Prospectus Guidelines for a Book to Be Nationally Marketed: Considerations for a Book Aimed At the National Market

This outline is intended to provide a general frame of reference for evaluation of the national potential of your material.  Please discuss with us any questions it may arouse, or any concerns you may have about preparing material for review.

I.   MARKET CONSIDERATIONS

A. General Market 
     1. Is the text designed for a subject taught at most schools? 
     2. What are the prerequisites for the course? 

B. Market Segment 
     1. At what college level is the course taught at most schools? 
     2. Discuss which competing books will be closest to your text in level and appeal and their main strengths and weaknesses.

II.  THE TEXT

A. Brief Description 
     1. In one or two paragraphs describe the work. 

B. Outstanding Features 
     1.  List briefly what you consider to be the outstanding features of the work. 

C.  Ancillary Items 
     1.  Please discuss all the ancillary items you feel will be needed to publish a competitive text.

III.  STATUS OF THE TEXT

A.  Schedule for completing the text 
     1.  When do you expect to have a completed manuscript? 

B.  Length 
     1.  What is the goal for the page length of a bound text? 
     2.  What is the estimate of the length of text in manuscript pages? 

C. Competition 
     1.  Do you intend to class-test the material?

 IV.  STATUS OF THE GRAPHICS

A.  Layout features 
     1.  What special layout features (color, shadings, gradients, bleeds) do you plan to employ? 

B.  Illustrations 
     1.  How many illustrations, photos and line-drawings (graphs and diagrams) do you plan to include? 

C.  How are these illustrations generated, and in what form will they be submitted?

V. ADDITIONAL MATERIALS

A.  Annotated Table of Contents 
     1.  A detailed outline provides reviewers with a sense of how the material will be organized and developed. 

B.  Vita 
     1.  We would appreciate a current vita. 

C.  Sample chapters (if possible and convenient) 
     1.  Sample chapters need not be chronological – it would be advisable to prepare the chapters you feel initially most comfortable in writing.