Author Guidelines
The University of
Maine Press publishes scholarly books and original writing which focus
on the intellectual concerns of the Maine region. Although the press
occasionally publishes works of regional fiction (and works of nonfiction
which are outside of its regional focus), the press is primarily
interested in publishing scholarly studies in the sciences, the social
sciences, the arts, and the humanities.
An author who is
considering the University of Maine Press should send a letter of
inquiry, a synopsis, and—if appropriate—a few representative chapters or
sections from the manuscript of the proposed book. The entire manuscript
should not be sent to the press with the initial inquiry. An author
should not send the only copy of anything to the press. Although the
press will make every effort to safeguard what it receives, it cannot be
held responsible for lost manuscripts. A stamped self-addressed envelope
should be included with the letter and supportive material.
Since
proposals for books need to be considered by the Director of the Press,
the Board of Directors and outside expert readers, a thorough
consideration of the initial manuscript material may take several
months. The Director of the Press will make every attempt to expedite
this process. Inquires should be sent to Michael Alpert, Director of the
Press. Correspondence about the status of a proposal should also be sent
to the Director of the Press at the address above. Michael Alpert may
also be contacted via email: alpert@umit.maine.edu
All manuscript
material should be presented in a legible typeface, with ample margins
and line-spacing (wide single spacing) to facilitate reading and
annotation. Manuscript material in obvious need of basic copy-editing
will not be considered by the press. In general, authors should prepare
manuscript material by following the guidelines in The Chicago Manual
of Style or a comparable standard style-manual in the author’s
discipline. Approved manuscripts must be submitted in hardcopy form and
in Microsoft Word or a comparable electronic file that can be imported
into commonly-used publishing software. All illustrations submitted to
the press in electronic form must be of adequate file-size and must be
fully compatible with current publishing software.
