Already a Corwin Author?
Please prepare your manuscript according to the Corwin Author's Guide. (please note this is a large file and may take some time to open depending upon your connection.)
For Permission and Copyright information and documentation, please go to our Author Permissions page.
Meet our editors
Information for Prospective Authors
Corwin publishes leading-edge books that offer fresh insights, conclusions, and recommendations for action. We do not publish textbooks that simply summarize existing knowledge; nor do we publish popular books intended for a mass market audience. Our goal is to publish substantive and practical books that contribute to practitioners' knowledge while also being readable and useful.
What is an "ideal" Corwin book?
- It is based on theory, research, and/or practical experience.
- It discusses the implications of that theory, research, or experience for universal practice.
- It draws on real-world examples and practices to illustrate points.
- It offers practical, hands-on advice to educators who want to be successful in their chosen careers.
- Most often, it is authored or coauthored, rather than an edited book.
- Our audiences need substantive works that are also 'user-friendly' and tailored to their busy schedules.
Physically, our publications are designed to meet the needs of the audiences being addressed. Corwin books vary in size from 6" x 9" and 7" x 10" editions up to 8½" x 11" workbook formats. As of June 1, 2009, we publish exclusively in paperback, and we also offer a limited number of CD-ROMs and DVDs.
How to Prepare a Book Prospectus
The prospectus for a book focuses the author's thoughts and helps guide the publisher in that it emphasizes the rationale of the book why it is being written and for whom. The prospectus provides more information than an outline (which offers only an overview of the content and organization).
In essence, a good prospectus sets forth all the information necessary to allow a publisher to adequately evaluate a project's potential.
Please use the following three-part guidelines in preparing your prospectus keep these areas separate, as it will make it easier for us to understand your intentions about the book. Feel free to add any additional items or categories you feel are necessary.
Part 1: About the Project
Rationale: Why are you writing the book? What will it accomplish? Why do people need help on the topic at this time? Is the topic of increasing importance rather than passing or declining importance? How does the book meet the need you have identified?
Knowledge Base: What is the research or experience base for the information in the book? Briefly describe any special studies or previous work relevant to the content.
Nature of Content: Do you provide a "broad brush" approach or a detailed, comprehensive treatment of the topic? How will the book be applicable to practice?
Alternative Title Possibilities: Along with your current working title, please suggest several alternative titles. We strive for titles that clearly communicate to all audiences the topic, purpose, and usefulness of our publications.
Competing or Related Works: Please list the author, title, and publisher of the main competing or related books, and tell us how your book would differ or be superior.
Special Materials: Describe any elements in the book that will help illustrate the textual discussions (for example, cases, flow charts, forms, summaries, annotated bibliography, glossary, and so on). How many tables, figures, and exhibits do you anticipate using?
Length and Schedule: How many double-spaced, typewritten pages do you anticipate the manuscript will have? Include special materials, tables, figures, and the reference section in the page count. When do you expect to have your manuscript ready? (Please be realistic in planning your schedule.)
Other Publishers: Which other publishers are considering your project?
Author: What experience, background, or other qualifications do you have that make you uniquely qualified to undertake this project? Please attach your vita or résumé.
Part 2: About the Contents
Outline of Contents and Chapter Descriptions: Please provide an outline with all part and chapter titles indicated. Also, include a few sentences about the purpose and contents of each chapter along with specific details and examples.
Sample Chapters: Do not wait until the manuscript is completed to submit the prospectus. Instead, send it with one or two sample chapters. When we learn of projects in the early stages, we can point out potential problems and offer editorial suggestions. Of course, if the manuscript is complete, or nearly so, then send copies of all that is available.
Part 3: About the Market
Primary Audience: What is the primary market for the book? Professionals in what specific field/subfield? What associations or specific divisions of professional organizations or professional journals would provide highly targeted mailing lists for promoting your book?
