oup-usa.org
phone: (212) 726-6104
fax: (212) 726-6443