Secondary Audience: Are there other audiences that might be interested in the book, but to a lesser degree? Please be as realistic and as specific as possible in describing who will buy the book.
Uses: What would the book help the audiences do, understand, improve, carry out, etc.? Distinguish between the uses for the practitioner audiences and the uses for training workshops or whatever other distinction is most meaningful.
Funding: How is the proposed book a match for district, state, or federal funding initiatives or grant opportunities for P-12 schools? Please list appropriate funding initiatives or other funding sources.
Potential Course Adoptions: In addition to sales to individual practitioners and academics, Corwin books are often used as supplements in college and university courses, staff development workshops, and other training settings. If your book has the potential for such use, please provide as much specific information as possible as to the types of courses and approximate enrollments.
Suggestions for Developing Your Manuscript
- Write in the active voice in short, jargon-free sentences, grouped into short paragraphs.
- Use plenty of headings as signposts to your discussion.
- Use lists, checklists, figures, and other devices to present information interestingly and succinctly.
- Keep chapters relatively short, in the range of 20-25 double-spaced manuscript pages.
- Summarize points at the ends of chapters.
- Select only the most pertinent references to cite in text and to list at the end of the book.
- Consider including an annotated bibliography or suggestions for further reading (these are more useful than long, undifferentiated lists of literature citations).
- Keep the overall manuscript as concise as possible. It's difficult to communicate well in few words, but your readers will appreciate the effort! Do include necessary, supportive, or background information.
A Note About Writing Style: If you would like to publish with Corwin, please pay particular attention to how you put words on paper. Our readers are busy professionals who appreciate writing that is clear, straightforward, and to the point.
Corwin's Editorial Team
Corwin looks forward to receiving your proposal. Please email your proposal to only one editor, as it will expedite the response. If you have additional questions, contact us by phone at 805-499-9734.
Lisa Shaw, Executive Director, Editorial and Professional Learning
Telephone: (805) 410-7287
E-mail: lisa.shaw@corwin.com
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Lisa is Executive Director, Editorial, guiding the broad-reaching professional development book and digital program Corwin is committed to expanding to serve our teachers, teacher leaders, educational administrators, and whole institutions. Lisa has been in academic and educational publishing for more than 15 years, beginning her career with SAGE Publications, Corwin’s parent company focused on higher education books, journals, and reference works. She has held various managerial positions in production, journals acquisitions, and book acquisitions, including heading up SAGE’s hallmark programs in Research Methods, Evaluation, and Business and Management. Her work in Education spans managing and acquiring academic journals as well as developing K-12 textbooks, work she undertook as Executive Editor for McGraw-Hill. Lisa is a Southern California native who did not stray far for her education. She earned her BA in English from the University of California, Los Angeles and her MBA with emphasis in Management and Organizational Behavior from California Lutheran University. She is currently pursuing her EdD in Organizational Leadership from the University of LaVerne. Her publishing career has led her to pick up various hobbies and activities along the way: running (the easiest way to get to know a city when traveling), making wine (all good book ideas have been developed over a meal…served with wine), caring for her dachshunds (98.5% of publishers are dog-lovers), and perhaps her greatest acquisition yet, meeting and marrying her husband, who is also in publishing. |
Jessica Allan, Senior Acquisitions Editor
SPECIAL AND GIFTED EDUCATION, BRAIN-COMPATIBLE INSTRUCTION, SCHOOL COUNSELING, AND EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION
Telephone: (908) 277-1447
E-mail: jessica.allan@corwin.com
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Jessica was born in the UK and lived in Australia, Arizona, Wisconsin, Maryland, Virginia, and New York before settling (for now) in New Jersey. She attended the University of Richmond, taught high school English in France, and then began her career in publishing at Random House while earning an M.A. in Literature from NYU. Jessica worked in production for Callaway and Scholastic before moving to Brookes Publishing and acquiring books in the areas of literacy, learning disabilities, and mental health. She joined Corwin in 2007 and feels privileged to work with such dedicated professionals - both colleagues and authors. Jessica has two school-aged boys and frequently tests out her authors’ strategies on them. Her husband works in publishing as well, so they own a lot of bookcases. She is a passionate reader and is outside as much as possible, running, hiking, and traveling. She also spends a lot of time in the theatre watching her kids perform. |
Dan Alpert, Senior Acquisitions Editor
STAFF DEVELOPMENT, DIVERSITY, ELL, ASSESSMENT
Telephone: (415) 753-2129
E-mail: dan.alpert@corwin.com
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Dan was born and bred in New Haven, Connecticut and is a product of the New Haven public school system. He has a B.A. from McGill University in Montreal Canada. Dan lived in New York City for more than a decade after college and began his publishing career in 1984 at Random House. This was followed by editorial stints at McGraw-Hill and Thomson/Wadsworth (now Cengage). Prior to Corwin, he served as Education and Social Work Editor for Wadsworth. In 1989, he migrated to San Francisco and never looked back. Aside from reading and writing, Dan's passions are the arts (especially theater), travel, and social justice. |
Arnis Burvikovs, Senior Acquisitions Editor
EDUCATIONAL LEADERSHIP
Telephone: (805) 367-6151
E-mail: arnis.burvikovs@corwin.com
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Despite a classics education at Boston Latin High and the University of Massachusetts, Arnis found himself tending bar and roofing after his teaching position at Falmouth High School fell victim to a statewide budget cut. Winter and roofing were not a great fit so he interviewed as a temporary sales representative at Little, Brown and Company and relocated to Chicago. His publishing career has spanned sales, sales management, and editorial positions at college publishers such as Little/Brown, West and Allyn & Bacon. In his last position, he edited textbooks in the Educational Psychology, Leadership, and Technology areas for Allyn & Bacon. Aside from sweating blood for his authors, Arnis' interests run mostly to outdoor sports such as biking, hiking, and fly-fishing. 25 years after leaving Boston, Arnis remains to this day a diehard Red Sox fan. |
Lisa Luedeke, Publisher
LITERACY
E-mail: lisa.luedeke@corwin.com
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A life-long New Englander, Lisa was born in Connecticut, raised in Maine, and went to college in Vermont and New Hampshire. Armed with a BA in English and a masters degree in teaching secondary English, she taught high school in Maine, became a sales representative for Macmillan’s college division, and taught high school English in an IB program in Slovenia, but she landed her dream job—as an editor for Heinemann’s secondary college English lists—in 1997. After thirteen years there, she landed her second dream job—as Publisher of Literacy for Corwin. Lisa’s first young adult novel, Smashed, will be published by Simon & Schuster in August 2012. She lives in New Hampshire with her husband and young daughter where they hike, ski, swim, and hang out at their local bookstore, The Toadstool. |
Robin Najar, Senior Acquisitions Editor
MATH, SCIENCE, GENERAL EDUCATION
E-mail: robin.najar@corwin.com
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After attending seven different schools in six different states during her K-12 education, Robin finally landed in New England, where she received her B.S. in Forestry from the University of Maine. She enjoyed several years working for the Appalachian Mountain Club in the White Mountains of New Hampshire, but soon turned her sights to publishing and began her career with Macmillan College Publishing in 1985 in sales and sales management. Catching the publishing bug, Robin moved from sales to editorial when she took a position as Science Acquisitions Editor for Heinemann. Years later, at Cengage, she managed customized on-ground and online curriculum development for Career and Higher Education Markets focusing on healthcare, science and education. After realizing her true passion lay with Math and Science education, she was delighted to take on the role of Senior Acquisitions Editor for Math, Science and General Education for Corwin. Robin’s happily settled on the Seacoast of New Hampshire, where she and her husband, parents of two college-aged children, are enjoying an empty nest. She loves anything involving the outdoors and is actively involved in her local land trust, which works to protect open space in her community. |
